When you think of a bank, images of tall stacks of paper money and blocks of solid gold locked away tight in a vault may come to mind. However, we want to talk about a different kind of bank that doesn’t give out loans. Tooth be told, this bank is a biobank that collects baby teeth! If you’re suspiciously wondering if this is really the tooth fairy in disguise trying to make her job a little easier, don’t worry. Read on for more on the tantalizing scoop.
The Norwegian Biobank for Milk Teeth
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health’s Department of Clinical Dentistry is seeking to collect at least 100,000 baby teeth from the children of Norway through “The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study”. The aim of their project, called “The Norwegian Mother and Child Research Biobank for Milk Teeth,” is to become the biggest tooth bank in the world for research purposes. If stored dry, baby teeth have nearly limitless durability so the gathered teeth could be studied for hundreds of years.
A Child’s Tooth Is Worth a Thousand Words
Baby teeth are called by many names: deciduous, milk, temporary, or primary teeth. They start to erupt through the gums before a child turns one-year-old, but the timing can vary. When a child is anywhere between five and seven, some of the baby teeth will start to get a little wiggly and then proceed to fall out. The fascinating thing about baby teeth is that they can reveal a wealth of information when analyzed for biomarkers. All along the life of a tooth, from developing in utero to emerging through the gums to falling out, it collects information about the nutrition, environmental surroundings, contaminant exposure, and diseases of a child.
We Can Help Your Child Have Healthy Teeth!
If you live in Norway, donating your child’s teeth to science is a great way to contribute. Otherwise, consider using your child’s old baby teeth to illustrate the importance of daily oral hygiene with this neat science project! Until your child wiggles their next baby tooth out, we can make sure their oral health is in tip-top shape. Schedule an appointment with our Scottsdale dental team today.
