Learning about teeth
Teeth are very important for eating, speaking, and smiling. We learned about the different types of teeth (incisors, canines, molars) and their functions. Additionally, there are two sets of teeth: the milk teeth (approximately 20 by the time a child is 5 years old) and the permanent teeth (32 in total).
We created a couple of oversized playdough teeth to teach my daughter the importance of taking good care of her teeth, such as brushing them at least twice a day, flossing once a day, eating healthy foods, and avoiding too much sugar and sugary drinks.
First, we made a pulp, which is located inside a tooth and contains blood vessels and nerves.
Then we covered it with dentin and finally placed a layer of enamel on top. We shaped the teeth to resemble molars and created tooth roots with blood vessels and nerves. We let these ‘teeth’ dry for about a day.
The next day, we colored the remaining homemade playdough with red food coloring. (Hint: leave a small amount of white playdough for the tooth filling.) Afterward, we inserted our two teeth into the ‘gum’.
I mashed a little bit of banana and put it on the “teeth” and “gums”.
Looks like someone just ate a banana and needs to brush her teeth before plaque and bacteria start attacking her teeth and gums!
We practiced the correct technique of brushing teeth by brushing the banana from the gums to the tips of the teeth. Then, we practiced how to floss them.
Oh no! We noticed a huge cavity that developed on a tooth.
We administered a local anesthetic by giving a numbing ‘injection’ into the gum. After that, I used the drill to remove the damaged part of the enamel. I do not recommend letting children use the drill themselves.
Remember that little piece of white playdough we saved at the beginning? Now it’s time to perform a tooth filling. We filled in the hole and smoothed the surface of the tooth.
Unfortunately, we weren’t able to save the other tooth, and we had to pull it out. As we were pulling it out, one of the roots broke off and was stuck in the gum. We had to perform oral surgery to remove the broken part of the root so that it wouldn’t block the new permanent tooth growing in.
Next, we explored how different foods impact our teeth.
We soaked a white egg in a glass of soda for a couple of days. Afterward, the color of the egg changed, and it was stained by the colored carbonated drink.
We tried to brush the stain off by scrubbing the egg really hard. The stain became lighter, but the egg wasn’t white anymore.
Next, we soaked another egg in a glass of vinegar.
We learned that calcium is essential for bones and teeth and explored foods that contain the high amounts of calcium. When we went to the grocery store, my daughter helped me pick out a few items with the high amounts of calcium.
