Dentists now say that dental care for children has to start early. It is important to detect any problems that may arise with your children’s teeth earlier rather than later.
Share with your child these 10 fun facts about teeth, and help them look forward to their dental visits!
10 facts about Teeth
1. Teeth have roots.
Just like trees, teeth have roots. One-third of each tooth is not visible, but you still must care for this part of the tooth. There are two ways to do this. First, eat a really good diet to make sure you are eating vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds every day. Second, when you brush your teeth with an electric toothbrush, do not neglect the root of the tooth. Stimulate that part of the tooth with the brush as much as you brush the upper visible part of the tooth.
2. Teeth need cleaning just like hands do.
It is because there are bacteria in the mouth that you must brush and clean your teeth. You would not go a whole day without washing your hands, so why ignore the teeth?
The best times to brush your teeth are in the morning when you first wake up, since this removes any bacterial residues that grew on the teeth all night long and before bed. Any additional times you brush your teeth are bonuses for your teeth.
3. Teeth tell your story.
When a tooth falls out, it can be examined. The tooth leaves its history book about your healthy or unhealthy habits. For example, if it is yellow, the history tells us that you forgot to brush too often than not. If there is a blackened area or a hole, that tells us sugar ate away the tooth, and you ate the sugar! You have control over the story your teeth will tell about you.
4. In the old days, people used twigs to brush their teeth.
Believe it or not, people used to clean their teeth with twigs. The twigs were special twigs that came from certain plants that had the power to kill bacteria. Now some people still use licorice twigs to clean their teeth as an herbal remedy. It freshens the breath too!
5. Your mouth contains both good and bad bacteria.
Your skin and the inside of your mouth both are coated with bacteria. Some of the bacteria is good, but some bacteria can cause cavities. You can multiply the number of bad bacteria by feeding them with sugar and leaving food between your teeth.
6. You have the same number of teeth on the top row as the bottom.
You have 20 baby teeth. When you get your permanent teeth, you will have 30 teeth. Then you may get wisdom teeth. Your teeth fit together perfectly so you can chew your food! If they do not fit together perfectly, that is a sign that children need a pediatric dentist. Your child might also need braces
7. If you lose a tooth, it affects all the other teeth.
Your teeth are constantly shifting. They move if you lose a tooth. That is why every tooth has to be treated as if it is a treasure! Your mouth needs every single tooth it has. Parents are always searching for good dental care for children to make sure that permanent teeth are coming in properly after a baby tooth falls out.
8. Some people never get wisdom teeth.
About 35% of the population will never grow wisdom teeth. This does not mean those people are not wise! You are wise if you study a lot, understand how things work in life, and take care of your teeth!
9. What you eat affects your teeth.
Some foods, such as celery and carrots, actually clean your teeth. Other foods, such as raisins, dried fruit, candy, pasta, stick to the teeth.
When foods stick to the teeth, they have to be cleaned off! Without brushing them clean, the acids in foods start eating holes in the teeth and cause cavities, and that means a trip to the dentist.
10. Sugar eats holes in your teeth and weakens your bones.
Sugar may taste good, but your teeth do not like it! In fact, the kids that have the best teeth are the ones who rarely eat candy and sugary foods or drink beverages with sugar in them.
Sugar ruins your teeth and your bones and makes it easy to lose your teeth. By weakening your bones, sugar makes you have bad posture over time.
For more information
Teach your child to love their teeth and their dentist. For more information, contact Arkansas Family Dental at (501) 683-8886 today to schedule an appointment for your child.
Leave a Reply