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Ten Tips About Baby Teeth From The Tooth Fairy

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

By Brian J. Gray, DDS, MAGD, FICO

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.

Stainless Steel Dental Crowns For Children's Molars

Primary (baby) molars with extensive decay, malformed enamel, advanced wear due to grinding, a missing replacement tooth, pulpotomy, or fracture may require coverage with a stainless steel crown in order to provide a durable restoration (filling).

Primary molars are shaped differently than permanent molars. Large amalgam (silver fillings) are not recommended for use in primary molars because they often fracture or crack. A fractured filling may not be evident until it falls out or until the tooth shows signs of abscess (infection). If a filling does fracture, decay may travel to the center of the tooth where the nerve and blood vessels lie. If the infection is caught early enough, a pulpotomy (described later) can be performed. If abscess has occurred, the tooth will often need to be extracted (removed). Early loss of a primary molar can create multiple other problems. Primary molars, and in particular first primary molars with decay on more than one surface, will have the benefit of a much more durable and reliable restoration with a stainless steel crown.

dental crowns. Not only are they more expensive, but the color match and the fit may not be as good. Tooth-colored crowns may appear to be bulky and the acrylic facings can fracture off, leaving exposed metal.

A primary molar may be restored with a stainless steel crown during one appointment. The decay is removed, the tooth is shaped for a crown, the appropriate size crown is selected, and the crown is cemented. The crown must be brushed when brushing the other teeth. Sticky foods such as caramels and taffy can pull the crown off. If this should occur, your pediatric dentist can usually replace the same crown in a few minutes.

A pulpotomy is necessary if bacteria have entered the area deep inside the crown of the tooth because of decay or fracture. This area is called the pulp chamber. It contains nerves, blood vessels, and other tissues that are necessary for the tooth to be healthy. A pulpotomy removes the unhealthy tissues only in the crown portion of the tooth. The nerves, blood supply, and tissues in the root(s) are not removed. If the bacteria are not removed, the tooth will abscess. A medicated filling is placed in the pulp chamber after the infected tissues are removed. A stainless steel crown should be placed in order to provide support for the walls of the tooth.

The tooth is once again healthy and in most cases will last until the Tooth Fairy says it's time to go!

by Jane A. Soxman, DDS

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.