Teeth

Know Your Roots

You will need white and red play dough (we used Crayola Model Magic).

Separate your white play dough into 20 small, equal pieces.

Form teeth by pinching one end of each piece (the root of the tooth) and indenting the other side (the top of the tooth). 

A standard child’s mouth, before they start losing teeth, will contain:

8 molars, 8 incisors, and 4 canines.

• Incisors help bite pieces from food.

• Canines help hold and tear food apart.

• Molars help grind food. 

You will need to let the teeth dry and harden (either overnight, or in the oven.)

Now you can mold 2 sets of gums out of your red play dough. Use a diagram like the following to help you insert your teeth into the correct positions:

You will probably think that this set of teeth needs serious orthodontic attention, but your child will think it’s cool.

Animal Teeth Shapes

Extend your discussion about teeth shapes with this fun activity about animal teeth!

You will need white (or mostly white) paper cups and scissors.

First, cut a rectangular section, about 2 – 2 1/2″ long, out of the top of your cup.

Then decide which type of animal teeth you want to create. Carnivores have sharp teeth for eating raw meat. Herbivores have sharp incisors for chewing up plants, and rodents have long, sharp incisors (that never stop growing!) for chopping into tough nuts and seeds.