Spot the Frippet: gnashers.

This is a time to be grateful for small mercies.

I hope your teeth are all right.


photo by Mepereshka

In our town toothpaste was one of the first things to disappear from the supermarket shelves, which was very odd. Luckily the supply was soon back, because no one is going to be wanting to visit a dentist.

Mind you, who does, even at the best of times? 

Anyway, let's hear it for a strong and efficient set of gnashers, whether stuck in the gums by Nature, metal screws, glue, or discreet adhesive pads.


photo by Делфина

Where will you find the most teeth? In the mouth of a snail (up to 20,000, all stuck to its tongue). The strongest? In a limpet (harder than titanium). The longest? A narwhal's tusk.

And, while we're here, let's give a passing thought to those cartilaginous fish such as sharks, who are constructed in such a way that they can get toothache all over.


photo by Olga Ernst

So it's no wonder they've been known to get a bit tetchy from time to time.*

Spot the Frippet: gnashers. This word is probably a gift from Scandinavia (thanks, Scandinavia!). The Old Norse gnastan means a gnashing of teeth, and gnesta means to clatter.

*I can't find a reference to this 'fact' anywhere on line, but I know someone somewhere once told me it was true.