What Can I Do With My Child’s Baby Teeth After They Fall Out? Donate Them to Science!

One of the biggest aspects of growing up is losing baby teeth. Across the globe, many kids eagerly participate in this activity: anticipating, wiggling, loosening, and pulling at those newfound treasures that fall from their gums. Some bring their baby teeth that fell out to school to show their friends. Others bury them. Some even keep them for memories or to inspect. Many await a visit from the Tooth Fairy – the magical creature who flies from home to home each evening, collecting children’s teeth from under pillows and replacing these teeth with a gift in return. According to a 2013 survey by Visa, 90% of American households with children received a visit from the Tooth Fairy.

After baby teeth lose their sparkle and excitement for children, many parents are left with the question: What do we do with our kid’s baby teeth?

A recent survey of 330 adults (18 to 64) suggests that almost 2/3rds of parents preferred to save their child’s baby teeth, with about 1/4th of parents preferring to throw them away. When asked why they had these preferences, most parents who preserved their child’s teeth did it to maintain family traditions. Of the respondents who did not preserve their own baby teeth, about half of the respondents regretted not saving them.

Others have written about how teeth can be stored in keepsake boxes, made into jewelry, added to baby books, used for science projects, or stored for stem cells. One article highlights how baby teeth can be used for science fairs or at-home experiments. Another underscores how baby teeth storage in a stem cell bank may help children in the future, but this is a costly option for many families.

We propose another great option: donating teeth to science.

Why Do Scientists Study Baby Teeth?

Scientists are eager to study baby teeth – also known as milk teeth, primary teeth, or deciduous teeth – because unlike other bio-specimens (like hair, nails, or saliva) they uniquely have the potential to highlight information about children’s early life experiences.

Throughout the years, primary teeth have been studied by many different types of scientists. Primary teeth have been used to observe and obtain information about ancient populations, exposures to toxins and metals, and investigate possible risk factors for illnesses throughout life. Recent studies by our research group looked at the possibility that a child’s baby teeth records the psychological distress of their mothers.

Parents see their infant’s teeth come in at around 6 months. But children’s teeth begin to develop earlier in life, starting as early as in utero. As children take in the world around them, their teeth incorporate key information too. Even though a child does not start to lose their primary teeth until around age 6, their baby teeth start to develop before birth. As their teeth grow they preserve information throughout their time in the womb, during birth, and as infants. They record information about the child’s home environment, their social behavior, and early life exposures.

As shown in this figure, teeth grow much like trees. Similar to a tree, primary teeth contain “growth marks” that are left behind as a permanent record of their growth process. In trees, the rings that develop during a tree’s lifespan provide information about each year of the tree’s life. Likewise, growth marks in primary teeth provide information about experiences occurring. As we describe in this video, teeth are not only helpful displays of flossing, eating, and smoking habits, but they are also important capsules of social, behavioral, and biological exposures in early life.

By studying teeth, scientists hope to learn more about the factors that promote early childhood development. Research on teeth could illuminate new paths for early detection of health problems. It could also help identify treatments that could improve children’s health then and into the future. If scientists can use primary teeth to predict future health risks for a child, there is the possibility of improving their health outcomes.

How Scientists Study Teeth

Scientists who study teeth look at them in multiple ways. In our research group, we follow a standard set of procedures to study each tooth that comes into the lab. When we first receive the primary teeth, we unpack them and take photos of them. We look to see if the teeth are cracked, if they have decay, and determine what color they are. After this initial set of observations are complete, we use high dimensional x-rays to look at different parts of the tooth. Finally, we cut the tooth in half and use high resolution microscopes to look at the teeth growth rings.

What Teeth Donated to Scientists Could Be Used For

Parents and children can participate directly in a research study by donating baby teeth after they have fallen out. These can be studies that are longitudinal, following a child over time, or can be a shorter-term study, called cross-sectional, that captures a snapshot of the child’s health when their baby teeth fell out. In a longitudinal study, after sending the researchers a child’s teeth, both parent and child are followed by the research team, sometimes over several years, to get new information about the health of the child. In both cases, researchers pay participants for their time and primary teeth donations.

But parents and children don’t have to participate in a research study to help scientists. Scientists who study teeth are still discovering and investigating new ways to study the teeth themselves. Having extra teeth is essential to try new techniques. Parents can help researchers by providing “practice teeth.”

Where to Donate Teeth

There are multiple opportunities to donate baby teeth to science.

Donate them to the Science Tooth Fairy. The Science Tooth Fairy – also known as Dr. Erin Dunn – is based at the Massachusetts General Hospital, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital. She and her team use teeth donated by parents for different experiments. One current study, called the Stories Teeth Record of Newborn Growth (STRONG), is looking at how trauma could show up in primary teeth. Recruitment for that study has ended. But parents and children can still donate teeth. More details can be found here.

You can also search for other studies that are collecting information and teeth. For example, there is a study for people living in British Columbia, Canada to donate teeth to researchers. There is also a study in Minneapolis, Minnesota collecting primary teeth for a study on osteosarcoma, and another in Phoenix, Arizona collecting primary teeth for a study on autism spectrum disorder.

Donating a child’s teeth to scientists is not only a fun way to maintain children’s imagination; it also engages them in science and helps teach them the importance of research at a young age. So next time the Tooth Fairy is due for a visit to your home, instead of throwing away your child’s teeth, consider donating their primary teeth to the Science Tooth Fairy or other scientists.

FAQs

How do I donate my teeth to the Dunn Lab to be used for practice?

Take your child’s teeth and carefully wrap each individual tooth in a cotton ball or bunches of tissue, so that the teeth are protected while in transit. Next, place the wrapped teeth in a Ziplock bag or container and place it in a mailing envelope or box. Finally ship the teeth to us at the following address:

Dr. Erin Dunn
Simches Research Building, Massachusetts General Hospital
185 Cambridge Street, RM 6260
Boston, MA 02114-9820

Does my child have to participate in donating their teeth to use for practice?

Your child does not have to participate in sending us their teeth unless your child wants to help you ship them to The Science Tooth Fairy.

Is any genetic information taken from my child’s teeth?

No genetic information is taken from your child’s teeth in our current studies or when we use practice teeth. We store your donated teeth with only a number identifier and will not be able to link any information back to you or your child.

What information do I need to provide when donating teeth for practice?

None, just send us the teeth you are willing to send.

Want to see what we’re up to or find out when you could participate in a research study with us?

Check out our website and social media for more information and updates on the Science Tooth Fairy and our research studies.