I watched content on Tictok when I saw a young man brushing his teeth with an iron sponge, the familiar one used to wash pots in Nigerian kitchens. I am no longer a fan of TicTok I was never a fan of it because I have seen so much annoying content on that social media platform that makes me support the call for it to be banned but this sponge on the teeth was one I couldn't let go without commenting about.
First, I feel sorry for the person in the video because he has decided to trade his health for likes, comments, and shares. I guess there is a price for everything and in his case, it is his health for likes, comments, and shares but what could be wrong with what he is doing? First, let me explain the anatomy of the teeth to you.
First, teeth look like bones in appearance, but they are not bones because they have distinct differences. Teeth consist of three major parts, the crown, the neck, and the root, with the crown being the visible portion of the tooth which is above the neck which is rooted in the gum. The crown is covered in a hard protective part known as the enamel. The enamel covers the dentin, the pulp chamber, and the pulp. The neck allows for the attachment of the crown to the gum (gingival) and the root. The root is the large part of the teeth which is found below the gum and is connected to the socket of the alveolar bone located in the maxilla and mandible.
The teeth are made up of four major tissues which are enamel, cementum, dentin, and pulp with the enamel being the outer layer of the crown with no blood vessels, cells, or nerves. It is made up of hydroxyapatite. Enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, it can be dissolved by a lot of things such as acids which can be obtained by plaques, actions of microbes, acidic food, and the iron sponge used by the guy in the video.
Back to the video I mentioned, the guy was washing his teeth with the iron sponge which could lead to the destruction of the enamel, exposing the dentin and the inner teeth. Also, the same act can lead to the destruction of the gum. When the gum is damaged, it can lead to bleeding, exposure of the lower part of the teeth, and so on. It is not only this that can cause harm to the teeth, brushing with smokers or hard toothbrushes is one way to destroy the enamel of the teeth as well. Brushing with a soft or medium toothbrush.
