Are Baby Teeth Important?

Unfortunately, we see it too often. A child gets a cavity and the situation is ignored because “it’s a baby tooth”. Baby teeth are very important. If they were not, we would not have been created to have them

Here are 5 reasons why baby teeth are very important:

1. They reserve the necessary space for the permanent teeth. If a baby tooth is lost early, the space can collapse and create space issues for the permanent teeth.
2. They contribute to facial development and anatomy of the surrounding structures. (This includes the development of the permanent teeth. If an infected baby tooth goes untreated it may permanently harm the developing tooth underneath it.)
3. They aid in proper speech development.
4. They aid in nutrition by allowing proper chewing. Missing or decayed teeth may cause a child to resist eating certain foods.
5. They are the learning blocks for developing proper hygiene. If hygiene is not established as being important with baby teeth, then hygiene will not be important on their permanent teeth either.