KissMeGoodnight
eLearning Series: White Teeth & Smile
I Want White Teeth and a
Natural, Healthy Looking Smile
someone please tell me the secret already...
( 21 pages )
Baby
Teeth
Having
a healthy, white smile really isn’t a mystery but in order
to understand how your smile can be improved you need to
have a basic understanding of how your teeth got to where
they are today.
The
construction and methodology of our teeth has been the same
for thousands of years. Archaeologists recently uncovered
a grave that contained an Eskimo child. Due to the dry cold
arctic climate, the mummy was perfectly preserved.
Using
sophisticated imaging the scientists were able to obtain
a perfect image of the skull. There, just below the first
set of teeth, lying dormant inside the jaw lay a full set
of adult teeth waiting to erupt. For our little child, that
would never happen but we are able to understand the progress
of dental formation.
Just
as our little Eskimo child, we are all born with
two complete sets of teeth. Our first set is called “primary teeth.” You
probably recognize them better when referred to as our “baby
teeth.”
They
are called baby teeth because the first appear at around
6 months of age. You could almost call these our “practice
teeth.” Their role is to reserve a spot for the permanent
tooth which will begin to appear as the baby teeth are pushed
up and out of the way. This onset of permanent adult teeth
begins to occur when we are around 6 years old.
Even
though our first set of teeth is temporary, their role in
our dental life is very important. In addition to being placeholders
for our permanent teeth, these baby teeth are what help us
to speak and how to chew.
The
first teeth to erupt are usually the four front teeth. You
probably don’t remember what they looked like, but they are
the most beautiful shade of white imaginable! When the permanent
teeth push the baby teeth out of the way and erupt they too
will be a beautiful translucent white. Teeth that dreams
are made of!
Even
if your child has just one, tiny little pretty white tooth,
it is important that you launch him/her on their road to
dental health. So, begin by brushing that little tiny tooth
and all others as they begin to appear. It isn’t necessary
to use toothpaste, just use plain water. It’s never too soon
to begin good dental health practices.
Believe
it or not, that first little tooth is just as susceptible
to decay as adult teeth. One common problem connected to
tooth decay in infants is called “baby bottle decay.” It
occurs as a result from excessive amounts of sugar in the
formula, juice or milk the child consumes. For this reason
it is a good idea to switch from a bottle to a cup as early
as possible for your child.
You
also must not allow a child access to beverages such as this
on a continuous basis. Nor should a child be allowed to roam
around with his or her cup. When a child is thirsty between
meal times, offer water. This will cut down on the possibility
of tooth decay and train the child to drink more water, the
healthier choice.
A
leading cause of dental problems in children is dry mouth.
Mouth breathing causes the mouth to dry out. A dry mouth
provides a perfect environment for the bacteria that causes
tooth decay and to grow.
Children
tend to breath through their mouth more often than adults
and appear to have more instances of colds, allergies, sinus
infections and other nose and ear problems.
A
child who sucks their thumb or blanket can also dry out the
mouth. Older children who smoke or use alcohol also set themselves
up for dry mouth.
You
will set a habitual pattern for your child to follow the
rest of his life and you will be able to remove particles
of food that could develop into plaque which can cause all
kinds of problems.
 
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