Why Is It Important to Take Care of Baby Teeth?

Baby teeth are, of course, adorable when they appear. They are also essential to the healthy development of your child. As the American Dental Association reports, “They help him or her chew, speak and smile. They also hold space in the jaws for permanent teeth that are growing 77under the gums.”

If your children start losing their baby teeth too soon, it opens the door to a host of problems. “When a baby tooth is lost too early, the permanent teeth can drift into the empty space and make it difficult for other adult teeth to find room when they come in. This can make teeth crooked or crowded,” the ADA explains.

“Taking care of baby teeth is so important because they’re nature’s braces,” explains Dr. Maria Lopez-Howell, an ADA dentist. “They actually hold the spots for the larger permanent teeth that are going to come in. So, taking care of your child’s smile as an adult starts now.” In other words, if you want to avoid a visit to the local orthodontist somewhere down the line, start developing a habit of good oral care as soon as you see those baby teeth coming in.

Laying a solid foundation of good oral care will contribute to your child’s oral health and healthy smile for a lifetime.

At Triangle Pediatric Dentistry, we want you to think of pediatric dentists as the pediatrician of dentistry.  We like to call it kid dentistry. Dr. Hollowell and Dr. Porter both have extensive, specialized training in caring for the dental needs of infants, children and adolescents.  They have the expertise to handle everything from dental emergencies in children to analyzing a baby teeth chart.