As ORIGINS participants grow, its research grows with them, opening new opportunities to explore important areas of child health that benefit children everywhere.
Analysis of baby teeth is a cutting-edge area of research that’s advanced to allow for more sophisticated analysis techniques, providing a deeper insight into various aspects of child health. Through baby teeth analysis, researchers can uncover important information such as:
- Environmental exposures: Baby teeth absorb elements like lead and manganese during development, helping researchers understand early exposure to environmental toxins.
- Nutrition: Teeth hold clues about children’s diet and can indicate nutritional deficiencies, such as low iron.
- Underlying health conditions: Structural changes in teeth can reflect conditions like coeliac disease or vitamin deficiencies.
- Helping other kids: ORIGINS teeth can help researchers understand how environmental exposures affect children in other communities, shaping better guidelines for kids everywhere.
Life with young children is full of surprises and busy moments. That’s why ORIGINS has designed a simple and convenient way for participants to donate one of their child’s baby teeth.
By completing a quick expression of interest form, families will receive a donation kit that clearly explains six easy steps to send in their child’s tooth.
- Each pre-paid mailer includes three individual donation kits, one for each baby tooth. You can use up to three kits per child.
- Remove the thin white tissue from the donation kit.
- Unwrap the thin white tissue, place one baby tooth in the middle, and wrap the tooth in the tissue.
- Place the wrapped tooth inside the Ziploc bag attached to the form.
- Fill out the form on the back of the information sheet and place it inside the envelope along with the Ziploc bag.
- Want to donate more than one tooth? Simply repeat steps 2 - 5 using the other kids. Remember, only one tooth per kit, and up to three teeth per mailer.
When we receive the tooth, we'll send you and your child a $10 e-voucher!*
Your child’s contribution plays a vital role in advancing life-changing research that will help shape future health guidelines and inform policy - ensuring every child has the best chance to grow up healthy and flourish.
Find out more about the ORIGINS Tooth Fairy project here.
*Applicable to the first tooth donated only, even if you donate in bulk.