Baby Teeth Mementos: 3 Unique and Important Reasons to Keep Your Baby's Teeth

Many parents keep mementos of their children. These sentimental treasures come in many forms, including locks of hair, hospital tags, school artwork and teeth. However, old and discoloured baby teeth don't quite exude the same level of charm as say, a lock of baby hair.

A dusty vessel containing loose baby teeth is more likely to elicit disgust rather than reminiscences of the days when the tooth fairy was real. Nevertheless, it isn't that difficult to transform disembodied baby teeth into items that you will want to treasure rather than toss. If you are wondering why you should keep baby teeth, here are 4 reasons to get you started.

They Make Great Graduation Gifts

One day, your little one will blossom into a young adult with goals and ambitions. When they graduate from university, or even finish high school, you'll naturally want to reward them. Of course, you will consider the necessities such as a car and a laptop.

However, a sentimental gift that serves as a reminder of the past can be just as valuable as a new car. Therefore, you can include baby teeth in a gift that celebrates the milestones of your child's journey. You could, for example, add your child's first baby tooth and first adult tooth to a folder of milestones.  

They Can Be Made into Heirlooms

In the past, parents had to settle for keeping baby teeth in jars or containers. As a result, the teeth probably lost their importance as keepsakes. Nowadays, baby teeth can be turned into attractive heirlooms that can be passed from one generation to the next.

For example, you can now hire someone to make baby teeth jewelry. Imagine a necklace of gold or silver onto which the first baby tooth of each of your children can be added. In one hundred years time, that necklace could contain the teeth of 5 generations of your family.

Stem Cells Can Be Extracted From Them

The final reason to keep baby teeth concerns your child's future health. Baby teeth contain stem cells that are similar to those harvested from umbilical cord blood. Doctors use stem cells to treat diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's because they can replace lost tissue.

However, the capability to use the stem cells in teeth to treat diseases has not yet been developed. Nonetheless, you can store the stem cells from your child's baby teeth. Doctors can then use them to treat your child in the coming years and decades should the technology to do so become available.

Baby teeth don't have to be forgotten. They can live on as sentimental treasures, and they may even save the life of a child one day. Speak to your dentist if you wish to explore the possibility of storing baby tooth stem cells. They will coordinate with a stem cell storage facility and facilitate the removal and storage of the stem cells. 

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