There's An Important Reason You Should Never Throw Away Your Child's Milk Teeth

Updated on November 29, 2018 at 7:02 PM

by the editors

Losing a tooth has always been a rite of passage for children around the world. It means that one becomes bigger and stronger. For many of them, losing a tooth is accompanied by a visit from the "tooth fairy" who puts a few coins under their pillow. But what do children do with these lost teeth? Some keep them for their sentimental value, but most throw them directly in the garbage...big mistake!

There's An Important Reason You Should Never Throw Away Your Child's Milk Teeth

A milk tooth is a treasure much more valuable than we think.

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The tooth that saves lives

In 2003, a Swiss study found that baby teeth contain stem cells. These can be stored for several years in anticipation of possible medical problems. And yes! Stem cells can help rebuild any type of tissue, be it brain cells or heart cells!

In order to use these stem cells, the milk tooth must be kept "fresh". Storing your milk teeth in a simple box would be useless, as temperature is a decisive factor in the conservation of these stem cells that degrade over time.

To preserve these teeth, parents can turn to the company, Store-A-Tooth. It offers a service where your teeth are held in a cryo-preservation nitrogen liquid, which ensures that they are kept intact and can be used for decades. It remains to be seen whether children will prefer to earn a coin from the tooth fairy or keep careful watch over their teeth!