One of the most common myths about milk teeth is that they are irrelevant to a child’s future oral health. Many parents downplay their value as they see them as “just teeth that will finally fall out and be replaced by permanent teeth.” Although they have a limited life span, milk teeth play a vital role in your child’s overall health, development, and well-being. Here are the top 5 reasons you need to take care of your child’s baby teeth.
1. They maintain space for permanent teeth to erupt in a proper position
If decay or trauma causes the child’s teeth to be lost early, the adjacent teeth begin to invade or tip in the space created by the missing teeth. This space may not be sufficient when adult teeth are ready to come out. This can cause them to erupt in improper positions leading to an uneven alignment of teeth, chewing difficulties, facial asymmetries, etc.
2. They facilitate your child’s speech development
When the teeth and lips, or teeth and tongue are in contact, certain sounds are produced. Your kids will have trouble learning to pronounce sounds like F, V, S, and T, in the absence of their front teeth.
3. They encourage healthy nutrition through proper chewing habits
Your child learns to chew the food properly and to adopt a balanced diet if milk teeth are healthy. The child will not only feel discomfort and pain but will also be unable to eat if their teeth are left to decay. This may in turn lead to malnutrition, eventually affecting their growth.
4. Tooth decay in milk teeth can affect adult teeth
The permanent teeth develop very close to the milk teeth roots. If the cavities in the milk teeth remain untreated, they may develop infection or abscess that may spread underneath, hampering permanent teeth development.
5. They influence the smile, self-esteem, and psycho-social growth of your child
Missing or decayed teeth can interfere with your child’s self-esteem and social interactions. The stigma of black teeth and bad breath can cause bullying in school and at play that can affect your child’s psycho-social growth. Tooth decay is painful and distracting, which may cause your child to lose focus in school, which may have an effect on academic performance.
To sum up, milk teeth are important for a child’s physical, emotional, and social development. One of the biggest investments in your child’s future health will be your commitment to their dental care.
Dr. Paresh Lotlekar is a leading cosmetic dentist and the founder of STUDIO32 (studio32india.com), a chain of super-specialty dental clinics in Goa. Follow him on Instagram @ dr_pareshlotlekar.
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