Importance of Primary Teeth
Primary teeth , also known as “baby” or “deciduous” teeth, are extremely important in your child’s physical, emotional and health future. These teeth begin to form/develop during the second trimester of a mother’s pregnancy; then start erupting into the baby’s mouth around 4 1/2 to 6 months after birth.
Frankly, this topic, the importance of “baby” teeth, has for a long time been fraught with falsehoods. A lot of these misconceptions arose decades ago, before the specialty of pediatric dentistry existed, and before there was a true understanding of primary teeth. But, over the years, as scientific research has carefully studied this issue, legitimate and sound information has clearly surfaced, all of which verifies how vitally important the primary dentition is in the future life of a child. Just because they do eventually fall out, does not mean they are not important.
The first primary teeth begin to erupt into the mouth around 4 1/2 to 6 months of age, and exfoliate at 5 1/2 to 6 years of age. So, these incisors important for speech development, and incising or tearing of foods, are used for about 5 years. Most parents are surprised to learn that the eight primary molars which erupt between 30 to 36 months of age, are needed for chewing, arch development and permanent tooth guidance until age 10 and 12. So, the last primary molars do not exfoliate until around the age of 12 years.
Please take a moment to understand this important fact. Decay is contagious. Since cavities are caused by bacteria ( strep mutans) that digest sugars in the mouth, a child that has untreated decay basically has a mouth whose saliva is filled with decay-causing bacteria. So, through the influence of the contaminated saliva, decay can spread from tooth to tooth. This bacteria can quickly invade the deep grooves of permanent teeth, just weeks after erupting; and, before long, the decay has spread from the baby teeth to the permanent teeth.
What are the major functions of primary teeth?
- SPEECH – Learning to speak clearly is crucial for cognitive, social and emotional development. The position of the teeth effects tongue posture. If teeth are missing or misshaped due to decay, tongue thrusting can develop resulting in a speech impediment.
- EATING & NUTRITION – We see it often….. a child whose teeth are so badly decayed that it hurts to eat. These children are suffering not just with painful cavities, but from the inability to enjoy certain healthy foods. This can result in a failure to thrive.
- SELF-CONFIDENCE & SUCCESS IN SCHOOL – Even very young children can be quick to point out ugly and crooked smiles. Taking good care of primary teeth can make social interactions more pleasant, reduce the risk of bad breath, and promote confident smiles. Plus, many children that suffer toothaches, complain of sleeping poorly, resulting in irritability, inability to focus and poor school performance.
- STRAIGHTER SMILES – Healthy primary teeth have a certain size (width), important in holding space available for the future eruption of the permanent teeth. As primary tooth decay worsens, it tends to allow the teeth to compress or drift into each other. The net result is less room for the permanent teeth, causing them to become trapped or impacted. Regaining arch size later though orthodontic care can be very difficult, time consuming and costly.
- EXCELLENT ORAL HEALTH – Badly decayed primary teeth can lead to abscesses and infections of the teeth, gums and underlying bone. In the most severe cases, this infection can spread into the bloodstream and affect the child’s organs. Dental abscesses that go untreated can become a life-threatening condition.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that your child’s first dental visit should coincide with his/her first birthday. Please give us a call. Make our office your child’s Dental Home.