Your child’s baby teeth are just going to fall out. You might be wondering why you need to make an appointment with the dentist when your little one barely has any teeth. By the time your child is three, he or she will have a full set of 20 primary teeth. Here’s what these teeth mean to your child.
Baby Teeth Hold Space
The 20 primary teeth help keep the permanent teeth aligned as they emerge. When a baby tooth is lost too early, the adjacent teeth can move into that space, making it more difficult for a permanent tooth to come in. The permanent teeth develop right under the primary teeth. Primary teeth guide the permanent teeth into the right place.
Primary Teeth Are Needed For Proper Nutrition
Children who cannot chew their food can have nutritional deficiencies. The baby teeth are the first steps in chewing. It’s important to take care of these teeth because they can get cavities, which can be painful. Tooth decay from the baby tooth can damage the permanent tooth, too, because it can transfer through the roots of the teeth. Your child’s permanent teeth will be healthier when the baby teeth are protected.
Primary Teeth Are Part of Speech Development
Remember back to when you lost your front teeth and couldn’t make the “s” sound? Imagine how difficult it would be to learn to speak without any teeth in your mouth. The primary teeth are important to speech and facial development. The structure of the jaw provides support to the face muscles.
Baby Teeth Are Important to Your Child’s Self-Esteem
When primary teeth get cavities, it causes pain. Children who have dental pain cannot concentrate well. Your child might have to miss school to take care of his or her teeth, which means that they aren’t learning. Emergency appointments make parents miss work. Children who lose teeth too early may feel self-conscious and not feel as if they can have fun with their friends.
Teach Your Child Good Habits From the Start
Primary teeth may not last a long time, but the habits you teach your child with their primary teeth will last a lifetime. Develop good habits while your child is young. Taking them to the dentist for cleanings at a young age will give them confidence in the dentist as their teeth get older.
Permanent teeth were meant to last a lifetime. Make an appointment today with your dentist to take care of your child’s teeth.
Resource: Dental Care
