A Mother Asks the Nurse,"When Should I Begin to Clean

question 26

Multiple Choice

A mother asks the nurse,"When should I begin to clean my baby's teeth?" What is the best response for the nurse to make?

• A) "You can begin when all her baby teeth are in."
• B) "You can easily begin now. Just put some toothpaste on a gauze pad to clean the teeth."
• C) "I don't think you have to worry about that until she can handle a toothbrush."
• D) "You can begin as soon as your child has a tooth. The easiest way is to take cotton swabs or a face cloth and just wipe the teeth. Toothpaste is not necessary."

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Definitions:

ATP

Adenosine triphosphate, a molecule that carries energy within cells, essential for various cellular functions.

Mitochondrion

An organelle found in large numbers in most cells, in which the biochemical processes of respiration and energy production occur. It has its own DNA.

Phagocytic Cell

A type of immune cell capable of engulfing and absorbing bacteria, other foreign bodies, and sometimes dead cells.

Macrophage

A macrophage is a type of white blood cell part of the immune system, capable of phagocytosis, engulfing and digesting cellular debris, foreign substances, microbes, and cancer cells.