Chapter 3

Lesson 3: Caring for Your Skin, Teeth, and Hair

BELL ACTIVITY – 10/6/10

What do you do every day to keep your teeth healthy? Your skin? Your hair?

Healthy Teeth

Figure 3.5 – p. 69 Understanding what’s inside your teeth will help

you take care of them more effectively. Crown Neck Root Enamel Dentin Pulp

Did you know?

Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body.

It’s so hard a dentist’s drill must turn at a rate more than 8,000 times per second in order to drill into a tooth.

Caring for Your Teeth

Keeping them healthy and clean If you neglect (ignore) your teeth, you

allow the process of tooth decay to begin.

Tooth Decay Process Figure 3.6 – p. 70

Bacteria combined with food = plaque (thin sticky film)

If plaque is not cleaned away, it becomes tartar (hard material that threatens gum health)

Tartar must be removed by a dentist or dental hygienist

Continued….

Plaque combines with sugar from foods to form an acid.

The acid eats a cavity or hole, in the tooth’s enamel.

Continued….

The decay spreads, invading the tooth’s dentin.

The decay then spreads to the pulp. If the cavity exposes a nerve, you are

likely to have a toothache.

To fight tooth decay and keep your teeth healthy… Brush teeth regularly – at least twice a

day Choose a toothpaste that contains

flouride (a substance that helps teeth resist decay)

Use dental floss Cut down on sugar Eat a balanced diet Have regular dental check ups

Brushing and Flossing Your Teeth – Figure 3.7 p. 71

How to brush (ABCDE) How to Use Dental Floss (ABCDEF)

Healthy Skin

Your skin is the largest organ of your body

It performs several key functions

Figure 3.8 Your Skin’s Functions - p. 72 Waterproofing – your skin serves as a

protective covering against water. Sensation – your skin is a sense organ,

containing nerve endings that give you information about temperature and touch

Temperature Control – Your skin plays a key role in regulating body temperature. Blood vessels in your skin help retain or release heat. Perspiration cools your body.

Continued….

Vitamin D Formation – Your skin uses the sun’s ultraviolet light to produce small amounts of vitamin D, which helps to build bones and teeth

Protection – Your skin is your first line of defense against germs and injury.

The Inside Story – p. 73

Skin = two main layers Epidermis – the outermost layer of skin

New cells made in the epidermis continuously replace old ones.

Cells in the epidermis make melanin (the substance that gives your skin its color)

2nd layer of skin….

Beneath the epidermis is the dermis. Dermis – the skin’s inner layer that

contains blood vessels, nerve endings, and hair follicles. Contains two kinds of glands

Sweat Glands Oil Glands

Continued…

Sweat glands let perspiration escape through pores.

Pores – tiny openings in the skin Oil glands keep the skin soft. Figure 3.9 Parts of the Skin, p. 73

Caring for Your Skin

Keep clean Take care of yourself Guard against the sun

10 am – 3 pm

Acne

This condition occurs when active oil glands cause pores to become clogged.

Pimples, whiteheads, or blackheads may result

Acne appears on the face, but may also affect the neck, back, and shoulders.

Fighting Acne

Gently wash the affected area at least twice daily with mild soap and warm water.

Avoid touching, picking at, or rubbing the area and don’t apply heavy make up or creams.

Healthy Hair

Hair color comes from melanin. Whether your hair is straight, wavy, or

curly depends on the shape of the hair shaft or part of the hair that you can see.

This visible portion is made of dead cells.

New hair cells grow beneath the skin surface.

Caring for Your Hair

Daily brushing Problems:

Dandruff – a flaking of the outer layer of dead skin cells on the scalp. Usually caused by dry skin.

Head lice – parasitic insects that live in the hair and cause itching.

Don’t share combs, brushes, or hats with others.

Review/Closing

Define plaque and tartar. Describe five of the functions of the skin. What are the epidermis and dermis?