Teeth are an important part of your health whether you are an adult or a baby. It may seem a bit unnecessary but maintaining proper care of teeth even in young children, is crucial for teeth development and health later in life. Even though children lose their baby teeth so their permanent, adult teeth can come in, the condition that the baby teeth are in does have some effect on the type of adult teeth you will have. By the time a child is between the ages of six and eight, they will begin to lose their baby teeth and another tooth will grow in its place.

So Why Are They Important?

There are a few different reasons why baby teeth are actually more important than you may think. First off, once baby teeth have poked through the gums and made a space for themselves, they are essentially just making room for the adult, bigger teeth to take up shop, later in life. A sort of path-making way that isn’t as painful for babies because the first teeth are obviously smaller than adult teeth. They are also important because they lead the way to healthy jaw and bone structure. The facial bones and muscles you have in your mouth are greatly affected by the baby teeth when children get them. Chewing with teeth is much different than with just gums for the little ones. Once the teeth are there, they learn to grind and mash up things which lead to stronger muscles and a less-weak motor skill. There is not a good way to teach a baby how to chew – it just comes naturally as a human instinct. Once teeth come through and baby learns how to move food around and crunch until things are easy to swallow, they learn quickly the benefits of proper chewing. Teeth also play a large role in speaking and communicating. With proper care, your teeth can prevent speech impediments and other common oral issues that may come with improper teeth maintenance.

Severe Circumstances

In some instances, baby teeth must be removed by a dentist instead of naturally falling out. If a baby tooth did not properly grow or has become decayed or rotted, a dentist may suggest removing it before further damage is done. Also, if a doctor notices that a baby tooth is positioned abnormally, they may remove it so the adult teeth can properly align with the rest of the teeth and jaw – this is a precautionary measure used in extreme cases.

Conclusion

Improper care of baby teeth can lead to other issues other than adult teeth problems.  It can lead to anemia in small children, obesity, malnutrition, and even eating disorders. The last thing you want is your child to grow up with mouth issues or teeth problems.  Make sure they brush, daily and maintain proper care at all times.  Baby teeth may not seem important but they truly do define what the adult teeth will be like once a child reaches their early teens and adulthood.