Everything you should know about your kids teeth
Everything you should know about your kids teeth
It’s very important for us to take care of the teeth of our kids. They are innocent and do not understand the difference between right and wrong. So as parents it’s imperative for us to understand the structure of their teeth and inculcate some healthy eating habits so that they do not have any sort of oral or dental problem when they grow up.
A child’s mouth contains 20 temporary teeth, called primary teeth, baby teeth, or deciduous teeth, consisting of the following teeth types:
- 4 second molars
- 4 first molars
- 4 cuspids (also called canine or eyeteeth)
- 4 lateral incisors
- 4 central incisors
For each set of four teeth, two teeth are located in the upper arch (one on each side of the mouth) and two are located in the lower arch (one on each side of the mouth).
Permanent Teeth
The adult mouth contains 32 permanent teeth, consisting of the following teeth types:
- 4 third molars (also called wisdom teeth)
- 4 second molars (also called 12-year molars)
- 4 first molars (also called 6-year molars)
- 4 second bicuspids (also called second premolars)
- 4 first bicuspids (also called first premolars)
- 4 cuspids (also called canine or eyeteeth)
- 4 lateral incisors
- 4 central incisors
Your teeth are used for:
- Biting and tearing.The central incisors and lateral incisors are primarily used for biting and cutting and canine teeth are primarily used for tearing food.
- Grinding and crushing.The premolars, molars, and wisdom teeth are primarily used for chewing and grinding food.
Internal Structure of Teeth
Each tooth consists of three main parts – the crown, the neck and root.
- The crown is the visible part of the tooth. A protective layer called enamel covers the crown.
- The neck is the area of the tooth between the crown and the root.
- The root is the portion of the tooth that extends through the gum and into the bone of the jaw.
So now that you have learned about the different type of teeth your kid has it’s important for you to know what to do in order to avoid the common dental problem kids face, Dental Cavity. So follow these steps to prevent Dental Cavities in kids:
- Do not feed your baby with juices at night: Juices contain sugar which causes bacterial growth in mouth. These bacterial growth produces acids and these acids results in baby bottle tooth decay.
- Choose non-fattening food: Fat, to a very little extent is required to gain mass. As far as your kid is concerned do not much worry about fat. Feed them with raw fruits and vegetables and low dairy fat foods to give them proper Dental Health.
- Avoid Sweets: Just like juice even sweets contain sugar (but to a very high level) and is very instrumental in developing Dental Cavity. In case your kid wishes to eat sweets then reduce the quantity.
- Filtered Water: It contains fluoride so you might want to spend your money on water filter rather than spending it on Dental Treatment.
- Do not share your utensils with your kids: Believe it or not, but dental cavity is a contagious thing. In case you are suffering from it, then make sure your kid does not drink or eat in the same utensil as you do.
- Smoking: if you would have been smoking for a long time, then here is the advice: Stop Immediately. There is a strong chance that your kid might develop cavities if you are a smoker moreover it is not a healthy habit.
So for the good of your kids just follow these simple steps and maintain that beautiful and sweet smile forever. Keep Smiling J
