Keep On Smiling
Take care of your Smile!
Without teeth, you can't eat or even speak well! So chewing gum wouldn't be any fun!
It's true!! Teeth grow before you are even born and continue to grow until your'e an adult! They are made up of five parts the crown, enamel, dentin, pulp and root. The crown is the part of each tooth above our gums, we first see. Enamel is the hardest part in our entire body! It is the white covering on the top of each tooth. Dentin is the layer under the enamel which we can't see. Pulp is the softest part of teeth, it's made up of nerves and blood vessels and the root, is what holds each tooth together.
Guess how many teeth we have ?
Baby teeth
3 year old full set of "baby" primary teeth
Permanent adult set of teeth
Wow! So how many different types of teeth do we have as an adult?
You have:
- eight incisors - four in your upper jaw and four in your lower jaw in the front of your mouth. Incisor means "biting tooth" and these teeth help you bite into your food.
- four canines - two in your upper jaw and two in the lower jaw. Your canines are located next to the incisors. Canine means "like a dog." These teeth are pointed and are used to stab and tear at food.
- eight molars - four in your upper jaw and four in your lower jaw. These teeth in the back of you mouth help grind your food.
Do you think we should take care of our teeth? Why?
(Tune ~ Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)
Got my toothpaste,got my brush,
I won’t hurry, I won’t rush.
Making sure my teeth are clean,
Front and back and in-between,
When I brush for quite a while,
I will have a happy smile.
This is why going to our family Dentist, is important. Dentists find out what's wrong, fix, and help prevent problems with teeth.
So, what kinds of problems can we have with our teeth?
When you eat, bits of food (particles) pieces of food are left on your teeth. When sugars from the foods we eat combine with bacteria in your mouth, plaque forms. The plaque forms acids that can eat a hole in the tooth. This is called a cavity.
The cavity can spread into the dentin and then into the pulp if left untreated. If bacteria gets into the pulp, it can cause the blood vessels to swell and press on the nearby nerves. Ouch! Now you have a real toothache and it's time to make an appointment with your Dentist.
How do we keep our teeth HEALTHY?
You should brush in the morning, the evening and after meals! Besides brushing, you should also floss once a day. Flossing removes food and plaque from between your teeth and places your toothbrush can't reach. This also helps prevent gum disease.
How much toothpaste is okay to use?
Swish, swish, swish
pearly whites
So make sure to :
- Make regular visits to your dentist and eat right.
- Not regularly eat candy and other sticky, sugar foods because they are bad for your teeth.
- Have a good healthy diet with fruits and vegetables.
- Brush and floss often!
- Visits your dentist twice a year to keep a healthy smile!