Yes, it’s true, they are the primary teeth and they are designed to be lost during childhood, however, there are still important reasons to be taking care of those baby (milk) teeth. In fact, it can be just as important as taking care of your adult (permanent) teeth.
Following are some of the reasons that good maintenance of the baby teeth is crucial:
- Although temporary, they are still required for children to be able to bite and chew food.
- They’re necessary for proper speech and speech development.
- They reserve spaces in the gum tissue for the permanent teeth (as teeth do tend to migrate, given the space).
- If your baby’s teeth decay they will need professional dental treatment, in certain circumstances, requiring specialized treatment in a hospital under a general anaesthetic.
- Neglected baby teeth can cause pain, abscesses, problems with surrounding teeth, affect eating and sleep, which can ultimately impede on the child’s growth and development.
Some of the above issues can also have negative psychological impacts on children, including distress and isolation due to the pain, discomfort or embarrassment.
Establishing healthy dietary and oral hygiene habits early on can prevent or significantly decrease the risk of your child developing dental decay, along with any associated issues. For important advice and demonstration on how you can best take care of your child’s primary teeth make an appointment with our experienced Dentists at The Tindale Dental Centre in Penrith on (02) 4726 5400.
We can help you and your child to establish healthy dental and oral hygiene habits to maintain their oral health well into the future! Contact our friendly team today.