Parents have the question, “Why should I bother about baby teeth when they are just going to fall out?’” While baby teeth may be temporary, their role in your child’s health and development should not be ignored. At Grand River Pediatric Dentistry, we know that baby teeth are very important in your child’s health. Let’s now see why these little teeth are so important and how you can go about protecting them.

Speech and Development

Your child will need healthy baby teeth to learn to talk correctly. They help in forming the words correctly and correct the pronunciation of the words. Your child may have speech development problems if they have poor oral health, which can negatively affect their speaking and interacting with others.

Also, the baby teeth play a key role in the development of your child’s jaw and face. They make sure that everything develops in harmony to provide perfect alignment of permanent teeth when the teeth come in.

Chewing and Nutrition

Eating is one of the greatest pleasures of life and your child needs their baby teeth to chew and enjoy food. Healthy teeth help them break down fruits, vegetables and other nutritious foods, which are important for their growth and development.

When your child has painful or decayed baby teeth, they may refuse to eat some foods. It means that by protecting their teeth you are allowing them to enjoy a healthy diet.

Room for Permanent Teeth

The primary teeth are temporary teeth, but they act as placeholders for the permanent teeth. They play a role in ensuring that the adult teeth come in the right position. This means that if a baby tooth is lost due to decay or an injury, the existing teeth may move to fill the gap.

This can cause crowding or misalignment of the teeth, which may require orthodontic treatment later, which is expensive and time-consuming. Thus, you are ensuring your child has a future with a straighter and healthier smile by caring for their baby teeth.

Combating Dental Phobia

Routine dental visits are not just for cleaning; they are a way of establishing pleasant experiences for your child. If children have pleasant experiences at the dentist, they are less likely to be afraid of dentists as they grow older.

At Grand River Pediatric Dentistry, we are a team of dentists who love children and aim to provide them with a pleasant environment. We want every visit to be a good experience toward the child’s future oral health.