There are lots of silly adults who are scared of going to the dentist, but we know better, don’t we, kids? We’re not scared of keeping our smile sparkling clean!

Teeth are smashing. Without them, you wouldn’t be able to chew your food properly or speak clearly.

Depending on how old you are, you may have milk teeth or permanent teeth or a mixture of both.

Milk teeth are your baby teeth and they normally start to fall out when you are six years old. Over the next few years they are replaced by twenty-eight permanent teeth.

The last four adult teeth are called wisdom teeth and they normally appear in your late teens or older.

You will then have thirty-two adult teeth.

If you look inside your mouth with a mirror, you’ll see that teeth come in all kinds of different shapes and sizes because they all do different jobs.

The teeth you use for cutting and chopping food are your incisors. These are the front four teeth, in the centre of your mouth, at the top and bottom.

Can you see the pointy teeth on either side of your incisors? These are your canines and they tear food apart.

Next to those are your premolars, which are perfect for crushing and grinding food.

Finally at the very back are your molars. They mash the food before you swallow it.

There’s a lot more to teeth than the white you can see on the outside. In fact, each tooth is made up of several layers.

The outer layer is made of enamel, which is a really tough substance. Next, there is a layer of dentine, which is strong and hard and then in the centre of the tooth is soft pulp.

The part of the tooth you can see is called the crown and the root is the part hidden inside the gum. Each tooth is held in place in your gum by cementum, which acts like strong glue.

Once the tooth fairy has taken away all your baby teeth, you never want to see her again!

You only get one set of permanent teeth so it is extra important that you look after them.

Tooth decay is caused by bacteria that feed on leftover food in the mouth. Bacteria mix with saliva (spit) to make plaque acid. This acid begins to eat into the enamel, making a hole called a cavity.

Cavities are very painful indeed. Luckily, you can stop this from happening by brushing your teeth with fluoride toothpaste. Cavities are also caused by sugary food and drink, so try to avoid sweets and fizzy drinks.

The recipe for a perfect smile is simple; brush your teeth twice a day.

This gets rid of any leftover food so the bacteria have nothing to feed on. It also helps to get rid of the bacteria, preventing a build up of plaque.

Don’t brush your teeth straight after meals, as this is when your enamel is at its weakest.

Move the toothbrush in circles as you brush your teeth, and don’t press too hard. You need to buy a new toothbrush every two to three months.

If acid has eaten into a tooth, your dentist may decide that you need a filling.

First, he will make the area around your tooth numb so you won’t feel a thing. Then he will clean the hole and he may drill away some more to get rid of all that nasty bacteria. Then he will fill in the hole with either a white or a silver filling and your tooth is fixed!

If you are worried that your teeth are crooked, then talk to your dentist about having a brace fitted.

These days you can get clear braces or coloured braces and braces that even sit behind your teeth. They’re certainly not like the braces your mum and dad might have worn.

Braces straighten your teeth by putting pressure on your teeth.

Regular braces have wires and rubber bands. The wires help to move your teeth and the bands help correct the way your teeth line up.

If you have any questions about your teeth then your dentist will help.

Remember when you smile you open your mouth and show your teeth, so the healthier your teeth are – the happier you look!