Parenthood is full of exciting milestones, and your child's first tooth is one of them. As your child’s smile blossoms with a complete set of teeth, you may wonder, "Why should I take care of baby teeth if they're just going to fall out anyway?" However, it’s important to note that baby teeth play a crucial role in your child’s development and overall oral health. Read on to learn why!

The Purpose of Baby Teeth

Baby teeth are crucial to your child’s oral health and overall development, affecting processes like:

·     Eating: Without baby teeth, your child wouldn’t be able to eat! Baby teeth enable your child to chew food and develop proper swallowing habits.

·     Talking: Teeth work with the lips and tongue to form words by controlling airflow out of the mouth. Your child’s teeth impact how they articulate words and produce sounds and can have a lasting effect on their ability to talk.

·     Development of permanent teeth: Baby teeth serve as temporary space holders for permanent teeth. If your child loses teeth prematurely, it can cause neighboring teeth to shift, leading to crowding, and may also delay the growth of adult teeth in the affected area.

Losing Baby Teeth

Losing baby teeth is natural and a major milestone for your child. Children typically begin losing their baby teeth around age 5 and usually lose all of them by age 12. Your child will start off with 20 baby teeth, which will then be replaced by 32 permanent teeth.

Prepare your child so they’re excited rather than scared about the day they lose a tooth. Remind them that their body is growing and preparing for stronger teeth so they can grow up healthy. Introduce them to the Tooth Fairy and make a special container they can place lost teeth in. These types of activities can help reduce the likelihood of your child developing dental anxiety.

Caring for Baby Teeth

Remember, your child's oral health routine should start as soon as they develop their first tooth. Establishing good habits early on can encourage lifelong oral health and lead to a healthy smile in the long run. Here are some tips for caring for baby teeth:

·     Brush and floss: Your child should follow the same oral care routine you do! Make sure they brush twice a day for two minutes each time and floss once a day as soon as their teeth start to fit closely together.

·     No bottles at bedtime: Putting your child to bed with a bottle can lead to tooth decay as the sugars in the drink can stay on their teeth. Children shouldn’t have anything but water at their bedside.

·     Avoid sweet pacifiers: Some parents soothe their children by dipping their pacifiers in honey or other sweeteners. However, this exposes their baby teeth to sugar for long periods, which can lead to tooth decay.

·     Say no to sugary drinks: Sugar-sweetened drinks like juice and soda can quickly eat away at your child’s teeth and cause cavities. Stick to water as much as possible. If you give your child juice, mix it with half water to dilute it.

·     Visit a pediatric dentist: Regular dental visits are vital for your child’s oral health. The CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, and the American Dental Association all recommend that you bring your child in for a dental check-up by their first birthday.

Come see Dr. Stephanie DeFilippo, Pediatric Specialist at Gettysburg Dental Associates. We can help set your child’s smile up for success! Contact us to make an appointment today.

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