It's Just a Baby Tooth!

In my dental Practice in Edmond we see several children, many of which have multiple decayed teeth. All to often I hear from parents,"It's just a baby tooth so just Pull It." Many people are under the impression that baby teeth serve no function and therefore are not important. There are several reason that baby teeth are important but I will just list a few.

• Baby teeth serve as a guide for the permanent teeth to come in properly. most Permanent teeth are forming directly below the baby teeth, if the baby tooth is lost then the permanent tooth has lost the proper guidance to come in to its proper place. This could lead to tooth crowding or malocclusion(bad bite).
• Children are little people, and just as it is important for adults to have their teeth to eat and aid in the digestion of food; it is equally important for children to have a full set of teeth for the same reason.
• Self Esteem- While the primary function of teeth is to aid in eating and digestion, a healthy smile gives us confidence. If you don't think this is true observe people you know that are missing teeth. Often times these people hide their smile by placing their hand over their mouth when they laugh. Or they may posture their lip down so you can't see their teeth. Remember, children are little people too. There is a tendency to lower a childs self esteem when they are missing teeth well before their school age friends. This can make a child feel different.

Hopefully this will give some insight on the importance of baby teeth and relevance to you child's development.

Dr. Michael L Chandler; Practicing Dentistry in Edmond Oklahoma

1745 W 33rd St, A Edmond, Ok 73013 www.edmondsmiles.com