Children are naturally inquisitive and ask a lot of great questions. If your kids are starting to take interest in their dental health, there are some simple ways to answer. In fact, we\u2019re going to give you some facts about teeth as a cheat sheet of sorts for several of the most common questions kids have about their teeth. But don\u2019t worry\u2014if your answer doesn\u2019t satisfy them for whatever reason, you can always have your children ask the team at Pediatric Dental Specialists of Kearney when they come in for their next preventive dental checkup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the meantime, here are answers to some of kids\u2019 favorite teeth-related questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are four major parts of the tooth<\/a>: enamel, dentin, cementum, and pulp. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The enamel<\/strong> is the hard outer layer of your teeth, and it is made of calcified tissue. There are no living cells in the enamel layer, so if there is an issue, your body can\u2019t repair it on its own\u2014only a dentist can fix it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next layer of your tooth is the dentin<\/strong>, and it is what contributes to the color of your teeth. This part of your tooth has microscopic tubes in it. This is why cavities<\/a> can cause sensitivity: If it is deep enough to reach past the enamel into the dentin, your dentin layer can feel it because it is sensitive to heat and cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cementum <\/strong>is the hard substance that covers the tooth\u2019s roots. It is what the connective fibers in the gums hold on to. This is what keeps the tooth firmly in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The pulp<\/strong> is the center of the tooth where the nerves and blood vessels live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You are born with all of your teeth<\/a> in your jaw\u2014but none of them are fully formed yet. By age 3, most kids have their full set of 20 baby teeth, while all 32 permanent teeth won\u2019t finish erupting until closer to age 18 or later (if you\u2019re counting permanent teeth).<\/p>\n\n\n\n You start to get your baby teeth<\/a> around 6 months old. The bottom two center teeth are usually the first to come through, followed by the top two center teeth. Baby teeth typically erupt in pairs a few months apart. You then start to lose your primary teeth from around age 6 until age 12. Wisdom teeth don\u2019t erupt until the late teen years.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHow many teeth do I have?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Will my dentist know if I\u2019m not brushing my teeth?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n