Don't Toss Those Tiny Teeth! Why Baby Teeth Are a Big Deal
Are “baby teeth” important ??
We all have had two sets of dentition in our lifespan. How many of us remember that when we were kids our teeth had fallen off and new teeth came. So one feels elated when a new tooth comes up in the oral cavity.?
“Baby teeth” also known as “milk teeth” are the set of teeth that are already present in the jaw during birth, they erupt around the age of 6 months- 1 year.
You might wonder why milk teeth are important because eventually they are going to fall off. Is it important to preserve and take care of them?
Most of us have this perception that since kids' teeth will eventually fall off there is no need to get them treated or take care of them which is a popular misconception.?
There are numerous reasons why “baby teeth” are essential.
Mastication of food-?
In growing age taking proper nutrition becomes absolutely necessary to have adequate growth and development of the child. To have proper nutrition it is important to take proper diet. Teeth play a crucial role in chewing food. Painful teeth and cavities in teeth can lead to inadequate food intake and furthermore malnourishment in children.
Facial appearance- Teeth make a lot of difference in the appearance of a child. ?Also facilitates development of jaw bone.
Self esteem and confidence: Crooked/ misaligned teeth or absence of teeth can result in low esteem and low confidence. Being teased / bullied has been seen in these situations which has a negative impact on the child.?
Speech- Children learn to speak from the age of 2 years and at that time Milk teeth help in pronunciation of certain words. In case of cavities or missing front teeth can lead to impaired speech development.
Space maintenance- When a tooth is knocked off prematurely ?or falls due to trauma or is destroyed due to cavities it leaves a space, the other teeth tend to drift in this empty space. It can cause irregularities in subsequent teeth to come and space issues leading to crooked/ misaligned permanent teeth. Natural tooth is stated to be the best space maintainer for the permanent tooth and should be preserved.
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How does early loss/ destruction of tooth structure affect the kid?
Cavities in milk teeth affect a child’s oral and overall health. You might ponder upon the misconception that if teeth are going to fall out, let it be the way it is.Destruction by cavities? causes pain and swelling due to the infection(pus formation), which can be severe if not treated.
Daily routine of the child can be affected by dental problems, you might notice some children are not able to perform certain activities due to pain and discomfort. The parent/ guardian should take the child for routine check-ups and prevent such problems.
Born with an erupted tooth, is that common?
As we know, milk teeth appear generally 6 months after the birth of an infant, but sometimes infants are born with teeth already present in their mouth? , it is relatively rare but absolutely nothing to worry about. Teeth already present at birth are called natal teeth. The ones that erupt within the 1st month are called neonatal teeth. They are generally extracted if they are loose to prevent swallowing? by the infant and if they cause feeding issues to the mother or child.? Consult your dentist for the management of such teeth.
Taking care of deciduous teeth
Overall health of a kid is related to primary oral health. Health of the deciduous teeth determine the health of the permanent dentition.
The first visit to the dentist should be within 6 months of the eruption of the first tooth. This visit mainly consists of:
Now, as we know how important baby teeth are, they should be taken care of proactively. Children should be taught and trained about how to maintain good oral hygiene with the help of their parents/guardians and the dentist. These habits pave a way for an overall good oral and systemic health and a healthy lifestyle.?
“Good habit formed at youth makes all the difference” - Aristotle
By Dr Shagorika Choudhury