dental education for kids

1. Teeth to
Treasure
Grades: 4 to 6

2. What is oral health?

3. It’s keeping your teeth,
gums and mouth healthy!

4. Why do you suppose
this is important?

5. Well, let’s take a look at
how we use and
need our teeth.

6. Appearance
Teeth are very important to
your appearance.
They not only make a
nice smile, but they
also shape your face.

7. Chewing
Teeth are important to chew
food properly.
• The chewing of food with
your teeth is the first step
in the digestion of food.
• If food cannot be chewed
properly, it can cause
problems with digestion.

8. Talking (speech)
Teeth are important for speaking
Teeth work with
the lips, cheeks and
tongue, allowing us
to pronounce
words.

9. At your age, you should have both
baby teeth as well as a few
permanent teeth. This is called a
“mixed dentition”.
Although you will
eventually replace all of
your baby teeth with
permanent teeth, it is
important that you
continue to take care of
these baby teeth.

10. Why? Well, Each Baby Tooth Holds
a Place for a Permanent Tooth.
• Your baby teeth are
important place-
holders for your
permanent teeth.
• As your permanent
teeth come in, they
will take up the
space left by the loss
of your baby teeth.

11. We lose our 20 baby teeth and grow
adult teeth because we need bigger,
stronger teeth to last the rest of our lives.
People get 32 permanent
teeth, which can last a
lifetime with proper care

12. Did you know that early loss of your
baby teeth could cause problems?
Often baby teeth are lost early as a
result of tooth decay or accidents.
This early loss creates a space.
This space needs to be saved in order for
the permanent tooth to come in straight.
The dentist can save the space by putting
in a space maintainer (spacer).
When the permanent tooth is ready to
come in, the space maintainer is
removed.

13. Late loss of baby teeth can also cause problems...
Sometimes permanent teeth
come in before baby teeth
come out.
This can cause teeth to
become crowded and overlap each
other.
Crowded and overlapping teeth can
cause gum disease and tooth decay
because these crowded areas of the
mouth are hard to clean.
If these baby teeth do not
become loose on their own, the
dentist may have to remove them.
The permanent teeth are white,
the baby teeth are gray.

14. Now that you understand how
important your teeth are, let’s learn
about the different parts of a tooth

15. What a tooth looks like.
The CROWN:
The part of the tooth
above the gums.

16. What a tooth looks like.
The ROOT:
The part of the tooth
below the gumline.
Just as the roots of a
tree hold the tree in
the ground, the roots
of your teeth hold
your teeth in your
mouth.

17. The tooth is made of 3 layers:
ENAMEL:
Covers the crown.
Is the protective
covering.
Is the hardest thing in
our body, even
harder than bone!

18. The tooth is made of 3 layers:
PULP:
Fills the space inside
the tooth.
Contains blood
vessels and nerves
that keep the tooth
alive!

19. Now that we know what a tooth
looks like, let’s talk about what
makes a cavity in your tooth!
Cavities are caused by PLAQUE!
What is PLAQUE?
An invisible film of germs that
constantly grows on your teeth.
It feels fuzzy. Rub your tongue on your
teeth, do they feel fuzzy?
You brush your teeth to remove PLAQUE!

20. Each day a thin film of
plaque grows on our teeth
• This plaque contains
“germs” (bacteria).
• Sugar from foods and
drinks are turned into
acid by these germs.
• This acid attacks our
teeth and softens the
hard surface until a hole
or cavity is formed.
Mestman, Herman, What To Do For Healthy Teeth

21. How can you avoid
getting cavities?
• Avoid sugary, sticky foods or
snacks, and choose nutritious
foods like fruits, vegetables
and cheese
• Avoid drinking soda or other
sugary drinks, and drink
more milk & water
• Avoid snacking all day long,
and limit the amount of
snacks you have throughout
the day
X
X
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22. Repairing Cavities
Does a cavity heal itself?
No - only your dentist can
fix a cavity, by removing
the decay and putting a
special filling material
in the hole.

23. Now that you understand what a
cavity is let’s take a look at how
plaque affects your gums too!
When plaque is left on your
teeth for a while, harmful
“germs” (bacteria) begin to
increase and irritate your
gum tissues. This causes
bleeding and your gums
may become sore.
This is called gum disease.

24. To prevent cavities, gum disease
and bad breath you need to brush
and floss your teeth regularly…

25. When should you
brush your teeth?
• After eating
• At bedtime
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Oral Health Program

26. How long should you brush?
For about two minutes
and at least twice each
day.

27. How do you floss your teeth?
• Use 18” of floss
• Leave an inch or
two to work with
• Slide the floss in
between each
tooth, and move it
up & down against
the tooth.
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Oral Health Program

28. How often should you floss?
Once each day to
remove plaque from in
between your teeth
where your toothbrush
can’t reach.

29. To keep your teeth
functioning properly,
you must see your
dentist regularly.

30. When you visit the dentist,
several things will
probably be done…

31. # 1
A visual exam.
A dentist will look at
your teeth, gums and
the way your teeth come
together when you bite.
The dentist is looking
for tooth decay, gum
disease, mouth sores &
whether or not you
might need braces.

32. # 2
X-rays will be taken of all your teeth.
These x-rays will show
not only tooth decay, but
the roots of the teeth and
the bone around them.
They will also show any
teeth that have not come
in yet, and any extra
teeth as well.

33. #3
A Professional Cleaning
A dental hygienist will remove
any plaque or hard deposits
called calculus from your teeth
using special instruments.
Your teeth will then be
polished with a special kind of
toothpaste. This will make
your teeth feel smooth and
clean.

34. #4
Fluoride Treatment
A flavored gel or foam will
be placed in a soft tray and
You will be asked to bite into
That tray for a few minutes.
or…
The fluoride may be painted on your teeth with a small
brush. This is called fluoride varnish.

35. To prevent cavities from forming on the
chewing surfaces of your permanent
molars, the dentist might recommend
dental sealants.
Sealants are a thin coating of a
plastic-like substance that are
painted on the teeth.
When it hardens, this plastic
coating prevents food and germs
from getting down into the
grooves on the chewing surfaces
of your molars and prevents tooth
decay!

36. So now that you
know how to
prevent tooth
decay and gum
disease….it’s up to
you to keep your
teeth and gums
healthy!

37. Thank you for listening!
For more information on oral health see the Manitoba Dental Association Website
www manitobadentist.ca
This presentation has been adapted and used with permission from the
Dental Health Program developed by the Clay County Public Health Center.
All photos obtained from office.microsoft.com/clipart unless otherwise noted.