The importance of baby teeth

posted in: General Dentistry | 0

Parents sometimes assume that since baby teeth, also known as primary teeth, fall out and get replaced, they are not as important. Baby teeth have an especially important purpose other than just chewing and biting.

Baby teeth are not only important in your child’s language development, but also serve other important functions such as development of child’s facial muscles and jaw bones. They also reserve space for child’s future permanent teeth.

Tooth-Friendly food

Vegetables, fruit, cheese, lean meat, and nuts are better for teeth than cookies, candy, and chips. Children often need encouragement to make those healthy choices. They are uncomfortable eating unfamiliar food and can feel uncomfortable without control over their own diet. Consider doing the following to improve your child’s eating habits:

  • Encourage your child in growing or buying food and let them prepare it for table.
  • Bring their favorite toy to the dinner table. Younger children will often feel happier about trying unfamiliar food if they feed it to someone else first.
  • Have easy access to healthy food. When children are hungry, it is hard for them to wait so having a container with pre-pared healthy snacks in refrigerator ready will benefit them when their stomach starts to rumble.
  • Save sugary and starchy food only for mealtimes.

For more information, you can visit American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

When do baby teeth fall out?

Baby teeth remain in your child’s mouth until the permanent tooth underneath it is ready to take its place. There are instances when a child can lose tooth from trauma or decay before eruption of permanent tooth. When this happens, teeth on the sides can potentially push into the open space. This may lead to limited space for eruption of the permanent tooth.

If you have questions regarding your child’s teeth or if you are concerned, please do not hesitate to give us a call to set up an appointment at our dental office in Roseville, conveniently located next to Roseville Galleria. Dr. Navneet Sahota is a family dentist in Roseville, Ca and treats the whole family and provides pediatrics dental services in Roseville as well. She will be happy to do an assessment.

To schedule a dental appointment for your toddler, visit us at Kids Dentist in Roseville or call 916-831-7100.