When you talk to a dentist about your teeth, there are all kinds of things that they consider. The shape of your teeth, how they meet each other, the quality of your gums, the integrity of your enamel. The list goes on and on.

However, when the average person looks at their smile, the thing they notice most often is the color of their teeth. While it’s natural to want a brighter smile, having white teeth doesn’t necessarily correlate one to one with good oral health. Here are a few examples of how the pursuit of a white smile can be dangerous, and what problems could be lurking under the surface.

Periodontal disease, also known as gum disease, affects over half the US population in some form and it is still one of the least talked-about subjects. The facts presented here mean to change all that by offering up some of the strangest or most surprising trivia offered by dentists.

If you want to talk up your friends or family and get them energized to take care of their oral health, continue reading.