Teeth may seem simple, but they play a big role in helping you eat, talk, and smile. Because teeth can’t fix themselves once they’re damaged, taking care of both baby and adult teeth with brushing, flossing, and regular dental visits is super important. When you take care of your teeth a little each day with good habits, you can help keep your smile strong and healthy as you grow.
At Dental Depot of DFW, we get kids. We know you have lots of questions and that you’re busy doing all the things kids do, so whether you’re losing baby teeth, getting adult teeth, wearing braces, or just learning how to brush better, we’re here to help. Our goals for your smile are simple: visiting us should be fun and easy, you should understand what’s going on, and you should feel confident about taking care of your smile at every age.
Teeth might look a little like bones, but they’re actually more complex—and more important—than you might realize. Your teeth help you chew food so your body can use it, form words clearly when you speak, and hold the shape of your smile as you grow. Even baby teeth play a big role: they help you eat comfortably, support speech development, and guide adult teeth into the right positions later on. Because teeth don’t heal themselves the way bones do, taking care of them early protects how your mouth works now and helps prevent bigger problems when you get older.
Teeth are made up of several layers.
The outer layer is called enamel. Enamel’s job is to act like a shield, protecting your teeth from chewing, temperature changes, and daily wear. It’s the hardest substance in your entire body–even stronger than bone–but once enamel is damaged, your body can’t replace it, which is why keeping it strong and healthy matters so much.
Under the enamel is dentin, a slightly softer layer that supports the enamel and connects the outside of the tooth to the inside. If your enamel starts to wear down, your teeth can feel painful and sensitive.Â
At the center is the pulp, where nerves and blood vessels live. This is the part of the tooth that keeps it alive and lets you feel pressure, heat, and cold, so when cavities reach this layer, they tend to cause quite a bit of pain. That’s why dentists work so hard to stop problems before they reach this point.
But your teeth aren’t the only things in your mouth; there are also billions of bacteria living in it, too. Think of bacteria like tiny, invisible creatures that live in your mouth all the time. Most of them aren’t bad, but some of them really love sugar and starches, so every time you eat or drink something, those bacteria throw a little party that can eventually cause big problems.
If plaque isn’t brushed or flossed away, it can harden into tartar, which is much tougher to remove and gives bacteria an even better place to hide.
The important thing to know is that bacteria don’t cause damage instantly. They need time, food, and a place to stay. Brushing and flossing are important because they don’t just clean your teeth, they also clear out the bacteria’s food supply and wipe away plaque before it has a chance to harden or cause problems.
That’s why brushing and flossing aren’t just about making your teeth look nice for a selfie; they’re how you keep bacteria from settling in and slowly breaking down the layers that protect your teeth.
Taking care of your teeth doesn’t have to be complicated or take a ton of time. It’s mostly about doing a few simple things often enough so that your teeth don’t have to work overtime. When good habits are part of your normal routine, teeth stay stronger, problems stay smaller, and dental visits tend to be quicker and easier
Brushing works best when it’s more than a quick swipe before running off to do something else. Each time you brush, you’re clearing away plaque before it has time to stick around and cause trouble. Brushing well and brushing regularly helps protect your teeth all day and overnight, when bacteria get extra time to do their thing.
Most kids know how to brush—and that they’re supposed to do it–but doing it well and long enough is the tricky part.
Here’s what works:
Two minutes can feel like forever, but it helps to:
Spit out toothpaste when you’re done, but don’t rinse with a ton of water right away; leaving a little of a fluoride toothpaste on your teeth helps protect them longer.
You don’t need fancy gear to be good at brushing your teeth, but a few basics help, including:
If a product makes brushing easier–or more fun–then it’s probably worth giving it a try.
Flossing takes care of the spots your toothbrush can’t reach. Food and plaque like to hide between teeth, and those areas are some of the most common places for cavities to start. Flossing regularly keeps bacteria from settling in where brushing misses.
Flossing is for where brushing can’t reach—between teeth, where cavities love to hide.
Here are some basic tips for flossing:
If flossing feels annoying, remember: brushing without flossing is like washing your hands but skipping between your fingers.
Your teeth notice not just what you eat, but how often you eat it. Sugary and starchy foods give bacteria more chances to make plaque, especially when snacks and drinks stretch all day long. Giving your teeth breaks—and choosing foods that help them—makes a real difference.
Things that test the health and strength of your teeth (and make cavity-causing bacteria very happy) include:
Things that help keep your teeth strong and healthy include:
Timing matters more than total sugar. Eating treats with meals and brushing afterward is much easier on teeth than constant snacking.
Dentists are just as helpful for preventing problems as they are for fixing them. Regular visits–every 6 months or so for most kids–make sure teeth are growing the way they should, clean spots brushing can’t reach, and catch small issues early. They can also give you some tips for what you can do better to help your teeth stay healthy. When dental visits happen regularly, they usually go a lot faster and are a lot easier to get through.
Baby teeth may be temporary, but they’re doing important work for a long time. They help your mouth function normally while you grow, keep your bite balanced, and make room for adult teeth to come in where they’re supposed to. Because baby teeth stick around for years—and affect what happens next—how they’re treated now can shape how smoothly the transition to adult teeth goes later.
Most kids start losing baby teeth around age 6, though anywhere from 5 to 7 is completely normal. From there, tooth loss happens gradually over several years.
That means losing baby teeth isn’t a quick phase; it’s a process that can last six or more years. It’s normal for there to be gaps, overlaps, or periods where nothing seems to be happening at all. Teeth come out—and come in—on their own schedule.
Baby teeth don’t fall out by accident. As an adult tooth moves into place underneath, the root of the baby tooth slowly dissolves. That’s what makes the tooth loose in the first place.
If a tooth is really loose and ready, it will come out on its own. Pulling, twisting, or yanking a tooth too early (before it’s ready) can irritate the gums or cause unnecessary bleeding, and you should never use fingers or objects to force a tooth out.
Once a baby tooth falls out, the adult tooth might appear quickly, or it might take some time–both are normal. Adult teeth move slowly, and patience is part of the process.
Baby teeth still need daily care right up until they’re gone. In fact, this stage is when good habits matter most, because adult teeth are starting to arrive.
If a baby tooth is lost too early because of decay or injury, nearby teeth can shift into that space. That can make it harder for adult teeth to come in straight later on. Keeping baby teeth healthy helps everything stay where it belongs.
Think of baby teeth as placeholders doing an important job until the next set is ready. Taking care of them helps adult teeth arrive on time, in the right spots, and with a healthier start.
Your teeth are tough, but they’re not indestructible, and they aren’t supposed to hurt. If they do, pay attention; speaking up when something feels off and getting help early keeps small issues from turning into big ones.
If a tooth hurts when you chew, feels sensitive to hot or cold, or keeps bothering you for more than a day or two, that’s a good time to tell a parent and have it checked. Waiting usually doesn’t make tooth pain go away; it just gives the problem more time to get worse.
Common reasons for your tooth to hurt might include:
So, what if YOU hurt your tooth? Accidents happen while playing sports, on playgrounds, or taking the occasional fall, so if a tooth gets hurt:
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Even if it doesn’t hurt much, dental injuries should be looked at sooner rather than later. Small damage is usually easier to fix than bigger damage that’s left alone.
Taking care of your teeth doesn’t have to be hard, and going to the dentist doesn’t have to be boring, scary, or awkward. At Dental Depot of DFW, we’re here to help kids of all ages keep their teeth strong and healthy. Our dentists and dental hygienists are totally cool with kids; we’ll help you if you feel a little nervous, we’ll answer all your questions, and we’ll never make you feel bad if you forgot to brush before you came to your appointment. We’re just glad you’re here, and because our teams can do just about everything, you’ll get to see the same familiar faces whether you’re getting a cavity filled or just getting a cleaning.
