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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.

Bad Kid Dental Care Habits

From thumb sucking to wiping their noses on their sleeves. Let's face it - kids have a lot of bad habits. While some of these habits amount to little more than lack of social grace, others can lead to more serious health problems. A few can even result in severe dental problems. Here are three of some of the most serious bad kid dental care habits leading to dental problems in children!

Thumb and Pacifier Sucking

Sure, it isn't attractive when your little one sucks his or her thumb, but child dental care issues (that result from prolonged practice not to mention concerns about the spreading of germs) can be quite serious. Chronic thumb and pacifier sucking could cause the child to have buck teeth, which would require orthodontic treatment down the line. Most children will stop this habit on their own between ages 2 and 4, but there's no guarantee. Try to intervene early on by instructing your child not to continue with the habit. If all else fails, there are certain topical products that leave a bitter taste in the child's mouth, dissuading the behavior.

Going to Bed With a Bottle

So often we imagine babies snuggled up in a crib, clinging to stuffed animals and a bottle. Like thumb sucking, some children tend to suck the bottle while asleep, leading to the same orthodontic issues listed above. What's more, putting any liquid apart from water in the bottle allows tooth- and gum-destroying bacteria to rest in the mouth for extended periods of time. Your best bet is to skip the bottle altogether. If that isn't possible, dilute the liquid a bit more each night with water until all that remains is water.

Swallowing Toothpaste

Toothpaste manufacturers have gone to great lengths to provide consumers with a product that not only fights plaque and gum disease, but also tastes great - sometimes a little too great. Children, particularly young children, are prone to swallowing toothpaste when brushing. It's often the result of using too much toothpaste. The problem? Too much fluoride is ingested into the child's body, causing a condition known as Fluorosis. Fluorosis allows white or brown spots to form on the teeth in severe cases.

This is actually a bad habit that is fairly easy to break. Try spending some time with the child explaining that a pea size drop of toothpaste is adequate and teach them how to brush, rinse and spit like a pro.

Understanding and breaking these habits early will help you and your child establish a good oral hygiene regimen. If you have questions about how to properly care for your child's teeth, or if you think your child's bad dental habits have resulted in harm, schedule an appointment with a kid dentist!

+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.