Keeping Baby Teeth Healthy

Some parents don’t realize how important it is to keep baby teeth healthy, since they are not permanent teeth. There are certain ways to keep the baby’s teeth healthy, such as not putting the baby to bed with a bottle and brushing the gums gently after feeding.

(CBS News)  Since your baby’s first set of teeth are not permanent, some parents don’t realize the importance of keeping them healthy. Jessica Hartshorn, Senior Lifestyle Editor for American Baby, tells you how to keep your baby’s teeth in good shape.

It’s important to take care of primary teeth until they are naturally lost and put under the pillow for the took fairy. Although you can’t see them at birth, there are 20 primary teeth under an infant’s gums. As the child gets older, these primary teeth make way for 32 permanent teeth.

Even before the first little tooth comes in, it’s important to pay attention to your baby’s mouth. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) suggests that you gently brush your Baby’s gums after each feeding.  You can use water on a soft-bristled baby toothbrush or wipe them with a clean washcloth. This puts good dental health habits in practice from the very start.

A baby will usually start to get her first teeth at about 6 months. When the first few teeth appear in your baby’s smile, it’s important to clean them at least once a day. You can wipe the… continue reading

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Baby Teeth Are A Good Source Of Stem Cells

In 2000, scientists discovered that baby teeth are potent sources of stem cells. The stem cells must be extracted and preserved through freezing in order to use later in life.

Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. In addition, in many tissues they serve as a sort of internal repair system, dividing essentially without limit to replenish other cells as long as the person or animal is still alive. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential either to remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell. ( Source: The National Institutes of Health resource for stem cell research)

Adult stem cells in dental pulp are a recent discovery. They are undifferentiated mesenchymal stem cells, which appear to have greater plasticity than other adult stem cell types. Dental stem cells, like other mesenchymal stem cells, can trans differentiate into cardiac muscle cells and skeletal muscle cells, suggesting an important future role in muscle repair and regeneration. Adult stem cells in dental pulp are easily obtained from primary and permanent teeth.

In 2000, scientists at… continue reading

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