Even though your child will lose them, their baby teeth are crucial to the development of a healthy, straight smile. Because of this, the Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that your child visit a dentist at age one or when their first tooth appears. This visit will help to ensure that your child’s teeth are receiving the care that they need, are not in danger of developing cavities and, most importantly, that your child’s dental health is on track to provide them with a lifetime of smiles. In this post, we’re going to look at five of the main reasons that your child’s baby teeth are important.
1. Healthy teeth improve nutrition
Children who develop crooked, damaged or decayed baby teeth have an increased risk of also having dietary deficiencies due to improper chewing or an inability to eat certain foods.
2. Baby teeth help to align adult teeth
The primary role of baby teeth is to act as a guide for the permanent teeth. If your child loses a tooth to decay, their back molars may drift forward and cause crowding when their adult teeth erupt.
3. Attractive smiles improve confidence
It’s no surprise that children can be cruel. By properly caring for your child’s baby teeth, you give them the best chance to feel comfortable and confident in their social groups.
4. Good teeth assist your child’s speech
Both permanent and baby teeth contribute to our ability to speak clearly. If a child prematurely loses their baby teeth, their adult teeth may come in crooked and cause unnatural or improper speech.
5. Healthy baby teeth encourage long-term oral health
At Halonen Family Dentistry, we encourage all of our patients – no matter their age – to develop healthy, long-term dental routines that will prevent periodontal disease, tooth decay and bacteria spread. Healthy baby teeth are the result of regular pediatric dentistry in Battle Creek and parental guidance. If you’d like to teach your child healthy dental habits, give us a call and start with a visit to Halonen Family Dentistry!
