Baby teeth are just temporary, right?

They’re just baby teeth. If they’re temporary anyway, why should we worry about them? This is a common misconception when it comes to baby teeth. Many families believe that since the teeth typically start to fall out around the age of six, any cavities or severe misalignments don’t make much of a difference. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

The short answer is, baby teeth pave the way for your child’s adult teeth. They not only teach your child how to care for themselves but also help the jaw form properly to set them up for their adult smile. But, we have included even more reasons why those little teeth are important to your little one’s oral health.

Role of Baby Teeth

It would be pretty hard to chew without teeth. Sure, our children might not always act like they chew their food properly anyway, but even they would likely miss them if it came right down to it. It’s important to chew your food properly, no matter your age. When the food is chewed well enough, the stomach has a much easier time digesting everything and helping our bodies run to their fullest potential.

Teeth also make a difference in our speech. As we speak, our tongues touch the roof of our mouths and teeth. This affects the sounds we are able to make. If a child loses a tooth prematurely, or if they don’t come in properly, this can make a marked difference in their speech patterns as they grow. It often comes out in a lisp or whistling when they speak. In severe cases, this can affect them even into adulthood.

Baby teeth are the placeholders for their future adult teeth. Though it’s easy to think of our teeth fitting together like a puzzle, it’s a little more complex than that. If you lose a tooth, over time, the surrounding teeth naturally drift to the side to help fill the gap. If a child loses a tooth, or even a group of teeth, too early, this can cause a problem when it’s time for their adult teeth to come in. The nearby baby tooth will shift into the gap, and the adult tooth either has a hard time breaking free, or it contributes to severe misalignments.

Impact on Future Dental Health

The health of those baby teeth directly impacts their adult teeth. Some of the most important life-long routines begin at a young age, and caring for your teeth is one of them. As your child grows, they learn how often they need to brush and floss their teeth. Over time, this becomes second nature. Those baby teeth are actively training them to keep their teeth as healthy as possible!

There’s one unfortunate fact about being human, though. Accidents happen. Life gets chaotic sometimes, or the little ones try to teach themselves to fly from the highest point of the swing… Those accidents can have an impact on your little one’s future dental health. There are things that can be done to help keep their smile in tip-top shape, but you can’t simply ignore the potential decay or misalignments. These baby teeth are paving the way for their adult teeth, helping shape their jawline, their speech patterns, and even the direction the permanent teeth come in.

Preventive Care

Caring for your little one’s teeth doesn’t have to feel like you’re trying to teach rocket science to a three-year-old. Your job at home is to brush those little teeth twice a day and floss at least once. This is your first line of defense against tooth decay, and it does a lot more than you might realize.

You also want to ensure you keep up with those regular dental check-ups and cleanings. At these appointments, the dentist will be doing more than just brushing their teeth. They will be keeping a close eye out for any potential issues. The goal is to catch these problems before they have a chance to start, making them much easier to fix—or prevent them altogether.

Every tooth is important.

It’s a common misconception that baby teeth don’t matter as much because they aren’t permanent, but that’s not true at all. Each and every tooth in your little one’s mouth plays a role. They help them chew their food properly to aid digestion, to speak clearly, and they even help their jawline develop the way it should.

If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s teeth, don’t hesitate to reach out. We are here to help your family every step of the way. Whether you need preventive care, such as regular cleaning, or you are looking into cosmetic dentistry for a missing tooth, we are ready to help set your family up for a lifetime of healthy smiles.