Why Do Baby Teeth Matter?




Have you ever thought that cavities in your child’s baby teeth may not matter and therefore you will wait until later to have them taken care of? I mean, after all, they are ‘just baby teeth.’ Unfortunately, a child’s baby teeth can impact their adult teeth. Here are 5 reasons why baby teeth are important. 

  1. Social development. Children who do not have a healthy smile may be shy or struggle to develop friends. They may be afraid that children will make fun of them because of their teeth.
  2. Adult dental formation. Baby teeth hold the space for the adult teeth and when decay impacts a baby tooth, many times it can also begin causing problems for the adult tooth preparing to emerge. Problems such as enamel discoloration or even decay.
  3. Speech development. If baby teeth are not properly cared for, it can be difficult for your children to say certain sounds or to produce certain words. Once they are in school this can cause them to struggle in reading and multiple academic areas.
  4. Healthy nutrition is built upon their ability to consume healthy foods. If they have sensitive teeth due to decay they may struggle to consume the nutrients they need.
  5. Once school starts it is critical for them to be in school as many days as possible. But if they are distracted by dental pain it can cause their learning to be derailed. Extreme pain causes distractions and can eventually lead to trouble with their self-confidence and years of academic struggles.

For more information on the importance of baby teeth, contact Dr. Fuller and his team today.

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