At Smiles Dental, we love the Pacific Northwest, and we are proud to have locations across both Oregon and Washington State. There’s no way we could choose which state we love more, but it can be fun to compare them. Take their state animals, for example, Oregon’s state animal is the beaver, and Washingtons’ state mammal is the Olympic marmot. Since we are in the dental field, we think the best way to pit the two against each other is to check out their tooth. It is time for the beaver-marmot tooth showdown!
The Beaver Tooth
When was the last time you had a peek at a beaver’s teeth? If you’ve ever done so then you wouldn’t have been able to miss one glaring fact: they are orange! Yes, beavers aren’t ones to have dazzling pearly whites. Instead, their incisors are bright orange because they are actually fortified with iron. Besides giving them this unique hue, the iron gives their teeth extra strength, which is perfect for when they need to cut through trees. It also happens to do a great job at keeping cavities at bay too.
Another fun fact about beaver teeth is that they are always growing and sharpening themselves. This is a pretty handy fact of nature when you think about how they’re using their teeth as tools all the time!
Olympic Marmot Teeth
Not to be outdone by the beaver, Olympic marmots have their own interesting tooth trivia. These animals happen to be very social so they have their own set of greetings between others in their colony. Common social greetings involve nose-to-nose or nose-to-cheek interactions, but there are some situations where Olympic marmots have been shown to greet one another by interlocking their teeth.
We are not ones to pick sides, so we’ll leave the decision of the winner in this tooth showdown up to you. If you’d like some fun facts about your own teeth, the Smiles Dental team is there for you! Contact one of our Oregon or Washington State dental offices, and we’d be more than happy to chat with you about all things smile-related.
The Smiles Dental team is here to answer any questions you have, whether it’s about toothbrush type, an oral health issue, or anything else dental-related. Feel free to contact any one of our Washington or Oregon locations for some assistance.
Discover the Smiles Dental difference today!
Are you ready for the happy, healthy smile of your dreams? When you choose Smiles Dental Services, you’re putting your smile in the hands of highly-trained professionals you can trust. Above all, we provide our patients with leading-edge dentistry that goes above and beyond.