Anyone who has ever squirmed through a dental cleaning can tell you how sensitive teeth can be. This sensitivity gives important feedback about temperature, pressure—and yes, pain—as we bite and chew our food. However, the sensitive parts inside the hard enamel first evolved for something quite different.
Imagine. You’re a fish just swimming around. You have skin that senses like a humans teeth can sense…a larger creature comes and crunches you and your teeth skin with their gigantic boned armoured jaw.
And then remember the last time novacaine didn’t work when someone was drilling your teeth.