Why Your Teeth Are Important

Teeth are important because:

• They help you chew your food – without teeth we would have to drink liquids and miss out on some wonderful, nutritious and delicious foods.
• They help form words – If you lose a tooth you will notice you talk differently then you did before. Imagine what it would be like if you lost all your teeth at once. It would be hard to talk so other people could understand.
• They help make you look happy – Clean and well taken care of teeth show other people that you care about yourself. Clean teeth will also make you feel good about yourself and others will see that in your healthy white smile.

When you take care of your teeth by brushing, flossing every day and regular dental visits at our office, your teeth will remain strong and healthy. It is important to start good habits now so when your older taking care of your teeth will be easy. When you get older and grow in your adult teeth they will be the only teeth you have for the rest of your life so you better start good habits and take care of them now!

Teeth Development

Throughout your life, you will have two sets of teeth: primary (baby) teeth and secondary (permanent) teeth.  At age 6-8 months, the primary teeth appear; all 20 are in place by age three.

Permanent teeth will begin to grow around age six, and except for wisdom teeth, are all present between ages twelve and fourteen.  The next teeth to grow in are the 12-year molars and finally the wisdom teeth (3rd molars).  Wisdom teeth typically begin breaking through from age seventeen and on.  The total number of permanent teeth is 32, though few people have room for all 32 teeth.  This is why wisdom teeth are usually removed from the oral cavity.

Your front teeth are called incisors.  The sharp pointed teeth are the canines.  The next side teeth are referred to as pre-molars or bicuspids, and the back teeth used for chewing are molars.  Your permanent teeth are the ones you will keep for life, so it's important that they are brushed and flossed regularly and that periodic dental check-ups by a dentist are followed.

Teeth Development

Does it matter which toothpaste you use?

Many dentists feel that fluoride toothpastes are best, suggesting consumers check to be sure they select fluoridated toothpastes.  Generally it is true that any toothpaste you buy today will clean your teeth perfectly well, since they almost all contain fluoride.

According to many dental experts, the toothbrush is what really matters.  The brush does 95% of the work.  In all honesty, you do not need toothpaste.  The friction of the toothbrush is the most important thing!

So what is the take-away message for consumers?  Some toothpastes are good for sensitivity, some for canker sores, some for fresh breath, etc.  However for the average patient, just choose the one that is most pleasing to your taste.

Jump Start Your Teeth

Your teeth are made of a hard but porous material called enamel.  Every time you eat, bacterial plaque forms on your teeth, producing acids that can begin the process of decay.  That acidic environment starts to demineralize your teeth, or cause calcium and phosphate (critical parts of the enamel) to be dissolved.  Fortunately, saliva helps to reverse this process.  It flushes away some of the bacterial acids and it's naturally rich in calcium and phosphate.  That means saliva can remineralize your teeth, putting those minerals back into your enamel where they belong.

Fluoride is like a jump-starter for your saliva.  In laboratory tests, scientists found that calcium and phosphate were incorporated back into teeth at a much faster rate when fluoride was added to saliva.  The new structure formed on your teeth, composed of calcium, phosphate, and fluoride, is actually stronger than calcium and phosphate alone, and is more resistant to future acid attacks. 

If your water isn't fluoridated, let us know.  We can prescribe fluoride gels, mouth rinses, drops, or tablets that will keep your teeth strong and resistant to decay.