Why Baby Teeth are Important

As we have mentioned before, it is recommended now that you bring your children in for a checkup by their first birthday. That way, your friendly Valencia Dentists can make sure there are no major problems in your child’s dental health and development. It may seem early to be so concerned, but your child’s baby teeth play a vital role in their development.

1) Baby Teeth Shape the Jaw

The baby teeth, or deciduous teeth, save room in a child’s mouth for their adult, permanent teeth to develop beneath. Until the grown up teeth are ready to emerge, the baby teeth ‘save a slot’ for them to push through. If the child were to lose their baby teeth too early, it would result in the other teeth shifting and bunching, which would lead to major problems down the road. For instance, the adult teeth would no longer have a space to fit into nicely. It would also cause the jawbone to alter its shape to fit in the newly misaligned teeth. Overall, not a fun time. Because of this, your child’s dental health is of major importance, and tooth decay and cavities are easily preventable.

Should your child lose a baby tooth due to an accidental or to decay, ask your Valencia Dentist about a ‘space maintainer’, which will help hold that space in the jaw for the adult tooth to emerge. It will limit problems down the line.

2) Baby Teeth Develop Healthy Speaking Skills

A child needs to develop speaking skills in order to feel socially accepted by their peers, as well as to express their needs and desires. Baby teeth help your child to develop proper consonant and vowel shapes and allows them to keep their tongue in check when speaking. Without the baby teeth as a guide, their syllables may seem ‘off’, which can cause other children to tease and poke fun. Of course, it is natural for their speech to be thrown off once they lose their baby teeth, especially their two front ‘teef’, but without the baby teeth there during development, they may never learn a natural speech pattern.

3) Baby Teeth Help to Eat

Teeth are required to be able to chew, and chewing is a skill that is learned with a lot of practice, so baby teeth are vital to the development of eating. A child that has dental issues is more likely to be malnourished and underweight, studies find, so making sure their teeth are in top order is imperative to their health. Your Valencia Dentist will be able to determine if there are any issues with the baby teeth’s alignment, which may make chewing difficult for your child. Or they can check for decay, which may cause pain for your child while chewing and could potentially scare them away from it.

4) Baby Teeth Help Develop Self-Confidence

Even at a young age, a child is able to tell when someone has a crooked smile or bad teeth. Bad and crooked teeth send out a less-than-positive impression, and children are as receptive as everyone else. If your child has a crooked smile or decayed baby teeth, they may become self-conscious in social settings, and even be scared to smile. It is imperative that you instill proper brushing and flossing techniques starting at a younger age, and introduce your child to your Valencia Dentist at a young age (before they turn 1). Dentists are able to make all visits a comfortable visit, and your child should never be afraid.

Working together with your Valencia dentist, you can ensure your child has a healthy and bright dental future!