Teeth – their structure and function and why.pptx

Teeth – their structure and function and why it matters Dr Kaaren Mathias MBChB, MPH, FNZCPHM Learning objectives Students can describe the structure of teeth understand the biochemical processes that protect teeth describe the biochemical processes meaning that or...

Teeth – their structure and function and why it matters Dr Kaaren Mathias MBChB, MPH, FNZCPHM Learning objectives Students can describe the structure of teeth understand the biochemical processes that protect teeth describe the biochemical processes meaning that oral fluoride contributes to protecting teeth from decay analyse the merits of fluoride in oral health in New Zealand Why do teeth matter? Key structures of your teeth What is the hardest substance in human body? Acknowledgement – Dr Martin Lee, Te Whatu Ora, Waitaha Fluoride Why is it important for healthy teeth? What causes dental decay? How does fluoride help prevent decay? Enamel protection It is all about changing the acidity (pH) for when teeth demineralise or remineralise. Pair and share Explain to your pair How does fluoride get involved with hydroxyapatite and tooth demineralisation? How does fluoride end up influencing pH and what impact does that have? What does drinking fluoridated water achieve? Canterbury vs Wellington 5 year olds (1996) Lee & Dennison, 2004 So why isn’t all drinking water fluoridated? Christchurch and fluoride Take home public health messages Brush twice a day: just spit the toothpaste out – rinsing it away washes the fluoride down the drain (and the fish don’t need it because seawater already has fluoride in it). Use fluoride toothpaste: be careful when shopping as some well-known brands don’t have any fluoride. The bugs that cause tooth decay love things like biscuits, fruit juice, dried fruit, fruit puree and sugar sweetened soft drinks – these shouldn’t be in-between meal snacks for children.  describe the structure of teeth understand the biochemical processes that protect teeth describe the biochemical processes meaning that oral fluoride contributes to protecting teeth from decay analyse the merits of fluoride in oral health in