Three reasons why baby teeth need to be protected
There are twenty baby teeth in your little one’s mouth. All twenty of them stay in the mouth only for a few years and will eventually get replaced by adult teeth. However, for the short time in the mouth, they serve important purposes that goes beyond looks.
- Baby teeth maintains the integrity of your child’s teeth and arches.
Baby teeth holds the spaces in your child mouth for the adult teeth to erupt in proper positions. If a baby tooth is lost before its destined time of shedding, the teeth adjacent to it slides into this extracted empty space. This in turn causes problems like space loss, and later block the eruption of adult teeth. Sometimes the adult teeth erupt in places it is not supposed to because of the lack of space, all of which requires orthodontic treatment later in life.
- 2.Loss of baby teeth causes speech defects
The baby teeth especially the front teeth when lost earlier due to dental decay or traumatic falls, can lead to speech defects. Many sounds that we make while speaking, like consonants are made by placing the tongue against certain teeth. So, if there is a loss of teeth and it is not replaced for a long period of time, it can lead to the development of speech defects. Speech development mainly occurs around the age of 4 years, then if the front teeth are lost before 4 years of age and not replaced until eruption of the adult front teeth, chances are your baby’s speech may be affected.
3.Lack of nutrition
Baby teeth are essential for proper chewing of the food. Chewing is the first step in the digestion process. If the child has dental decay and pain, they may avoid certain food or struggles to chew effectively, all of which may lead to imbalanced diet, poor digestion and malnutrition. The pain may also cause the child to lose sleep causing anxiety and stress in children, affecting the general health and well-being of the child.
In summary, protecting baby teeth is essential for a child’s overall health, including their ability to eat a nutritious diet. Proper oral hygiene, regular dental check-ups, and early intervention for dental issues can help ensure that baby teeth remain healthy and functional, setting the stage for good nutrition and overall well-being as a child grows.