Hey there! Today, we’re going to talk about something fun and interesting—our teeth! Have you ever noticed that when you smile, you show off your teeth? But what happens when you’re missing a tooth or two? Don’t worry, it’s completely normal!
When you’re young, you have what we call “baby teeth.” Some people also call them milk teeth or primary teeth. These are the first set of teeth you get, and they start to come in when you’re a baby. As you grow, these teeth do their job for a while, then they get loose and eventually fall out. It’s all part of growing up!
Think about a little baby. She’s so cute and small! Her jaw, which is the part of her head where her teeth grow, is also small. That’s why only baby-sized teeth can fit in there. When a baby is first born, she doesn’t have teeth yet, and that’s okay because she drinks milk, which doesn’t require teeth.
As the baby grows, usually around six months old, her first tiny teeth start to pop up. These are usually the front teeth on the top and bottom. With these teeth, she can start eating soft foods like mashed peas and carrots. By the time she’s about two and a half years old, she’ll have all her baby teeth—twenty in total!
Baby teeth are not just for chewing food. They also help us talk! We use our teeth to form shapes with our tongue and mouth, which helps us make the sounds we use to speak. So, having a full set of baby teeth is important for talking, too!
As you keep growing, your head and jaw grow, too. This means you’ll need more teeth and bigger teeth. By the time you’re about 10 to 12 years old, you’ll lose all your baby teeth. In their place, you’ll get thirty-two bigger, stronger grown-up teeth. These are your permanent teeth, and you’ll have them for the rest of your life!
Since your grown-up teeth are permanent, it’s important to take good care of them. Make sure to brush your teeth at least two times every day, especially after you eat. Don’t forget to floss, too! A healthy smile is a happy smile!
Thanks for learning with us today! If you have any questions, feel free to ask a grown-up to help you leave a comment or send us an email at [email protected]. Keep smiling!
Tooth Timeline: Create a timeline of your own teeth journey! Ask a grown-up to help you remember when you lost your first tooth and when new ones came in. Draw pictures of your teeth at different ages and label them. This will help you see how your teeth have changed over time!
Food and Teeth Experiment: Try eating different types of food and notice how your teeth help you. For example, try biting into an apple, chewing a carrot, and eating some bread. Which teeth do you use for each food? Write down or draw what you discover. This will help you understand how different teeth have different jobs!
Teeth Talk: Practice saying words with a grown-up and notice how your teeth help you make sounds. Try saying words like “tooth,” “smile,” and “cheese.” Look in a mirror while you talk and see how your teeth and tongue work together. Can you think of other words where your teeth help you speak clearly?
