Are baby teeth really that important?

Are baby teeth really that important?

If baby teeth just fall out eventually, are they really that important? Yes, they are. Your child’s baby teeth are not only important for chewing and speaking at a young age, but also lay the foundations for your child’s future adult teeth.

Your child’s baby teeth usually appear during their third or fourth month of age, and all twenty of them often appear by the age of three. Eventually they will fall out and be replaced by your child’s permanent teeth but that doesn’t mean that it’s okay to neglect them! Your child’s baby teeth are extremely important to your child’s development, and not just functionally – baby teeth can affect your child’s social development, too. So, what do baby teeth do for your child?

  • they help your child develop proper eating habits,
  • they help your child to develop proper speech,
  • they hold places in the jaw for permanent teeth to emerge.

These are all important facets of your child’s oral and social development, and the loss of a single baby tooth too soon can lead to the problematic eruption of your child’s permanent teeth which could necessitate orthodontic treatment such as braces at a later age! By ensuring your child is taking proper oral care at a young age, you can help to avoid future visits to the dentist and set the stage for a confident smile during adulthood.

Just because baby teeth will fall out doesn’t mean that proper oral care should be ignored. If it is, your child may experience complications during their teenage and adult years. For an assessment of your child’s baby teeth, contact Somerset Dental for dental care that’ll ensure your child’s smile is as confident as it can be – and kids, don’t forget to leave those baby teeth under the pillow for the tooth fairy!

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