Shark Teeth

Permanent teeth usually begin to erupt between the ages of 5 and 7. If they come in like they are supposed to, the permanent, or adult, tooth will dissolve the root of the primary, or baby, tooth as it emerges causing the baby tooth to become loose and fall out.

Sometimes though the adult tooth will erupt behind the baby tooth, and this can be quite a cause for concern for many parents. These special (but actually quite common) cases “shark teeth,” and usually they are no big deal.

Shark teeth simply refers to a child having two rows of teeth in their mouth – the original primary or baby teeth and the incoming permanent teeth. 

Ioan’s baby teeth still weren’t wobbly, two months after the permanent teeth erupted, so he was scheduled to have them removed on 23rd March. This ended up being the first day of lockdown so his appointment was cancelled.

He decided to take matters in to his own hands. After months of eating crunchy foods (apples, carrots, french bread) and trying to wobble them with his finger and tooth brush. On the 10th June, his hard work paid off and we were able to wobble it out.

Proudly showing Daddy.

Resources

  • Tooth
  • Paper
  • Pencil
  • Coloured pencils
  • Scissors

Verbal directions to the tooth fairy

Ioan drew a plan of his bedroom. He was careful to get the scale of his drawing right, so he could give accurate instructions to the tooth fairy. We have been looking at describing turns, so Ioan tried to use and apply that knowledge in his directions.

First instruction:
Second and third instructions:
Fourth instruction:
Final instruction:

Our shark, more than happy to have lockdown hair and one less tooth!

Five days later, he lost his second tooth. This time, we decided to write instructions to the tooth fairy.

DfES Outcomes for EYFS and National Curriculum (2013)

Mathematics Year 1 programme of study

Geometry – position and direction

  • describe position, direction and movement, including whole, half, quarter and three-quarter turns.

English

Spoken language – Years 1 to 6

  • give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes, including for expressing feelings
  • maintain attention and participate actively in collaborative conversations, staying on topic and initiating and responding to comments