Take care of those teeth!

I work in a health office where lots of little kids come and go. Today, I had a first. A little 1 year old girl fell and bumped her teeth while we were walking back to my office. I have had lots of pre-toddlers fall on the way to my office. This was the first time one has ever had actually injury.

She bumped her teeth on the floor. We have the typical flat carpet over concrete. There was blood EVERYWHERE....well....at least all over mom and baby. None on my walls or floors.

The more we sat and talked, the more I realized she didn't just bite her lip as mom suspected. She really did hit her teeth and hit them hard. Mom was really upset and made a comment about how important teeth were. It hit me, I totally take these little white things in my mouth for granted!

I think "TEETH REQUIRE BRUSHING, FLOSSING, AND RINSING." That means ten minutes a day of a routine. I'm not perfect. I don't floss twice a day or rinse twice a day, those are more of once a day things for me most of the time but still...that's almost 2.5 days a year that I spend taking care of my pearly whites.

And what do my teeth do for me!?! Um...They are the first step of digestion. Those little suckers grind up foods for me so I can absorb more from them. They also provide me with a very lovely smile. Lastly, they let me enjoy some of my favorite foods. To me, there's not many things in life better than biting into a crisp Granny Smith apple.

I work with low income clients regularly who are missing lots of teeth or have cavities. They can't enjoy the same foods I enjoy. Imagine not being able to bite into a slice of pizza? Having to cut it up before you gum it or chew only on your back teeth. Oh man. I couldn't even imagine.

So please friends, please take care of your teeth! If you think somethings wrong, go see a dentist! After seeing this 1 year old's bleeding mouth, I will definitely be visiting mine soon for my check up. :)

*side note: talked to mom since the incident and little one is doing fine. Doctor at the ER said she's going to have some swelling of the gums for the next few days but we don't think there is any nerve damage.