1. Healthy vs. unhealthy teeth
TAKE A LOOK
Look inside your child’s mouth regularly
Lift the top and bottom lips
Look at the teeth and gums
UCLA Community Oral Health Program
Module 8: Healthy Teeth Vs. Unhealthy Teeth
Decay in baby teeth progresses very fast. Encourage parents to look in their child's mouth regularly.
Parents should check children’s teeth every month to look for any white or brown spots or possible cavities. If they observe any white spots or areas of decay, the parent should take the infant or child to the dentist as soon as possible.

2. Primary Teeth anatomy Module 8: Healthy Teeth Vs. Unhealthy Teeth
UCLA Community Oral Health Program
Module 8: Healthy Teeth Vs. Unhealthy Teeth
NOTE: Times may vary in eruption of teeth, what is important is the order they come in

3. What to Look For
White spots on the teeth: This is how cavities start, but they can be stopped
Brown or black spots on the teeth- may be cavities
Red, swollen or bleeding gums
Bad breath that won’t go away
If you see any of these signs, make an appointment with your child’s dentist
UCLA Community Oral Health Program
Module 8: Healthy Teeth Vs. Unhealthy Teeth

4. Healthy Baby Teeth Module 8: Healthy Teeth Vs. Unhealthy Teeth
UCLA Community Oral Health Program
Module 8: Healthy Teeth Vs. Unhealthy Teeth

5. Unhealthy baby teeth Teeth with signs of decay- white/ brown spots
UCLA Community Oral Health Program
Module 8: Healthy Teeth Vs. Unhealthy Teeth
Earliest signs of tooth decay are white spots on the teeth. Tooth decay at this stage can be stopped or even reversed if the child is taken to a dentist at this stage.
The dentist can coat the teeth with fluoride that can repair the damaged tooth

6. Smiles for life
What would you do?
UCLA Community Oral Health Program
Module 8: Healthy Teeth Vs. Unhealthy Teeth

11. White Spot Lesions Module 8: Healthy Teeth Vs. Unhealthy Teeth
UCLA Community Oral Health Program
Module 8: Healthy Teeth Vs. Unhealthy Teeth
ad cambra power point slide 8 and 15 on

12. White Spot lesions
They begin below the surface of the enamel (first layer of the tooth) and appear as a pale stain.
The term “white spot lesion” is defined by Fejerskov et al. As the first sign of carious lesion on enamel that can be detected with the naked eye
UCLA Community Oral Health Program
Module 8: Healthy Teeth Vs. Unhealthy Teeth

13. UCLA Community Oral Health Program
Module 8: Healthy Teeth Vs. Unhealthy Teeth