Importance of Baby Teeth
Baby Teeth
Baby teeth are particularly important to your child's development, and they can affect your child's overall health as well. Although your child's baby teeth will eventually be replaced by secondary or adult teeth, they serve several vital roles and deserve the same care you would give to their permanent teeth.
Holding the Proper and Correct Space
When we say that adult teeth will eventually take the place of their baby teeth, what we mean is that every single baby tooth actually helps to create and maintain a space in your child's mouth for the adult tooth that will at some point replace it. The baby teeth provide an important foundation of healthy development for adult teeth and will affect the actual shape of your child's mouth. When baby teeth are prematurely lost, or grow irregularly, other teeth will shift and move into the available space, preventing the adult teeth from coming in correctly. Proper care and attention given to their dental health earlier can prevent later complications and is a good investment in their future.
Healthy Baby Teeth Affect Diet and Proper Nutrition
Healthy baby teeth allow your child to eat the foods that are necessary for both their health and proper growth. A child that has weak, damaged, missing, or painful teeth might not be able to bite and chew foods such as fruits and vegetables. Aside from providing your child with the necessary nutrients, chewing with the baby teeth also aids in the proper development of their jaw muscles, promoting the jaw strength they will rely on for the rest of their lives.
How about Learning to Speak?
Certain sounds in English and even other languages rely on the teeth to allow us to make them. The ‘th' sound is one example. It relies on touching the tip of your tongue to the back of your front teeth. Without his/her teeth, your child will not be able to learn to make these common sounds again resulting in greater difficulty mastering the language. Once again, ensuring your child's dental health helps their speech develop and allows them to communicate more clearly.
The Ongoing Dangers of Tooth Decay
Although it seems like any damage to the baby teeth will be erased when those teeth fall out, it can still have serious consequences now if left untreated. Tooth decay can lead to more widespread infection which can lead to other health problems.
Your Child’s Dental Health is Paramount
At West Mobile Children’s Dentistry, we understand how important it is to keep children’s mouths healthy and we will teach both you and them the habits that will preserve their teeth for a lifetime. We are proud to offer the best in children’s dental care!