How cute are the little pearly whites that start appearing in your child’s mouth at around six to nine months! Before you know it, though, they’ll be gone. The last baby teeth usually fall out on average around 12 years old. So if you hear that your child needs a root canal or an involved treatment, you may wonder why you should go through the trouble and expense of trying to preserve a tooth, since it will fall out anyway!

The Importance of Baby Teeth

The importance of maintaining healthy baby teeth can never be overemphasized. Baby teeth are required for proper nutrition. They help children chew and digest foods they need for their development. Being without even one tooth for an extended period can make effective chewing challenging.

Primary teeth are also essential for speech development. They provide the tongue with the points of contact that allow a child to make a variety of sounds. Missing a tooth could interfere with making certain sounds and could impact speech development.

Baby teeth serve a critical function in the healthy development of a child’s mouth and jaw muscles. They serve as placeholders for permanent teeth that develop just under the gums, allowing them to erupt properly. If a tooth is lost prematurely, neighboring teeth can drift into the empty space out of alignment, interfering with the way the adult teeth come in and potentially resulting in crooked teeth or a crowded mouth.

When teeth do not erupt in their proper positions, a child may end up with a bad bite, also known as a malocclusion. This can cause problems with eating and speech and may interfere with the smile. It is also the primary reason children often need orthodontic treatment down the road, which can be expensive and time-consuming. So it makes sense to spare no effort to save a child’s baby tooth if at all possible.

Baby teeth have a valuable social purpose, allowing a child to flash that beautiful, charming smile. If a tooth goes missing too early, a child may lose self-confidence and may suffer detrimental effects for years. That’s why we, at Jet Set Smiles, spare no effort in keeping your child’s smile healthy and happy.

How Often Should Your Child See a Dentist?

Did you know that decay in baby teeth often results in permanent damage to the adult teeth developing behind the scenes? Keeping up with your child’s dental visits every six months, as recommended by the American Association of Pediatric Dentistry, will allow us to identify and address any existing conditions before progressing, along with providing any required preventive treatments needed to keep your child’s smile healthy and happy.

Schedule Your Child’s Appointment Today

Contact us at Jet Set Smiles Pediatric Dentistry to learn more about keeping your child’s primary teeth in tip-top shape. We are passionate about offering the best care available to our young patients and are committed to helping your child achieve a lifetime of oral health. We look forward to caring for all your child’s dental needs. Call us today!