Why Baby Teeth Are Important

Just because baby teeth fall out as a natural part of the growing process doesn’t mean they don’t serve a purpose and aren’t essential to care for. Throughout your child’s development, the baby teeth help to develop proper speaking habits, ensure that they’ll have healthy permanent teeth and that the position and alignment of those teeth are in line. Taking care of your baby’s teeth and teaching them how to do the same is essential to a lifetime of great oral health.

How Baby Teeth Help Your Child’s Lifetime Oral Health and Development

1. Tooth Alignment –Baby teeth, also known as primary teeth, are essential for helping preserve space for adult teeth to come in and ensure they come in correctly. The absence of baby teeth can lead to developing teeth drifting out of place, making it difficult for a full and healthy smile to develop. Maintaining baby teeth is the best way to avoid all these complications.

2. Healthy Permanent Teeth –When adult teeth are developing, they are found very close to the roots of the primary teeth. Decay and infection in baby teeth can lead to the development of abscesses that interfere with the development of the adult teeth. Ensuring that your baby’s teeth are properly taken care of is essential to ensuring that they have lasting oral health for a lifetime.

3. Nutrition –One of the primary functions of teeth is the pre-processing of food for digestion through chewing. Cavities can interfere with proper mastication of food, which can make it more difficult for your child to get the nutrition it needs as it passes through the body. Infections in teeth can circulate through the bloodstream, even to the brain, causing serious illness if not properly cared for. In serious cases, death from abscesses is possible.

4. Facial and Speech Development –Human languages make use of all areas of the mouth, making healthy teeth, cheeks, and lips necessary for proper speech development. Primary teeth also play a central role in ensuring that the muscles of your child’s face develop properly and are involved in developing the overall appearance of your child’s face.

5. Concentration –Tooth pain can be a serious distraction for those experiencing it, and can make it very difficult to focus on tasks. This is both due to the pain itself, and due to the impact pain has on the body’s ability to rest and recover. It can also make it difficult for them to do well in their studies due to missed school for dental appointments, etc.

These are just some of the central points that reveal why good oral health is a vital part of any child’s health and well-being. If you’re concerned your child may be suffering from teeth impacted by decay or infection, make a call to Dr. Sam Bullard at Smiling Kids Pediatric Dentistry in Noblesville, IN. Their office works closely with the local community to ensure that children have the best chance of reaching adulthood with great teeth!