Primary teeth, also known as “baby teeth” or “deciduous teeth” begin to develop under the gums during the second trimester of pregnancy and usually appear between 6 and 12 months old. By the time they start school your child should have a full set of 20 primary teeth, including four molars on each side.
If neglected, children can develop badly decayed primary teeth, promoting the onset of childhood periodontal disease. The condition involves oral bacteria invading and eroding gums, ligaments and eventually bone. If left untreated, primary teeth can completely drop out!
Why are baby teeth so important, aren’t they just going to fall out anyway? It’s a common misconception that baby teeth don’t need as much care as adult teeth because there is still a second set to come through. However, they actually serve several major purposes in a child’s development.
Talk Your Head Off
The positioning of primary teeth is important for facilitating correct syllable pronunciation and stops the tongue from going astray during speech formation. Learning how to speak properly is also important for cognitive, social and emotional development, so hindering this can actually have quite a large knock on effect on your child’s progression.
Chew On This
According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), the associative pain of tooth decay can prevent a child from eating correctly, impacting overall health and development. Children with malformed or severely decayed primary teeth are more likely to experience dietary deficiencies and become malnourished or underweight because of it. Healthy primary teeth, on the other hand, help children to practice proper chewing motions and good habits, facilitating nutritious eating.
Something to Smile About
Judgment and prejudice actually plays a part in children’s lives very early on, and even young children will notice someone with a crooked smile. It can be a cause of low self-esteem and even bullying in some cases. Keeping on top of your child’s oral health will give them the confidence of a beautiful smile, avoid bad breath, and promote positive social interactions.
Avoid the Brace Face
Baby teeth act as natural braces hold space in the jaws for permanent teeth that are growing under the gums. When a baby tooth is lost too early, the permanent teeth can drift in to the empty space and make it difficult for other adult teeth to find room when they come in. The result can be unnecessarily crooked or crowded teeth.
Don’t Let It Be a Distraction
Tooth decay is painful! With extreme conditions such as Early Childhood Caries (ECC), also known as Baby Bottle Tooth Decay, possibly requiring surgery under anesthetic and damage to both baby and adult teeth. It can serve as a major distraction at school, so not only will it affect your child’s oral development, but also their ability to learn. If your child is showing any symptoms or you have concerns, local pediatric dentists will be able to advise action to combat this as early as possible.
To avoid periodontal disease and maintain healthy oral development, make sure your child practices an adult guided oral care routine, twice, daily.
About Jammie Morey
Speak Your Mind