Tooth.....

Why do we have teeth?

• Teeth bite and chew food so that it is small enough to be swallowed.
• Teeth help you to form words so that you can speak properly.               
• You will have noticed that when young kids lose their front teeth, their voices sound quite different.

 

 

 

 

 

Tips for a healthy mouth, teeth and gums:

• Clean your teeth well twice a day, after breakfast and last thing before you go to sleep at night. After a meal have a drink of water (this washes your teeth and mouth).
• Use a small toothbrush with soft bristles. Hard and medium bristled toothbrushes can damage teeth and gums.
• Use fluoride toothpaste. Spit it out when you have finished cleaning your teeth. Rinsing your mouth will wash out too much of the protective fluoride. 'Spit, don't rinse'.
• Gently and thoroughly brush each side of every tooth and the gums. It should take about 3 minutes to do them all.
• Avoid cleaning your teeth soon after drinking acid drinks such as orange juice. The acid in drinks softens the enamel, and cleaning can scratch the enamel while it is soft. Rinse your mouth with water, wait for about half an hour, then clean your teeth. 

• Dental floss cleans between your teeth, get your dentist to show you how to use floss.
• Wash your hands after going to the toilet and before using your toothbrush.
• Don’t start smoking. It stains your teeth and can lead to disease in the mouth.

How do teeth decay?

• Germs (bacteria) in our mouth grow on teeth every day. They form a sticky layer over the teeth called dental plaque.
• The bacteria in plaque use sugars in the things we drink and eat, and make acids. The acid attacks the tooth’s outer layers (enamel and dentine) and eats them away. For more information about sugar and starches in food, have a look at the pamphlet 'Sugar' produced by the South Australian Dental Service.
• If acid continues to attack, then a hole will appear in the tooth's outer layer. This is called tooth decay (or dental caries). Tooth decay may be painful or you may not even know it is there.
• Saliva neutralises the acid in plaque. If the plaque is brushed off and saliva surrounds the tooth, the enamel surface can harden again. Fluoride helps the enamel to be repaired.

If the tooth continues to decay, a number of things could happen:

• The tooth could break.
• The nerve or pulp could get infected and the nerve could die.
• You could have a toothache
• You could get facial swelling. 

• You might feel sick.
• You might need a filling.
• The tooth might need to be taken out

Keeping your toothbrush safe from germs

 

• After brushing, rinse your toothbrush under running water.
• Store your toothbrush in a clean dry place.
• Do not share a toothbrush, as this can spread germs.
• Replace your toothbrush often.