Table of Contents
Introduction
Parents become sentimental when their infants cut their first teeth, and they also are emotional when they lose their baby teeth years later. Whenever a baby cuts their first teeth is a sign that the baby is growing. And when that baby grows into an older child that loses those teeth, it is also a reminder that the child is growing up. Parents want to save the teeth that their children lose for sentimental reasons. That is why they put them in special boxes. Parents should keep their children’s lost teeth. However, the grounds that they should save their baby’s teeth aren’t for sentimental reasons.
Why Should Parents Save Baby Teeth?
Parents want to keep their children’s mementos from when they were babies and young children. That is why they often keep their first locks of hair for when they have their first cuts, as well as their first footprints and their hospital bracelets they had at birth. The same goes for when their kids lose their baby teeth. However, parents do not realize the importance of saving their kids’ baby teeth. It goes beyond sentimental reasons.
Scientists urge parents to keep their kid’s first teeth because those teeth contain plenty of stem cells that can save their kids if they were to end up with cancer later on. Even if their kids had cord blood preserved from their birth for similar reasons, baby teeth could save their lives if necessary for the same reasons. Therefore, if the unthinkable were to happen, and the child ends up with a diagnosis of cancer, later on, then there will no need to wait around for a donor. Stem cells from the baby teeth are right there instead of taking their place.
Stem cells don’t only treat cancer, as they can also treat Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. That is why adults and children often wait a long time to find compatible bone marrow donors for treatment without using their stem cells. Stem cells eliminate that need, saving precious time, and increasing the odds of survival and remission.
How Can Parents Preserve Baby Teeth?
Before you place your child’s first lost tooth in a keepsake box, you must know the right way to store your baby’s lost teeth. The form of holding baby teeth for stem cells at home will make all of the difference in the world. The purpose is to have those teeth keep your child healthy down the road if necessary. You don’t want to scramble around for a donor if the unthinkable happens. Therefore, learning how to store baby teeth the correct way is imperative.
The first thing to do is when your child loses a tooth; you want to wash the tooth with soap and water. And you want to clean the baby tooth as well as you possibly can. You don’t need special soap to clean the teeth as ordinary soap will do. That is not the only way to keep the teeth clean anyway.
The next step after washing the tooth is to disinfect it with rubbing alcohol. The easiest way to do that is to take a cotton pad or cotton ball and rubbing alcohol. Then wipe the tooth well, so you disinfect all areas of it. Make sure you do not miss a spot as well.
The final step to prepare for the preservation of the tooth is to dry it well. The last step is essential because if the tooth isn’t properly dried, it can become a breeding ground for bacteria. That will surely defeat the purpose. If the idea of not correctly drying the tooth by wiping a clean cloth or cotton pad on it to wipe away the moisture concerns you, you can air dry or blowdry the tooth.
You can place the tooth on the window sill during the day, so sunlight is exposed to it, which will help dry the tooth quicker. Either way, you want to make sure the tooth is completely dry before placing it in a box and keep it away from the child as well.
Can You Preserve Old Baby Teeth That Fell Out Previously?
The answer to that is no. That is because if you failed to preserve the tooth properly after the child lost the tooth, then bacteria would have taken over the tooth. Therefore, the tooth would not be suitable for stem cell use. A tooth that fell out and immediately placed in a keepsake box is just a souvenir.
However, the good news is that if your child has more teeth to lose in the future, you can store those baby teeth for stem cell use. That is as long as you take the proper steps for preserving them properly. Knowledge is power, and knowledge can be lifesaving as well.
Conclusion
The one reason that parents want to store their children’s baby‘ teeth is that they make a great keepsake. However, if parents understood the necessity of keeping baby teeth, they would look beyond that reason. Baby teeth are a source of stem cells. That means if the unthinkable were to happen to the child at some point during their life, such as ending up with cancer, then the stem cells from the baby teeth can save them. That will eliminate the need for parents to look for a donor. Therefore, parents must not just store lost baby teeth as keepsakes, but it can be a potentially life-saving one for the child if needed.