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Baby teeth are as important to infants and children as permanent teeth are to older children and adults. They are equally susceptible to dental decay and cavities as adult teeth, thus the approach to treating them should also be similar.
50% of parents do not actively pursue dental treatment for decayed baby teeth as they feel they will ultimately “fall off”. But did you know that could be very harmful for your child in the long run.
Reasons why extracting baby teeth or milk teeth should be a last resort:
1) Baby teeth are essential for chewing
Especially during the formative years, enough importance cannot be given to proper nutrition. The child needs his baby teeth to effectively chew food and help in nourishment. Milk teeth are essential in preventing nutritional deficiencies in children.
2) Speech and facial development
The tongue, lips and cheeks deflect off teeth when forming sounds. The presence and proper positioning of baby teeth assist in the formation of correct pronunciation during speech. The tooth structure also provides support for the developing facial muscles and gives shape to your child’s face.
3) Overall personality development & self esteem
Many studies have reported that children who, due to lack of their baby teeth, had speech defects or were shy about their appearance were far more likely to have emotional and psychological problems. Decayed or missing teeth can also interfere with a child’s social interactions and affect their confidence and self-esteem. This can also lead to children missing school, thus hampering their growth and development.
4) They act as natural “Space Maintainers”
Baby teeth serve another very important purpose - they save space for the child's future permanent teeth.
A baby tooth usually remains in the child's mouth until a permanent tooth underneath it is ready to emerge through the gums. If a child loses a tooth too early, before the permanent tooth is ready to erupt or if it is accidentally knocked out, or is
removed by the paediatric dentist because of disease, the space must be saved. If teeth on either side of the open space encroach upon the empty space, there may not be room for the permanent tooth which might then erupt in an abnormal position or angle. Such maloccluded teeth are difficult to clean, have greater chances of becoming diseased, and later might require expensive and time-consuming orthodontic treatment.
All this can be prevented if the baby tooth is preserved for as long as possible.
5) Banking baby teeth!
It is a common practice for parents and children to save fallen or extracted baby teeth as a memory or for a friendly visit from the tooth fairy! Scientists, however, are advocating the same, but for a very different reason altogether.
It has now been proved that
milk teeth are a rich source of Stem cells, which can be harvested and used to grow a multitude of other cells if needed. This means that if your child needs replacement tissue or a tissue transplant at some stage in the future, stem cells from their milk teeth could be used for the procedure!
Hence, as a decision maker for their children, it is essential that parents know just how vital an asset baby teeth are! All efforts must be directed towards keeping them healthy and cavity free so that they can be preserved till they shed off naturally. This will not only ensure a straighter smile but also a healthy mouth and a happy child!
About Our Clinic:
At Dr. Catherine Lee Orthodontics, we have a dedicated team of doctors and staff whose skills and experiences help our patients enjoy the process of creating healthier, beautiful smiles. We have a strong focus on growing children, and especially welcome those who need orthodontics and dentistry for kids. For a consultation, contact us at
enquiries@DrCatherineLeeOrthodontics.com.
