Are milk teeth important? When should I take my baby’s first dental consultation?
We all remember when our babies get their first teeth. This is the transition time for them to go from being toothless to having a tooth-filled smile. These first sets of teeth are called milk teeth or primary teeth. This is the time when we should start caring about their oral hygiene. They definitely need our support.
We all know that eventually these milk teeth will fall out with time, but we still need to take care of milk teeth as these milk teeth will help our kids’ growth and development in many ways, including social and emotional development. A few are below:
Guiding force and space maintainers for permanent teeth: Permanent teeth erupt along with the roots of milk teeth by shedding them. They give direction to permanent teeth. Milk teeth are very important to preserve particular spaces for particular permanent teeth. In the absence of a milk tooth, adjacent teeth may drift and block the space for the permanent tooth. This will cause overcrowding, mal-alignment, or overlapping of the permanent teeth. There are chances when a permanent tooth might not erupt due to the formation of dense bone or space loss.
Speech: Teeth make contact with the tongue, lips, and cheeks while speaking and assist them in the formation of correct pronunciation.
Chewing: Teeth help in chewing food and help in making a proper seal while deglutition.
Nutrition: If a child is able to chew the food properly, it can get more nutrition into the body with proper absorption.
Growth: If a child gets proper nutrition, he will have appropriate growth in his body. When a child chews food, this will help in the growth initiative for the growth of the jaw bone and its muscles.
Social or Emotional development: Presence of healthy teeth in growing kids helps to boost their self image and confidence. Healthy , beautiful smile with a caries less tooth helps their morale booster, on the contrary decayed tooth decreases their self esteem and even problems in concentration.
FAQ Regarding Milk Teeth and Pediatric Dentistry
My kid has cavities in his milk teeth. Do I need to worry?
As we all know, milk teeth are small in size, hence if cavities are not diagnosed and treated early, the infection might reach up to the root of the milk tooth very fast or even up to the jaw, and abscess formation can damage the permanent tooth also. These cavities hurt kids, so they don’t chew as well and eat less because they’re afraid of the pain. This makes them less healthy because they’re not getting enough nutrients.
When should my baby need their first consultation?
We need to consult when teeth start erupting, or at the age of 18 months. During your kids’ first dental visit, your dentist will check for tooth caries, bottle caries, and other caries that need to be addressed as soon as they are found, as we know kids’ teeth are very small and infection will spread very fast.
How to find the best dentist in Jaipur for my kids?
There are lots of dentists in Jaipur who cater to kids with dental problems. Dr. Renu is one of the best dentists in Jaipur for pediatric dentistry. Her kid-friendly Dr. Renu Dental Clinic is located at Nirman Nagar, Jaipur. Her friendly nature helps kids relax and accept treatment from her without any difficulties.