Ten Tips
About Baby Teeth From The Tooth Fairy
By Brian J. Gray, DDS, MAGD, FICO
I love teeth! They're so shiny, white, and bright!
They're so pretty and sparkly. That's why I collect them. But I don't want them
until you don't need them anymore, so I wait for the perfect time. It usually
begins when you're about five years old or older, but sometimes it happens much
later. Some of your baby teeth will start to wiggle and jiggle. Then, they are
finally nudged out by your grown-up teeth.
When a loose tooth comes out, that's when I go into action. Collecting
teeth is my job. Kids know how much I like teeth, so they save them for me. They
put them out at night, sometimes in tiny tooth pillows or plastic cases.
Sometimes, I find them underneath pillows when kids are sleeping. I like it when
kids think about me. I think each child is special and so are their teeth! That's
why I have some tips for keeping your teeth in tip-top shape:
- Brush your teeth in the morning and at night. Twice a day is nice (and
needed to keep your teeth healthy.) It's even better if you brush after
eating snacks, too.
- When brushing, use just a tiny dab of toothpaste, the size of a match head.
- Brush the outside and inside of every tooth. Brush your teeth for about two to three minutes, about the time it takes to sing, "Twinkle, Twinkle Little
Star" eight times!
- When brushing, don't ever eat the toothpaste. It's meant for your
teeth, not your tummy.
- Brush your tongue (gently!). Those nasty
cavity-causing germs like to hang out on your soft tongue, so you must brush
them away.
- Floss every day. Dental floss is a piece of string that looks like thread
or yarn. It's used to clean stuff out between your teeth. Ask an adult to
help you. Those cavity-causing germs also like the places between your teeth
to hide. Flossing gets rid of them.
- Eat healthy snacks. Your teeth like fruits, vegetables, bread, milk, and
cheese that give them vitamins, minerals, and other good things for them to
grow strong and shiny.
- Don't eat too many sugary foods like candy, cakes, or other desserts.
Sugar is the food that those nasty cavity-causing germs really love! It gives
them just what they need to go to work causing cavities on your teeth.
- Don't crunch on ice! (My friend, the Ice Fairy, doesn't like it
either!) Ice wears down your teeth really fast.
- Visit a dentist twice a year. Dentists are my friends because they help to
keep kid's teeth in really good shape.
Take good care of your teeth. Your baby teeth have a big job. They help
your permanent teeth (the ones you'll keep forever) come into your mouth, at
just the right time, in the right way. Once each baby tooth has done it's
job, then I'll come collect it.
In the meantime, take the ten
tips for turning your teeth into tip-top shape. (Say that ten times!)
Healthy teeth rule! The Tooth Fairy is cool!
Love,
The Tooth Fairy
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