#meanwhile kevin learned about the tooth fairy and immediately set to work making eva proud

[kariachi]

Okay, how about some dental stuff for some species?

Lenopan

Have no teeth, moving on

Erinaens

Possess 44 teeth as adults, but only 28 when they're tiny, which begin to grow in at about 6 months (Earth time) and are typically done by about a year old

Dental Formula: I 4/4 C 1/1 P 3/3 M 3/3

Babies/toddlers are missing their central pairs of incisors and two back-most sets of molars, as well as canines- the current theory is this helps prevent injury while nursing and slightly lowers choking risk by keeping food further forward in the mouth

They start losing their baby teeth at about 4, a little after the quills begin to grow in. Normally you can tell when a kitten is going to start losing teeth by checking for canine growth, these will grow in before the first baby teeth are lost

In regions where luat trees grow young twigs are harvested and stored in pots of saltwater sealed with resin, to be eaten over the rest of the year to clean the teeth and freshen the breath

In regions where the luat tree doesn't grow the most common method of tooth cleaning is the chewing of bundles of softened bark strips. The juices of various plants are mixed with salt water and it's in this the bundles are stored. A benefit this has over luat twigs in that the bark is inedible, and while it will wear down over time you still get more use out of a single bundle than you do a single twig

Another benefit is that normally at least one of the plants used will have antiseptic properties, helpful with any gum, tongue, or palate injuries

Necromancy is also helpful with this, and a necromancer good with bonework will probably also be able to handle any general dental problems

Still, you're never going to get perfection, doubly so when you lean heavily into frugivore, and especially in Erinaens that live a particularly long time you're likely to lose some teeth. Though it's rare for an Erinaen to lose all them

Dentures and replacement teeth among Erinaens are typically crystal (let them be, they have a lot of it) though wood and bone aren't unheard of

Perison

Possess 30 teeth as adults and 20 as small children, which begin growing in at about a year of age (Earth time) and are typically completely grown by 3 years

Dental Formula: I 1/2 C 0/0 P 3/3 M 3/3

Babies/toddlers are missing their second pair of incisors (present only on the bottom jaw) and back two pairs of molars

Baby teeth typically begin falling at at around 6 years and adult teeth are all in place by 12

Adults' second pairs of incisors grow forward and to the side. In ancient Perison ancestors these formed small, straight tusks used for display and combat, but in modern Perison they grow much more slowly and for most of one's life are noticeable only due to the pushing out of the near portions of the bottom lip to accommodate them. As one grows older, however, uneven wear compared to the rest of the teeth means that without dedicating wearing and grinding tusks become more prominent and can grow up to 2 inches long

All Perison teeth growth throughout their lives in a way similar to horses, to make up for constant wear due to their diet of primarily rough plant matter. These teeth are smaller and grow slower than they were in the past, before cooking became a common occurrence, but care must still be taken to ensure even and consistent wear

This is one of the reasons to chew bone- to encourage tooth wear when eating primarily comparably soft cooked foods

When properly maintained a Perison's teeth will reach the point of uselessness somewhere in their early 70s

For the most part dental hygiene looks like ours, though you won't find floss. Bristles came into play with the advent of plastic (previously you would scrub your teeth with a fabric pad on a handle) but plastics have long fallen out of favor on the planet and as a result one of the most common goods imported from other planets is stiff animal hairs that can be trimmed down into proper bristles- it's expensive, but still less so than setting up whole farms of animals they otherwise aren't going to be able to make use of

Still, the poorest herds and households have mostly gone back to the good old scrubbing pad

There's also a bit of a difference with mouthwashes, which are normally a combination of alcohol and salt which as you can guess isn't the most pleasant thing

Dentures and replacement teeth are normally made out of porcelain anymore, though quality varies. Acrylics and resins are, again, no longer popular. Metals are also sometimes seen, but most prefer for their dentures to look as similar to natural teeth as possible.

The exception is the tusks, which are more often done in metal and, when done in porcelain, are generally done in bold colors or with patterns

Osmosians

Possess 36 teeth and don't deal with that 'baby teeth' situation- the progression from 'grub' to 'chick' comes with a free full set of teeth

Dental Formula: I 3/3 C 1/1 P 3/3 M 2/2

Osmosians regrow their teeth regularly, from their few molars to those nearly 3 inch canines. If you take a tooth out of an Osmosian's head, unless they regrew it in the last month or so you can expect a replacement to come in within the week, and even if they did you can expect a new one in the next month or so

They shed their teeth about once every 2.5 years Earth time, not all at once of course but over the course of the hotter months

This can actually be annoying for Osmosians living off the homeworld, as locations where temperatures in the low hundreds are maintained more often can lead to more tooth shedding, while locations that don't reach those temperatures for sustained periods may not trigger tooth shedding at all

While losing the teeth isn't painful, like any tooth eruption having the new ones grow in can be more than a little aggravating

As a result of this Osmosian dental hygiene is... Lacking. As you would expect from fuckers who just toss their teeth every summer and grow new ones essentially on demand, you don't get big into to taking care of them

It doesn't hurt that the Osmosian diet generally doesn't contain a lot of sugars, so there's less damage being done for the relatively short time they have any particular tooth

They have toothpicks, typically made of copper or silver, but on a day to day basis that's the best you're getting. If plaque build-up gets particularly bad an individual may scrub their teeth down with a piece of hide, but that's not a daily matter.

Pretty much every territory has their preferred plants which are cultivated or gathered purely for the sake of freshening breath, by either chewing or drinking as a tea, and there's heavy trade regarding these particular goods

Tetramand

Possess 36 teeth as adults and 20 when tiny, which typically begin erupting at about 6 months (Earth time) and are all in place by 2 years

Dental Formula: I 2/2 C 2/1 P 2/3 M 3/3

Babies/toddlers are missing their back premolars, back molars, and back pair of upper canines

Baby teeth start falling out at around 8 years and adult teeth have normally all erupted by 14, with the upper canines typically falling out and being replaced last

The canines of Tetramand are notably large in comparison to other teeth- ranging from 1 to 3 inches- with the foremost upper canine being larger still- ranging from 3 to 5 inches. As is to be expected, tooth size correlates to the size of the individual

Tetramand dental hygiene is relatively similar to humans, tooth brushes, toothpaste, toothpicks, you know the deal

Tetramand toothbrushes are generally made of metal or stone, and utilize natural bristles off of a native domestic critter. If you have been a native Khoros critter you will understand what I mean when I say these things don't wear out.

'Change your toothbrush every 3 months' my ass, change your toothbrush every 3 years more like, and that's a low estimate

The fourth most commonly cultivated crop serves a dual purpose here- the fruit is tasty and edible, while the skin of said fruit can be dried and chewed to freshen breath

Tooth loss is more common that you would expect from a planet that actually has good healthcare and access, but then these are Tetramand, most people lose at least one tooth through combat. If you're lucky it'll be when you're little

Dentures and replacement teeth among Tetramand vary by culture- in some locations you'll be given actual teeth- normally from animals, sometimes from dead relatives, while in others you'll get metal. Please try not to eat hot foods if you are in the latter group.