Causes of worms in teeth, routes of infection, clinical picture and treatment of diseases

People have been suffering from progressive dental problems since ancient times. In this regard, they tried to relieve pain using different methods. Previously, they were not the most humane, but over time dentistry has developed. Modern knowledge and skills of doctors are enough to keep teeth in good condition and not let their health lead to frightening complications. However, it is often possible to encounter situations where the human oral cavity is inhabited by parasites, otherwise known as worms.

Who lives in the oral cavity

Various bacteria, as well as protozoan microorganisms and helminths, can live in the oral cavity. Their food is not leftover food, but substances that are beneficial to the human body that come with food, as well as epithelial cells.

Trichomonas

Of all the groups of protozoa that can infect the human body, oral Trichomonas is the least studied. Doctors believe that infection with Trichomonas has a negative effect on the teeth and oral mucosa. Protozoa often lead to widespread diseases in the mouth and respiratory system.

The structure of Trichomonas oral is similar to that of the intestines. It has a membrane, flagella, and a pear-shaped body with four strands at the anterior end. The membrane is located on the side, reaching a quarter of the length of the body. This organ, together with flagella, is used as a means of movement along mucous membranes.

Trichomonas are isolated from the sputum of patients with pathologies of the bronchopulmonary system. Doctors are of the opinion that protozoa from the oral cavity easily enter the lungs, nasopharynx, and sinuses, thereby leading to the active spread of infection.

Trichomonas do not reproduce by cysts, but only vegetatively, so they can penetrate the human body. You can only become infected through contact, since microorganisms cannot live in the external environment.

The mouth group secretes substances similar to the cells of the human body. This allows them to camouflage themselves from the immune system.

Oral amoeba

In addition to Trichomonas of the oral cavity, amoeba can live there. It also belongs to the protozoa. Both microorganisms are human commensals, that is, they enter into symbiosis with the host. Protozoa receive special benefits from such a process, but humans receive neither benefit nor harm.

Amoeba usually settles on the crypts of the tonsils of the palate, in dental plaque, in sputum or gums. For nutrition and life, it requires leukocytes, red blood cells or those bacteria that live in the mouth.

Amoeba does not form cysts and is transmitted through contact, for example, through a kiss or when sharing dishes, during sneezing, coughing.

Oral myiases

Oral myiases are diseases that develop as a result of insect larvae entering the oral cavity. Myiasis is characterized by a severe course, and the causative agents are usually fly larvae that have entered the oral mucosa from food or hands.

Myiasis is not a common pathology, but we should not forget about the existence of such a dangerous disease, and also study the risk groups that include children. Typically, parasitic diseases are common in areas where hygiene standards are not well observed.

If the larva manages to penetrate the brain, then death occurs. It is myiases that are the cause of scary stories and legends about worms.

The most dangerous are nematodes that enter the mouth while swimming in open water. They affect the cheeks, larynx, tonsils, leading to unbearable toothache and discomfort, sensations of movement in the tooth.

Toothworm and ancestral spirits: The most amazing myths about teeth

June 27, 2018

Neanderthals also suffered from toothache. They were most likely the first to try to explain where teeth come from and who gnaws holes in them. By the time the first civilizations emerged, different peoples already had hundreds of myths about teeth. Many of them turned out to be surprisingly tenacious.

AT THE DAWN OF TIME

Ancient legends say: God initially created Adam toothless. Realizing that something was missing, the Creator started the process of forming teeth - one every day. In total, 30 of them grew, and this is what determined the number of days in the month. However, this legend is refuted by excavation data, according to which our distant ancestors had as many as 44 teeth - 12 more than we have. Over the years of evolution, one incisor and two premolars have disappeared on each side (both above and below). This happened due to the fact that humanity switched from raw meat to soft, thermally processed foods. As a result, the “unnecessary” teeth gradually disappeared and the jaw became smaller. By the way, followers of Buddhism suspected something similar: according to their legends, Buddha had 40 teeth. At the same time, they were very white, there were no gaps between them, and the length of all the teeth was the same - the Buddha did not have fangs.

Fangs are generally not very popular among ancient peoples. In many cultures they are considered the focus of the animal nature in humans. Apparently, their similarity to the teeth of predators played a role here. Among many African tribes and Australian aborigines, young men still have their fangs knocked out during initiation to emphasize the difference between people and animals. It is believed that if this is not done, a person can go wild and even turn into a beast.

Among many European and Asian peoples, it was considered a bad omen if the first tooth that erupted in a baby was a fang. Europeans were sure that such a child would grow up cruel and bloodthirsty, and Asians believed that he was connected with evil spirits, so the mother and the “fanged” baby were driven out of the village so as not to bring trouble to the entire tribe.

There are no fewer myths associated with newborns who are born with teething. These children were treated differently. For most European peoples, this was tantamount to being born in a shirt and promised the child a happy fate. But among some tribes of Southeast Asia and Oceania, “toothy” newborns were considered either potential sorcerers, or even the product of evil spirits - with all the ensuing consequences.

The appearance of baby teeth in a baby has tormented parents since ancient times. To alleviate their suffering, the Roman writer Pliny the Elder advised hanging an amulet made from the teeth of a wolf or horse around the child’s neck. This was supposed to ensure painless teething and peaceful sleep for the parents.

Simply throwing away lost milk (and not only milk) teeth was categorically prohibited by the traditions of various nations. It was believed that health and luck were thrown away along with them, and the sorcerer who found the tooth would be able to gain unlimited power over its former owner. The ancient Slavs collected a necklace from fallen teeth, which became a powerful amulet for the person to whom they previously belonged. The Japanese buried the teeth of their children under a tree so that new ones would grow just as strong. The Indians kept their fallen teeth in beautiful caskets, which after death they burned along with the deceased. The Mayans encrusted their children's lost teeth with turquoise and precious metals and kept them in the family treasury. The Ottomans rolled their teeth into bread crumbs and fed them to the birds for good luck.

Many of these beliefs have survived to this day, including in enlightened England, where a lost tooth is sprinkled with salt and then burned so that a dog’s tooth does not grow in its place. Molars cut much easier than milk teeth, but only until the turn of wisdom teeth comes. “And why are they needed!” - groans an adult whose jaw suddenly swells and his mouth stops closing. However, our ancestors did not think so at all. For example, Zoroastrians were sure that the absence of at least one of the four wisdom teeth meant that a person was deprived of the blessings and protection of the ancestors, which worked only with a full set of “eights.” It was believed that the reason for such a misfortune was the desecration of the entire family due to closely related marriages in a person’s pedigree.

Some Slavic tribes had a similar myth: it was believed that if a person loses his wisdom teeth, he will also lose the protection of his ancestors. “Eights” were a kind of talisman, and even the pain in the process of cutting through them was a good sign: the more difficult they were for a person, the more luck they brought.

So for a happy life, representatives of most nations needed to grow all 32 teeth. However, Aristotle argued that 32 is a male prerogative. Women, in his opinion, had only 30 teeth. The authority of the thinker was so great that for a couple of centuries no one even thought of counting the teeth of representatives of both sexes! Even the inquisitors, who used tooth extraction from witches as torture, did not refute this myth. In addition, Aristotle, and after him his followers until the enlightened 18th century, were confident that teeth can grow throughout life. And for some reason no one asked the question: why aren’t they growing?

A LITTLE ABOUT DENTAL BEASTS

One of the oldest and most persistent myths, which originated in hoary antiquity and survived right up to the 19th century (and in some places to the present day), is the myth of the toothworm. Even Sumerian sources claimed that holes in teeth are gnawed by small worms that dig holes for themselves. The nameless author of one of the oldest cuneiform tablets asks the heavens: why, why did the gods give man to be devoured by these disgusting creatures, and did not strike the voracious tooth-eater “with the power of their hands”?

The worm was mentioned by the authors of Ayurveda and doctors of Ancient China, physicians of the pharaohs and ancient authors, scientists of the Arab East and Indian shamans. Modern researchers believe that the reason for this belief is that people mistook the throbbing pain during pulpitis for the movements of a living creature that gnaws a tooth, like a bug gnawing on a tree.

For treatment, it was logically proposed to expel or kill the worm. Most often, they got rid of parasites by fumigation (for example, the patient was forced to breathe smoke from onions, henbane and goat fat). Another “correct” method was to catch a frog and spit in its mouth: in this case, the worms would certainly emigrate into the amphibian. And as a preventive measure against toothworms, Pliny the Elder recommended biting off the head of a live bat twice a month. Another native of Ancient Rome, Cornelius Celsus, argued that toothworms are easily washed out of the body with the help of laxatives and enemas.

The most gentle treatment method was moonlight. It was believed to be fatal to worms. Therefore, every full moon one could see the suffering on the roofs of houses, who, with their mouths open, exposed their sore teeth to the healing rays.

More radical methods often killed not only the worm, but also the patient. The worms were burned with a hot iron, doused with acid, hot wax, bird droppings and various poisons. One of these methods, by the way, has successfully survived to this day, because in remote areas the dental nerve is still killed with arsenic.

And this begs the questions: why suffer so much, why not just pull out the tooth, since it hurts so much? However, even 300 years ago, removing a firmly seated tooth was considered fatal. According to people, the teeth were directly connected to the brain, which could leak out through the hole formed when the tooth was removed. The logic is ironclad: the tooth is in the head, the brain is also in the head, if you pull out a tooth, you die. And the same Hippocrates was sure that toothache is born in the head and only then flows into the tooth. And if the tooth is removed, the disease will return to the head. Therefore, the diseased tooth was pulled out only when it completely rotted. For this operation, frogs were again used: the famous French surgeon of the 14th century, Guy de Chauliac, argued that frog fat was the best pain reliever for tooth extraction.

If carious teeth were devoured by a dental worm, then the person himself was blamed for the loss of healthy teeth (for example, due to periodontal disease). More precisely, his diet. It was believed that teeth became loose due to chewing too hard food. A little later, in the 17th–18th centuries, this belief was supplemented by the persistent belief that chewing hard food leads to the formation of wrinkles and sagging skin. Therefore, many high-society fashionistas and fashionistas stopped eating solid food altogether. By the way, it was this fact that enriched French cuisine with numerous puree soups. But, despite this, aristocrats continued to lose teeth, and only the twentieth century, with its extensive scientific research, proved that in fact it is solid food that contributes to the proper development of the jaws and creates the necessary load on the bone.

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Dentist for the President

One of the most persistent myths in the history of medicine is the wooden teeth of the first US President George Washington. No one remembers where this rumor came from, but there is some truth in it: the president really had practically no natural teeth. However, his dentures were made using the latest technology of the time, and his personal dentist John Greenwood went down in history as the inventor of the world's first drill.

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In search of perfection
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Risk group

It is a mistaken belief that living in a city is safer than living in rural areas. For example, in public catering establishments it is not always possible to check compliance with sanitation standards, and buying vegetables and fruits from hand is a big health risk.

The most common cases of injury are after eating seafood, uncooked fish, poorly fried meat, unwashed fruits, vegetables, as well as a lack of understanding of basic personal hygiene rules.

Infection often occurs during travel to foreign countries and eating exotic cuisine. Insects of tropical countries are the most dangerous, and many of these individuals remain unstudied.

There is only one conclusion: huge worms in teeth, which were described by doctors in ancient times, are a myth, but larvae can easily appear in the mouth if hygiene and health are neglected. But they settle more likely on the cheeks and gums, as well as in other soft tissues of the mouth, and not in the teeth.

Debunking myths

Where did this notorious “toothworm” and why do people so often believe in it? In order to understand this, you need to plunge into medieval medical literature. Until the 18th century, various dental doctors were of the opinion that any toothache, caries and bleeding gums appear from a certain worm that lives in the gums and literally gnaws the teeth.

It’s not worth talking about methods of treating worms: the ancient Greeks got rid of the worm using hot oil in the mouth, the Babylonians used mastic and various plant seeds, and Arab doctors completely changed the patient’s diet, after feeding him a laxative.

In the Middle Ages, for the right to prove that worms were pulled out of teeth, and not just moving larvae, but the size of a real rain monster, a real battle unfolded between charlatans and doctors. Fortunately, scientists quickly exposed the torturers, who by that time had already visited several patients and subjected them to the most terrible torture.

Professor Muzitano was the closest to the truth in his time , suggesting that those same worms are just fly larvae that get into the tooth along with food. And later, the scientist Levenguk, using a microscope, was able to prove that worms appeared in the mouth of one lady because of overripe cheese, which insects really liked.

Today, when medicine is sufficiently developed, we can say with confidence: there cannot be any worms in the teeth . The maximum is very advanced cases of parasite development.

Symptoms

Any parasites that enter the human body form pathogenic microflora and provoke certain symptoms in accordance with the type and extent of the lesion. Common signs of parasitic infestation include:

• allergies,
• a sharp deterioration in health due to the ingestion of many toxins produced by worms and protozoa,
• causeless weight loss,
• constant nausea
• weakness.

Worms living in the mouth often aggravate existing diseases, leading to tooth decay, suppuration on the mucous membranes of the mouth and tongue. The most common and active symptom of infection is bad breath, accompanied by itching of the larynx and a feeling of movement in the tissues of the pharynx.

Types of parasites

Various bacteria, protozoa and worms can live in the oral cavity. Their food is not leftover food, but the nutrients that a person receives with food, or epithelial cells.

Most often found in the oral cavity:

Trichomonas

The most common protozoan microorganism that people encounter is Trichomonas. If it settles and conducts its life activities in the oral cavity, it most often chooses the tonsils, teeth, mucous membranes, and gum pockets. As a result of the damage, a person develops periodontitis, caries, lung and liver diseases.

A favorable environment for the development of these parasites is humidity and warmth, and an increase in temperature above +60 degrees is destructive for them. The danger of trichomonas lies in their ability to masquerade as cells of the human body, which makes their timely diagnosis difficult. They can remain invisible to the immune system, as they become identical to epithelial or blood cells.

Oral amoeba

Another type of protozoan that can parasitize the human body is the oral amoeba Entamoeba gingivalis. She selects tonsil crypts, dental plaque, gums, and sputum. For nutrition and vital functions, it requires leukocytes or bacteria that live in the mouth, as well as red blood cells.

The oral amoeba does not form cysts and is easily transmitted to a healthy person through a kiss, when using the same utensils, when sneezing or through sputum or saliva when coughing.

Oral myiases

Another lesion caused by dipteran larvae in the oral cavity is oral myiasis. The most common pathogens are the larvae of sand fleas, Russian or sheep botflies, Wohlfart flies and Tumbu flies. Getting into the human body due to violation of the rules of sanitation and hygiene, they choose to settle on the skin and mucous membranes, making huge passages and loopholes for their movement. With oral myiases, the larvae can even reach the membranes of the brain, causing the disease to be fatal.

The risk group, as a rule, includes people from regions with a low standard of living and an unfavorable sanitary and epidemiological situation. Often the cause of the development of oral myiasis is the consumption of low-quality salted fish or raw meat and seafood, which contain both eggs and larvae of pathogens.

Worms that parasitize the human mouth can cause a disease such as gongylonematosis. It develops after ingestion of nematodes belonging to the genus Gongylonema. In the adult stage, these worms can reach 14-15 cm in length. For humans, the most dangerous parasite is Gongylonema pulchrum; all other species attack mainly cattle. For vital functions it prefers the tissues of the lips, cheeks, larynx or tonsils. You can become infected if you accidentally swallow a cockroach, dung beetle, or their individual fragments. In addition, these worms in the mouth can appear when drinking water from open sources.

Any worms and microorganisms in the human body form a certain clinical picture depending on their type and quantity. General signs of parasitosis:

• Allergic reaction.
• General deterioration of health due to a large number of toxic substances. They are secreted by both worms and protozoa as soon as they begin to parasitize.
• Loss of body weight for no apparent reason.
• Nausea.
• Weakness.

Worms living in the mouth can aggravate existing diseases, cause tooth decay, purulent plaque on the tongue and mucous membranes. The most obvious symptom is bad breath and lack of appetite. You can recognize the presence of worms by soreness, itching in the larynx, and a feeling of movement in the tissues of the pharynx.

Protozoa and worms in the mouth can cause erosion of the mucous membrane, from which the release of purulent masses subsequently begins.

Complications

The main and most common complications include a critical decrease in immune function and infection. The body becomes vulnerable to any viruses, bacteria, the functioning of organs and systems changes.

Under the influence of a lack of vitamin intake, absorption in the intestine is disrupted, a deficiency of B vitamins and anemia develop.

Irreversible disruptions to the functioning of the digestive system, nervous system, and urinary organs occur. Through the mucous membrane, helminths and protozoa easily enter the bloodstream, and therefore affect the kidneys, liver, and heart. If proper treatment is not carried out on time, death cannot be ruled out.

Parasites can also affect the eyelids and genitals.

Treatment

Antiparasitic treatment is prescribed only by a doctor; the specialist must take into account the symptoms for each patient, test results, and the type of parasites. The main rule for a successful outcome of therapy is an additional examination of all family members who, one way or another, had contact with the patient.

For complete recovery and elimination of worms, broad-spectrum medications are required, taking into account the tests obtained after diagnosis. The key to high efficiency is simultaneous compliance with all rules of oral hygiene and strict separation of a person’s personal items. Each family member must have personal dishes, linen, towel, brush, etc.

A complex therapeutic effect on the body consists not only of consulting a parasitologist, but also a dentist. Toothworm negatively affects the health of gums and teeth. The doctor will definitely take a smear, examine the areas of erosion, and examine the condition of the gum pockets and tonsils.

During the course of medications, you need to give up some foods, namely:

• spicy,
• alcohol,
• any allergenic products,
• combination of proteins and carbohydrates.

Any parasite in the human body leads not only to severe discomfort, but also to the progression of many pathologies. This especially applies to the oral cavity. You should not expect the problem to go away spontaneously. It is extremely important to visit a doctor on time to receive qualified assistance.

How to identify a parasite

First, pay attention to how you feel, what specifically causes concern. If you have problems with the intestines, be it constipation or diarrhea, restless sleep, itchy skin, muscle pain, you should consult a doctor. All difficulties with the body in the presence of parasites are associated with the release of toxins by them, which affect the normal functioning of the human body. And restless sleep and grinding teeth are a sign of anxiety, this is how the body talks about the problem. The main method for identifying parasites remains stool analysis. In this case, a distinction is made between a standard analysis and a detailed one, which is used in the medicine of functional disorders. Their main difference is accuracy. A standard test can only detect the parasite if it is alive and active. Then, if the pest has died due to the end of its life cycle, or is hibernating, the standard method will not work. The result will be negative, and you will be sure that you do not have a harmful microorganism, although this will not be the case. There are no such problems with a detailed analysis, since it uses the polymerase chain reaction method. The method allows you to identify the parasite in any state and does not depend on the laboratory assistant’s ability to see the pest under a microscope. Thanks to this approach, patients who received a negative standard test are surprised to learn about unwanted “cohabitants” after PCR, which subsequently allows them to solve the problem with their health.

Prevention

All of the listed types of parasites and the diseases they cause are not so often encountered in the practice of domestic doctors. During consultations, dentists always warn that regular and proper teeth cleaning and timely preventive examinations are the best method of preventing terrible pathologies.

To never hear a diagnosis of worm detection, you need to follow these simple tips:

• visit a specialist immediately at the first even minimal ailments and complaints, for toothache, swelling, swelling of the gums,
• refuse fish and meat of poor quality, improperly prepared,
• thoroughly wash fruits, herbs, vegetables,
• get rid of flies that have entered the room,
• refuse products on which insects have sat or could sit,
• carefully monitor the hygiene of your teeth, mouth,
• do not use other people’s toothbrushes, lip brushes and lipstick,
• Always wash your hands after visiting hospitals, clinics, and other public places.

If you always follow these rules, it is easy to avoid infection. If, after visiting exotic countries, strange sensations appear in your gums, then if you seek medical help in a timely manner, your doctor will help you quickly get rid of the dangerous problem. But once started, treatment will be difficult, and a positive result is not always guaranteed.

Funny misconceptions of the past about teeth

Today we take advantage of the latest achievements of technical and scientific progress. Oral care products allow you to keep your mouth clean and comfortable, and modern anesthesia methods can make even the most complex dental procedures painless. But this was not always the case, and on the way to modern scientific ideas, humanity went through many experiments. The head of the popular dental resource Startsmile.ru, Yulia Klouda, discusses the funniest of them.

Toothworms

It was previously believed that tooth decay was caused by toothworms.

Photo: press materials

Caries affects up to 99% of the world's inhabitants. Rare nationalities do not suffer from this common disease, but for the most part people are forced to find more and more new ways to prevent and treat dental diseases. Today, prevention methods come down to careful oral hygiene and selection of foods that help strengthen the enamel. But it was not always so. The reasons for the development of this disease were learned only at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries. Until then, in the territory from Ancient Egypt to China, it was believed that caries was caused by worms that gnaw passages in the teeth. It was supposed to get rid of the worm by fumigating with smoke from a mixture of onions, henbane and goat fat. The procedure had to be performed on a full moon, after spitting into the frog’s mouth. It was also necessary to pronounce a spell. In addition, worms in the teeth were supposed to be caught by sealing the cavities with hot wax.

Don't remove a tooth - you'll die!

In the Middle Ages, it was forbidden to remove diseased teeth

Photo: press materials

In the Middle Ages, it was forbidden to remove diseased teeth. It was believed that teeth were directly related to the brain: one had only to remove one tooth, and death was guaranteed. However, this myth did not last so long, and teeth began to be pulled out again without fear. Although if we remember the unsanitary conditions that reigned in those days, as well as the lack of concepts about antiseptics, the belief about possible death from tooth extraction no longer seems so false.

New times proposed their own methods of dealing with toothache, and if it became unbearable and the teeth had to be removed, they had to first be lubricated with frog fat ointment in order, according to the then famous doctor Guy de Chauliac, to facilitate the extraction process.

People were already concerned about oral health. And one popular doctor, Ambroise Paré, suggested lubricating the gums with fried hare brain for this purpose, and Pierre Fauchard insisted on the healing power of her own urine: she was advised to rinse her mouth daily.

All for the sake of beauty

Renaissance women believed that solid foods caused wrinkles

Photo: press materials

The Renaissance brought new myths and superstitions that served the highest ideals of beauty of the time. Speaking of beauty, it was believed that chewing hard food leads to excessive jaw work, which in turn affects the development of wrinkles and sagging skin. Therefore, many noble ladies of that time preferred to eat liquid food or even go on a strict diet. What kind of sacrifices can you make to preserve youth and beauty! But then the preparation of pureed soups was elevated to the rank of art, and today we can enjoy the results of the culinary research of that time.

Black teeth are at the height of fashion

In Vietnam, India and Sumatra there is still a fashion for black teeth

Photo: press materials

In Rus', sugar was an expensive pleasure, and not everyone could afford it. The connection between sugar and sweets based on it with dental diseases was noticed already then, but if today we are trying to avoid caries, then people, and especially girls of marriageable age, sought to blacken their teeth as best they could. The fact is that this was an indicator of the high status and prosperity of the family: we eat sugar every day, look how black our teeth are. In medieval Europe there was also a fashion for caries. And those who couldn’t afford sugar were embarrassed by their white and straight teeth, preserved as a result of eating coarse, simple peasant food.

What is the West! In some areas of Japan, Vietnam, India and Sumatra, the fashion for black teeth continues to this day. There is even a custom of varnishing the bride's teeth before the wedding. It contains iron acetate, which at the same time strengthens tooth enamel, and was obtained by keeping rusty pieces of iron in sake diluted with water for a week. Then the necessary components were added there, and the composition was applied to the teeth. The tradition is called "ohaguro". By the way, this composition nourished the teeth and strengthened the enamel.

Teeth made from milk

Hippocrates believed that infants' teeth are formed from mother's milk.

Photo: press materials

The ancient Greek philosopher and healer Hippocrates was sure that infants' teeth are formed from mother's milk. Actually, that's why they got their name. Today everyone knows that the rudiments of teeth are formed already in the 6th week of intrauterine development, and mother’s milk can really help them become strong and strong: it contains a lot of calcium and other substances beneficial to dental health.

Aristotle also had a special view of teeth. He believed that men and women have different numbers. And right up to the 18th century AD. e. no one even thought to doubt the hypothesis of the ancient Greek thinker.

What to do with a lost baby tooth? Put it under your pillow and wait for the tooth fairy to pick it up? Or hide it in a box and remember with nostalgia about carefree times, or maybe make a decoration setting a tooth in gold? In the Middle Ages, it was believed that the most important thing was to prevent the evil witch from taking possession of the tooth. To do this, you can eat the tooth, burn it, bury it in the ground, or even feed it to mice. By the way, if a mouse or a rat eats a tooth, the child is predicted to have strong and healthy teeth, but if a pig or a dog eats a tooth, the child will receive the fangs of the corresponding animal.