The document discusses proper dental care from childhood through adulthood. It notes that people are born with 20 baby teeth which are replaced by 32 permanent adult teeth starting around age 6. Good dental hygiene including brushing twice daily, flossing once daily, eating a nutritious diet, avoiding tobacco use, and visiting the dentist regularly is necessary to prevent cavities, gum disease, and tooth loss. Taking good care of one's teeth allows the 32 adult teeth to potentially last a lifetime.

1. You are born with 20 baby teeth. Most kids have all of their baby teeth by age 3. You lose your baby teeth and grow permanent adult teeth because you need bigger, stronger teeth to last the rest of your life. People get 32 adult teeth. They can last a lifetime if you take good care of them. All 32 adult teeth usually come in by age 21.

2. You are born with 20 baby teeth. Most kids have all of their baby teeth by age 3. You lose your baby teeth and grow permanent adult teeth because you need bigger, stronger teeth to last the rest of your life. People get 32 adult teeth. They can last a lifetime if you take good care of them. All 32 adult teeth usually come in by age 21. These teeth come in between age 6 & 9.

3. You are born with 20 baby teeth. Most kids have all of their baby teeth by age 3. You lose your baby teeth and grow permanent adult teeth because you need bigger, stronger teeth to last the rest of your life. People get 32 adult teeth. They can last a lifetime if you take good care of them. All 32 adult teeth usually come in by age 21. These teeth come in between age 10 & 13. These teeth come in between age 6 & 9.

4. You are born with 20 baby teeth. Most kids have all of their baby teeth by age 3. You lose your baby teeth and grow permanent adult teeth because you need bigger, stronger teeth to last the rest of your life. People get 32 adult teeth. They can last a lifetime if you take good care of them. All 32 adult teeth usually come in by age 21. These teeth come in between age 17 & 21. These teeth come in between age 10 & 13. These teeth come in between age 6 & 9.

5. Your teeth are important to your overall health. You need healthy teeth to eat and speak well. Your smile is also a big part of how you look and feel. Studies show that one of the first things people notice about someone is their smile. A good smile creates a good self-image.

6. What happens if you don't take good care of your teeth? cavities gum disease tooth loss

7. What is a cavity? A cavity is a small hole in a tooth, also known as tooth decay. When your teeth decay, they lose their strength. The decay can spread throughout your tooth. Cavities

8. Cavities What causes cavities? One thing that plays a big part in causing cavities is plaque. Plaque is a sticky, clear film that forms on your teeth 24 hours a day. Bacteria in plaque make acid that attacks tooth enamel -- the hard outer layer of each tooth. The stickiness of plaque keeps the harmful acids against the teeth. The acid breaks down tooth enamel and forms a cavity. Repeated acid attacks make cavities grow bigger.

9. Cavities Cavities do not go away by themselves. Only a dentist can fix a cavity, by removing the decay and filling the hole.

10. Gum Disease Gingivitis If plaque is not removed with daily brushing and cleaning between teeth with floss, it hardens into tartar. Tartar must be removed, because it makes your teeth harder to clean. If tartar is not removed, it can lead to gingivitis, an early form of gum disease. Gingivitis means inflamed gums.

11. Gum Disease Signs of gingivitis : Gums that bleed easily Bright red gums Gums are tender to touch Mouth sores Swollen gums Gums look shiny

12. Gum Disease Periodontitis If not treated, gingivitis can lead to periodontitis . Periodontitis is when infection spreads from the gums to the tissues and bones that support the teeth. In time, teeth become loose and fall out.

13. Gum Disease Signs of periodontitis : Gums that bleed easily Bright red gums Gums are tender to touch Swollen gums Bad breath Loose permanent teeth

14. A Quick Checkup ... How long can your adult teeth last? A. Your whole life. B. Until wisdom teeth come in to replace them. C. Up to 30 years. Click on the correct answer to continue.

15. Sorry! How long can your adult teeth last? You chose: Go back to try again. Your wisdom teeth (third molars) are the last of your adult teeth to come in. After all 32 adult teeth come in, you won’t grow any new teeth. B. Until wisdom teeth grow in to replace them.

16. Sorry! How long can your adult teeth last? You chose: Go back to try again. C. Up to 30 years.

17. Good! How long can your adult teeth last? You chose: That’s right! Continue to the next question. B. Your whole life.

18. A Quick Checkup ... How do cavities form? A. Tartar builds up on teeth, making them hard to clean. B. Bacteria make acid that breaks down tooth enamel. C. Infection spreads from the gums to the teeth. Click on the correct answer to continue.

19. Sorry! How do cavities form? You chose: A. Tartar builds up on teeth, making them hard to clean. Go back to try again. If you do not remove plaque, it turns into a hard deposit called tartar. Tartar irritates and inflames the gums.

20. Sorry! How do cavities form? You chose: Go back to try again. Infection can spread from the gums to the tissues and bones that support the teeth. That can make teeth come loose and fall out. C. Infection spreads from the gums to the teeth.

21. Good! How do cavities form? You chose: That’s right! No more questions for now. Continue on to the next section. B. Bacteria make acid that breaks down tooth enamel.

22. Take Good Care of Teeth There are three main ways to keep teeth “pearly white” and healthy: 1. Brush and floss 2. Good eating habits 3. Regular dental visits.

23. Take Good Care of Teeth Proper Brushing Brushing cleans food and plaque off teeth and fights the acid that causes cavities. Brushing also makes your mouth feel clean, and your breath smell good. Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Fluoride toothpaste helps prevent cavities by protecting tooth enamel.

24. How To Brush Place your toothbrush at a slight angle to the gums. Move the brush back and forth gently in short strokes.

25. How To Brush Brush the top, front, and back sides of each tooth. 1

26. How To Brush To clean the inside surface of front teeth, tilt the brush like this. Make several up-and-down strokes. 1 2

27. How To Brush Brush your tongue to remove bacteria and keep your breath fresh. 1 2 3

28. How To Brush A toothbrush does not last forever. If your toothbrush looks like this with bent or broken bristles, it’s time to toss it and get a new one. Use a toothbrush that is easy to hold and easily reaches all tooth surfaces.

29. How To Floss You should floss once a day. Flossing removes bits of food and plaque from between teeth, where a toothbrush can’t reach. Floss gently. It doesn’t take a lot of muscle to remove the plaque and debris from between your teeth.

30. How To Floss Break off about 18 inches of floss. Wind most of it around one of your middle fingers. Wind the rest around the same finger of the other hand.

31. How To Floss Hold the floss tightly between the thumbs and forefingers. Gently insert it between the teeth. 1

32. How To Floss Curve the floss into a “C” shape against the side of the tooth. 2 1

33. How To Floss Rub the floss gently up and down, keeping it pressed against the tooth. Don’t jerk or snap the floss. 2 1 3

34. How To Floss Floss all your teeth. Don’t forget to floss behind your back teeth. 4 2 1 3

35. Good Eating Habits What you eat and drink, and how often, affects the amount of acid in your mouth. Plaque bacteria turn sugar and starches from food and drinks into acid. Every time you have sugary snacks and drinks, acid attacks your teeth.

36. Good Eating Habits If you have sweets, eat or drink them with meals, because saliva helps wash acid off your teeth. If you need a snack between meals, choose things like fruit, low-fat cheese, low-fat yogurt, or raw vegetables.

37. Good Eating Habits It's OK to chew gum for about 20 minutes right after you eat as long as the gum is sugarless. Chewing sugar-free gum helps your mouth make more saliva to rinse acid off your teeth.

38. Visit the Dentist It is important to see a dentist regularly to be sure your mouth is healthy and to get your teeth cleaned. Even when you brush well, some plaque stays on your teeth. Over time, plaque hardens into tartar. Only a professional cleaning can remove tartar. If tartar is not removed, it can lead to gum disease.

39. A Quick Checkup ... How often should you brush and floss? A. Brush twice a day, floss once a day. B. Brush and floss twice a day. C. Brush twice a day, floss 2-3 times a week. Click on the correct answer to continue.

40. Sorry! How often should you brush and floss? You chose: Go back to try again. B. Brush and floss twice a day.

41. Sorry! How often should you brush and floss? You chose: Go back to try again. C. Brush twice a day, floss 2-3 times a week.

42. Good! How often should you brush and floss? You chose: That’s right! Continue to the next question. B. Brush twice a day, floss once a day.

43. A Quick Checkup ... The right way to brush your teeth is to A. Scrub hard to remove built-up plaque. B. Use toothpaste that is fluoride-free. C. Brush the top, front, and back sides of each tooth. Click on the correct answer to continue.

44. Sorry! The right way to brush your teeth is to You chose: A. Scrub hard to remove built-up plaque. Go back to try again. Brushing too hard can harm your teeth and gums. Brush gently.

45. Sorry! The right way to brush your teeth is to You chose: Go back to try again. Fluoride is a key ingredient in toothpaste. It helps strengthen your tooth enamel. Always use toothpaste with fluoride to prevent cavities. C. Use toothpaste that is fluoride-free.

46. Good! The right way to brush your teeth is to You chose: That’s right! No more questions. Continue on to the next section. C. Brush the top, front, and back sides of each tooth.

47. More Ways To Protect Teeth Don’t use tobacco. It’s bad for your entire body, including your mouth. All forms of tobacco can cause mouth, tongue and lip cancer: Cigarettes Cigars Smokeless tobacco (chew, snuff, dip or spitting tobacco) All tobacco products stain your teeth and can cause gum disease and tooth loss.

48. More Ways To Protect Teeth Mouth jewelry can chip or crack your teeth. A vast amount of bacteria live in your mouth. Getting your tongue or lip pierced puts you at risk for a painful bacterial infection. An infected tongue can swell up big enough to close off your airway. Piercing can also cause nerve damage and heavy bleeding. If the piercing isn't done in a sterile way, you could get hepatitis, a viral infection of the liver.

49. More Ways To Protect Teeth Using a mouthguard during all active sports protects your teeth from getting broken or knocked out. That includes non-team sports like skateboarding and gymnastics. A mouthguard is a piece of soft, molded plastic that covers your upper teeth. A dentist can make one that fits your teeth exactly. You can also buy an unshaped mouthguard that can be softened in hot water and shaped to fit over your teeth.

50. This Is To Certify That Has completed the Oral Health eLearning module, and is entitled to collect one “Rock Your Smile” bracelet. Click the print icon to print your certificate. Write your name on the line and present the certificate to the School Nurse to claim your bracelet.