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Around six months, your child\u2019s first teeth will begin to erupt. For the next few years, these primary teeth will con<\/span>tinue to grow in and eventually be lost as they near their teens. Even though primary teeth aren\u2019t permanent, they\u2019re very\u00a0important! Having healthy baby teeth is an\u00a0important part of growth for any child<\/span>\u00a0\u2013 with effects that last until their golden years!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Even though baby teeth are inevitably lost, they play a major role in how your child\u2019s permanent teeth grow in. You may think of teeth as \u201cset\u201d in place, but they\u2019re\u00a0able to shift around\u00a0<\/span>to fill in gaps. Primary teeth grow in position and act as a placeholder for the permanent teeth, which replace them as the primary teeth are lost.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If you don\u2019t help your child practice good dental care, it\u2019s possible that excessive damage from cavities or\u00a0<\/span>gum\u00a0disease could lead to teeth\u00a0<\/span>being\u00a0<\/span>lost<\/span><\/a>\u00a0too early. More commonly, accidents and injuries to the mouth can dislodge a tooth before the permanent tooth is ready to replace it.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In either case, a prematurely lost baby tooth can have long-lasting\u00a0<\/span>ramifications<\/span>\u00a0on how your child\u2019s permanent teeth grow. Their permanent teeth are likely to shift slightly and leave large gaps that make it easier for food\u00a0<\/span>or\u00a0bacteria\u00a0to hide and grow.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The best ways to avoid issues are to make sure they\u2019re taking care of their teeth and providing them with suitable mouth guards whenever they play sports that may lead to contact. Even non-contact sports, like soccer or b<\/span>asketball, can lead to mouth injuries from accidental collisions. Keep this in mind and don\u2019t ignore the\u00a0importance of healthy baby teeth just because they\u2019re temporary!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Dental care is something you practice for a lifetime. Brushing, flossing, using mouthwash and even cleaning your tongue are all things you must learn to do. Fortunately, children have a set of \u201clearner\u201d teeth to practice on before they grow in the teeth that they\u2019ll need to protect for decades to come.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Use the opportunity of baby teeth to work with your son or daughter, teaching them the best oral care habits you can and not letting them fall into bad habits. How they treat their dental care routine as a child will impact their long-term self-care routines! A good brusher in childhood is far more likely to be a good brusher as they grow up.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n You can take steps to improve their dental care habits by staying involved. Many parents find it easier to turn brushing into a family activity \u2013 where at least one parent is always brushing with them. This gives you an opportunity to ensure that they\u2019re brushing twice per day, and to watch their technique to make sure they\u2019re brushing effectively.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Primary teeth don\u2019t just play a role in how permanent teeth come into place. They also play a role in several other\u00a0<\/span>important aspects of development in a child\u2019s life<\/span><\/a>:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Speech<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Teeth are a significant factor in speech.\u00a0<\/span>As children age, they\u2019ll spend a lot of time learning how to speak through trial and error. Because teeth affect the ways sounds are produced, the sudden loss of a tooth or choosing not to fix a problem with early dental development can lead to speech impediments. While these can often be minor, there\u2019s a possibility that these impe<\/span>diments will grow into major issues that affect them for years.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Eating<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Everyone needs to eat! And as children grow, they transition from soft foods to solids that come with a lot of necessary chewing to swallow and digest. Sensitive or lost baby teeth might make your child less willing to eat healthy solids, like vegetables or proteins<\/span>. Nutrition is critical for growing bodies and minds!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Self-Confidence<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Children love to be social. It\u2019s a time of their life where they\u2019ll be constantly meeting new people, engaging with classmates, teachers and more. A healthy\u00a0<\/span>mouth leads to more self-confidence, which can help them establish friendships that shape their emotional development too! It\u2019s\u00a0important not to overlook the \u201cinvisible\u201d benefits of good health \u2013 physical health like a healthy smile helps mental health!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Because healthy baby teeth are so\u00a0important to a healthy life, you should consider their regular dental check-ups to be a critical part of their development. Just like your child will be regularly going to their pediatrician, they should be seeing their dentist a few times each year.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Even if you think their dental habits are great, and they don\u2019t mention having any pain or discomfort, dentists are trained and equipped to identify dental health issues long before they may start to show symptoms!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Of course, the number one thing you can do to keep healthy baby teeth is to\u00a0<\/span>make sure your children brush<\/span><\/a>. Every child responds to the responsibility of brushing differently, and it\u2019s common for children to forget to<\/span>\u00a0ignore it if not reminded.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If you have trouble getting your child to brush, try different systems to turn it into a habit. You can make a game out of it, turn it into a daily family event, try apps or music, or any other solution that might work. All that matters is that they don\u2019t fall into\u00a0<\/span>bad dental habits!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Sugar is a threat to healthy baby teeth, because it\u00a0<\/span>feeds\u00a0bacteria\u00a0and allows them to do damage to teeth<\/span><\/a>\u00a0over the course of the day. While it\u2019s hard to\u00a0<\/span>avoid sugar<\/span><\/a>, as it\u2019s in many foods and drinks marketed towards children, you should do your best to limit their intake. You can also encourag<\/span>e them to drink water after having any sugary treat, which can help wash away some of the remaining sugar after the snack is gone.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0 If you have dental health concerns or just looking for information, the professionals at Walbridge Dental provide complete family dental care to families in the Millbury community.\u202f<\/span>Contact us online<\/span><\/b><\/a>\u202fto set up an appointment now or call us at\u202f419-836-1033.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Connect on Social Media!\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Facebook<\/span><\/b><\/a>\u202f|\u202f<\/span>Twitter<\/span><\/b><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Around six months, your child\u2019s first teeth will begin to erupt. For the next few years, these primary teeth will continue to grow in and eventually be lost as they near their teens. Even though primary teeth aren\u2019t permanent, they\u2019re very\u00a0important! Having healthy baby teeth is an\u00a0important part of growth for any child\u00a0\u2013 with effects […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2212,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[139,178],"tags":[193,141,201],"class_list":["post-2211","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kids-oral-health","category-preventative-dental-care","tag-childrens-dentistry","tag-healthy-teeth","tag-oral-health-tips"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy Healthy Baby Teeth Matter<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
Set the Groundwork for Primary Teeth<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Establish\u00a0Important Dental Care Habits<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Healthy Baby Teeth Improve Development<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
How to Help Keep Your Child\u2019s Primary Teeth Healthy<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
Schedule Regular Dental Visits<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Keep Them Brushing<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Avoid Sugary Foods<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/span><\/p>\nDo You Have Dental Health Questions? Schedule an Appointment!<\/h2>\n