THE WHOLE TOOTH We use our teeth in so many ways we need to take good care of them.

1. THE WHOLE TOOTH • We use our teeth in so many ways we need to take good care of them. • All of us have teeth to rip, bite and chew food. • When our teeth are healthy, they’re very strong. • Each tooth is rooted into our gums. The part that we cannot see is called “root”. The part that we can see is called “crown”. • The crown is made of enamel, which is very hard and protects the tooth.Enamel is the hardest substance in your body. • Inside each tooth, under the crown, there is the dentine, which is also very hard. • At the center of the tooth there’s a soft part called pulp. The pulp is how the tooth receives its nourishment. • ACTIVITY:Brainstorm a list of things that teeth help us to do (eg. smile, talk, chew).

2. A LOOK INSIDE YOUR MOUTH • Kids have 20 milk teeth. They are: 8 incisors, 4 canines and 8 molars. • Some teeth are meant to fall out. They are called baby teeth. After one falls out, another will replace it. This new tooth must last for many many years so you must take extra special care to brush daily to keep them healthy and strong. • Adults have 32 teeth. They are: 8 incisors, 4 canines, 8 premolars, 8 molars and 4 wisdom teeth. • The Incisors are the teeth in the very front. They’re the sharpest teeth, built to cut food and shaped to shovel the food inward. • The Canine teeth are in the corners of your mouth. Because they’re meant for grasping and tearing food, they have very long roots. • Premolars are located just behind your Canine teeth. Premolars have a more flat chewing surface because they’re meant for crushing food. • The Molars are the last teeth towards the back of your mouth. Molars are much bigger than the Premolars and have bigger, flatter chewing surfaces because their job is to chew and grind the food into smaller pieces. • ACTIVITY: Have you had a tooth fall out? What does it feel like?

3. CAVITIES ARE A BIG PAIN • Your mouth is a busy place. Lots and lots of germs are always on the move in your mouth but they are so small you cannot see them. • Sticky and sweet foods like candy, lollypops, and chocolate can cause cavities, too. • Sometimes the germs stick to your teeth and use the sugar from sweets to grow and cause cavities. • Cavities are tiny holes in your teeth that often only a dentist can see. They don’t heal naturally like a cut does. They can get bigger and bigger until they are very painful and only a dentist can make your tooth better. • ACTIVITY: What do you eat that might cause cavities?

4. TOOTHPASTE AND TOOTHBRUSH POWER! • There are things we do everyday to keep our bodies healthy but we also need to keep our teeth healthy and strong. • Brushing your teeth with fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush kills germs, prevents cavities, and makes your teeth strong. • ACTIVITY: What do you do to keep yourself healthy (brush teeth, diet, sleep, walking, swimming, washing).

5. BRUSH DAY AND NIGHT! • Brushing is one of the best things you can do to prevent cavities. • To keep your teeth healthy, you need to brush them twice a day. Once in the morning and once at night, last thing before going to bed. • Germs don’t sleep at night, so make sure you brush before bedtime. • ACTIVITY: What would it be like if you didn’t keep your teeth healthy and they all fell out?

6. HOW TO BRUSH, BRUSH, BRUSH! • With Signal toothpaste, brush your teeth so that the bristles contact both your teeth and your gum line. • Gently brush the outer tooth surface using a vibrating back and forth rolling motion. • Brush against the biting surface of the teeth using a gentle back and forth scrubbing motion. • Gently brush using back, forth and rolling motion along all the inner tooth surfaces. • Using the toothbrush vertically, make several up and down strokes. • Don’t brush too hard or you could hurt your gums!

7. BE WATER-WISE! Water is a very precious commodity and needs to be conserved, as there are a lot of people in the world without clean water. Hence, when you are brushing your teeth don’t forget to turn off the tap and save water. Secondly, your dentist friend would also recommend you spit after brushing and use very little water for rinsing. That way the toothpaste stays longer on your teeth and helps fight the bad germs which cause cavities! Remember your Super Dentist friends always spit out after brushing and do not swallow the toothpaste! ACTIVITY: Can you suggest some ideas on how you can save water while brushing at home?

8. THE DENTIST IS YOUR FRIEND! • Dentists are important tooth helpers. They check for cavities and provide care to prevent cavities. They help keep your teeth shiny and white. • The dentist is your friend, visit him regularly every 6 months for healthy teeth! • ACTIVITY: Have you been to the dentist? What was your visit like?