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JUST FOR KIDS |
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The first teeth you got were your baby teeth -- 20 in all, 10 on the top and 10 on the bottom. Baby teeth help you to talk and chew. But they also "save space" in your mouth so that there is room for your permanent teeth. | |
| When all your permanent teeth have come in, you'll have 32 teeth all together. There will be 16 on the top, and 16 on the bottom. Out of these 32 teeth, 20 replace baby teeth, and the other 12 are new, permanent molars. |
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Plaque is the sticky stuff on your teeth filled with germs. Sometimes, we call these germs Sugar Bugs because they like sugar and will start growing after you eat sweets and candy. Because germs are very small you cannot see plaque on your teeth but you can feel it. Run your tongue over your teeth. Do they feel smooth or fuzzy? The fuzzy stuff is plaque. Plaque causes cavities. | |
| Cavities are the holes that get in our teeth from not brushing all the plaque bugs off. When cavities are really small your dentist can easily fix them. If they get very big then a tooth may break. |
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Brushing your teeth twice a day is very important. Brushing removes plaque and leaves your teeth smooth and white. Brushing will also prevent cavities! Brush one time in the morning and one time before going to bed. | |
| Plaque likes to hide between teeth where a toothbrush cannot reach. Flossing your teeth once a day will remove hidden plaque. |
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Fluoride is the stuff in the toothpaste and mouthwash that helps make teeth strong! | |
| Soda, candy, ice cream, cookies, chips and other snacks have lots of sugar in them. Sugar is bad for your teeth because it makes sugar bugs grow. If you drink soda or eat candy and other snacks brush your teeth after that to prevent cavities. |
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Fruits and Vegetables are good snacks. They make your teeth very strong and help you fight bad germs. | |
| Going to your dentist every 6 months is very important. The first time you go to the dentist office you get to learn about all the things they use to clean and check your teeth. |
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At the dentist office you get to sit on a special dentist chair. The chair goes up and down like a rollercoaster. It's soft and comfy and lays back just like a recliner. It's really fun to ride it too. | |
| When you lay back in the big chair they turn the light on and shine it on your teeth so they can see them better. That's when you know you need to open real big like a lion. Sometimes they give you sunglasses if the light is too bright and bothers your eyes. |
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Next, they check your teeth for cavities. They also check to see if your gums look good and how your teeth are coming in. Then they check to see how good you are brushing your teeth with special tools that look like little spoons. | |
| After they do that they polish your teeth with good tasting toothpaste. They have different flavors like, bubble gum, orange, grape, and cherry. Yummy!!! Then when they are done polishing your teeth they give your teeth a fluoride bath. This makes your teeth strong so the cavity bugs can't get them so easily. |
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They have real neat stuff too, like a squirt gun that never runs out of water and it also blows air too. They use this to rinse the toothpaste off your teeth. They also have a tiny little vacuum cleaner. Sometimes they call it "Mr. Thirsty" because he drinks all the water out of your mouth that they squirt. It's feels really funny and tickles when they use Mr. Thirsty. | |
| Sometimes they take special pictures of your teeth called X-rays. X-ray help dentists see cavities better and show teeth that are still hiding under gums and did not come in yet. |
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Then they show you how to brush and floss your teeth. | |
| They also give you a toothbrush to take home and prizes and balloons for being good boys and girls. |
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Dentists love kids and want them to have a good time when visiting. They also want them to come back in 6 months again! | |
| If your baby tooth falls out you can put it under the pillow and a tooth fairy will come at night to pick it up. The tooth fairy will also leave you something under the pillow as a gift for your tooth. |
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