Think baby teeth aren’t important? Think again! Baby teeth play a key role in your child’s early development.
If baby teeth are going to fall out anyway, there’s no need to worry about them, right? Wrong! Baby teeth aren’t just about cute, cheeky smiles. They are actually serious multi-taskers that play a key role in your child’s early development.
When baby teeth fall out too early because they are decayed, it can trigger a host of long-term problems, including:
Difficulty with speech. You many need to consult a speech therapist at a later stage if your child’s missing baby teeth are causing a problem.
Difficulty chewing. If your child struggles to eat properly due to missing teeth, they may not get the healthy diet they need at their age.
Crooked, misaligned or delayed adult teeth. Baby teeth support the jaw and act like a guide for the adult teeth to come through in the right place. Missing milk teeth can therefore result in the need for orthodontic treatment in the future, and can even affect the development of your child’s facial features.
Reduced self-esteem. Remember that those adult teeth won’t appear until your child is well into their school years – so if baby teeth are missing, it could affect their confidence, from the way they look to the way they sound.
That’s why baby’s first dental visit is so important!
Just like the first smile and the first steps, the first dental visit should be at the top of your list of baby milestones. We encourage all children to see a dentist as soon as the first tooth appears – or by the age of 1 at the latest, even if no teeth are showing.
You don’t have to book a separate appointment for your baby – simply bring them with you to your own, or a sibling’s, appointment and we’ll take a look while they sit on your lap. It means we can establish that there are no underlying issues with your baby’s dental development – and if there are any problems, we can treat them early and effectively.
Bringing your baby to see us is also a great way to get them used to dental visits at an early age, making the experience something to feel confident about, not something to fear. Dental check-ups are of course only part of the story – you’ll need start up a great oral hygiene routine for your child, too.
So now we’ve convinced you just how important those baby teeth are, don’t delay – if you haven’t yet introduced your child to 543 Dental, bring them to see us straight away!
