Why You Should Save Baby Teeth And How to Preserve Them

There is nothing more exciting in a child’s life than when he loses his first tooth and places it under his pillow at bedtime for the Tooth Fairy to leave some gift money in exchange for the tooth. Handwritten notes by the Tooth Fairy with some gift money are sufficient to keep the child’s spirit alive. Of course, that means Mom and Dad must think of creative ways to be tooth fairy without getting caught!

Losing their first tooth is always an emotional moment.

Before your child gives his tooth to the Tooth Fairy, read this post to find out the benefits of saving baby teeth. Why save baby teeth?

Stem Cell Treatment

Baby teeth contain Stem Cells which are special cells capable of saving lives. Stem cells can repair damaged tissue around the body, grow bones and cure diseases. (Good Housekeeping) Their repairing properties make them capable of being used in major organs such as the heart, brain and pancreas. (WebMD) If your child suffers from any disease when he is older, Stem Cell treatment can be used to harvest stem cells from the pulp of his Baby teeth, which may be able to save his or a family member’s life. Stem Cell Treatment is still undergoing research and its potentials are unknown, however, many parents are choosing to preserve their children’s teeth in hope of usefulness in the future.

If you choose to keep your child’s teeth safe for future Stem Cell treatment, you can get help from his dentist and a tooth bank. Pediatric Dentists will give your child’s baby teeth to “tooth banking” services, who will remove the stem cells from the pulp of the baby teeth and preserve them using freezing methods. (National Library of Medicine) Tooth banking services have expensive collecting and storage fees, however, parents who really want to make use of stem cells in baby teeth opt to use these services. Just to give you an idea, an average tooth bank will charge $605 for harvesting cells and $115 storage fee for first year. (The Tooth Bank) For subsequent years, you may find plans for 5 year storage or 10 year storage and so on. It all depends on what you want for your child’s baby teeth. Keep them or pass them to the Tooth Fairy?

Baby teeth are cute Keepsakes and gifts

When a child loses his first tooth, it may make you emotional. I know I became emotional last week when my 6 year old excitedly showed me how he pulled his tooth out and the gaping hole between his front teeth is just lovely. Baby teeth make great keepsakes because they were once a part of your child’s body and you can keep them for memory.

When your child is older, you may want to bring out those baby teeth that you stored safely for so many years for them to look at. They may even look at them in awe. Baby teeth are smaller in size so they may be fascinated to see how much they have grown. You adult child may even show appreciation and love to you for taking care of their keepsakes over so many years. Just like we store jewelry and other valuables, baby teeth are equally valuable to be saved and preserved.

Ever imagine what a Tooth Fairy looks like?

How To Preserve Baby Teeth?

Clean, disinfect and air dry

First, clean the baby teeth thoroughly and gently with soap and water. Next, you can disinfect the teeth using rubbing alcohol and a brush to remove blood, saliva and any dirt. Last, drying the teeth by using towel or laying it in the sun for air drying prevents bacterial growth and keeps it safe.

Baby Teeth Keepsake Boxes

There are many keepsake boxes available online which have proper labels (Molar, Incisor, Canine) to store baby teeth. Baby teeth keepsake boxes are like organizers for all baby teeth and they come in plastic and wood material. These boxes come in different colors and sizes. You can even write details like the name, date and age on the box label.

Baby Memory Book

You can also save your child’s tooth in a baby memory book which is mostly used for pictures. After cleaning the teeth, you can place them in an envelope and slide them in a page of the memory book with a label for the date when your child lost the tooth. Teeth can also be kept safe in baby books, not just pictures.

Make Tooth Jewelry

Although it may sound creepy to some parents, yes you can make baby teeth into jewelry for keepsakes. There are companies who will make tooth jewelry (pendants, bracelet or earrings) from your child’s baby teeth so you can wear or keep these special jewelry pieces as keepsakes! Amazing right?

Just remember, you are the parent and you know what is best for your child. Whether you decide to preserve their baby teeth for Stem Cell therapy or just keep them in a keepsake box, it is your choice and if you are satisfied, nothing else matters.