How important are children teeth? The common question that is frequently asked to the dentist is –Why to save or take care of milk teeth when eventually they are going to fall and get replaced by permanent teeth ? the answer to this is that Primary / baby teeth are just as important as the permanent teeth
- Children need their teeth to chew the food. So if their teeth are allowed to decay, the child will not only suffer from pain but also inability to eat which in turn could lead to lifelong eating disorders or poor nutrition for the time the child is unable to eat properly
- Children need their teeth to smile. The stigma of blackened stumps and bad breath can lead to serious teasing at school and at play which could effect the child’s social development. Baby teeth help in normal growth of the jaw bone and give shape to the face.
- Baby teeth are essential to hold the spaces open so that the adult teeth can come into the correct position when they are finally developed enough to erupt (erupt-to come through the gums for the first time). If some baby teeth are removed untimely then it could lead to erupting of permanent teeth into inappropriate positions crowding the space meant for eruption of other adult teeth at a later date. Hence leading to crooked teeth, chewing difficulties, facial asymmetries, TMJ problems.
- Bad baby teeth means frequent visit to the dentists and that too at a stage when the only treatment options left are either to remove the grossly decayed teeth or root canal treatment which leads to painful episodes for the child in the dental office, thereby infusing a lifelong fear of dentists in the child
