Whenever your precious baby goes through the tedious process of teething, don’t you often find yourself asking, “Is it even worth it?” Most parents underestimate the importance of baby teeth. In the back of the mind, they know these teeth would get replaced with permanent ones, sooner or later. Nonetheless, we need to understand that primary teeth are the first steps towards the baby’s happy oral health. Read on to learn about baby teeth, their real importance, and useful dental care tips.
Baby Teeth
Your baby’s first teeth start surfacing when he turns six months old. When the baby is born, they only start to erupt from the gums now. The two front bottom teeth are the teeth that come in first. The next teeth to follow are the four front top teeth and another two bottom teeth. Teeth usually erupt in pairs, one on each side of the face. By age 3, your youngster could have about twenty of them in his/her mouth.
Why it is essential to take care of your baby’s primary teeth?
- Help in digesting food – Healthy teeth help in the normal development of jawbones and facial muscles that allow children to chew their food. Without these, your youngster could have difficulty chewing their food, and that could cause digestive problems and malnutrition.
- Serve as space maintainers – Primary teeth hold space in the jaws for permanent teeth that are growing beneath the gums. Kids with missing primary teeth or infants who prematurely lose primary teeth may need a space maintainer, a tool used to keep the natural space open. Without a space maintainer, the tooth can tilt towards space and cause permanent teeth to come in crooked. This can cause an awkward smile and an improper bite.
- Help in speech development – Your child’s teeth help in forming words and speak clearly and quickly. Losing them too soon may affect the kid’s speech pattern and also his self-image. By the full time, this gets rectified, with the development of permanent teeth, the little one has already been 7-9 years, and this may affect his self-image and confidence.
- Caring for your baby’s teeth – If you intend to know how to clean teeth, you must understand that brushing should have a strict routine in your child’s life, right from the start. Whenever your baby doesn’t have teeth, you must still clean his gums with a smooth washcloth. Use a gauge to clean the first tooth that appears completely. Floss when two teeth appear side by side, use a soft toothbrush to brush your baby’s teeth when more appear.
Make sure you set your visits to your child’s dentist. Start when he turns 1. Also, avoid giving your child sugary liquids to sip on in the infant bottle. These liquids, such as milk, juice, etc., cause the baby’s teeth to decay much faster. You should make sure the infant starts using a cup for drinking when they can sit up.
Now you know why taking good care of those tiny pearls is important. Take this advice and have your child orally fit and happy.