Think about how many times per day you rely on your teeth. You use them to chew breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. You press your tongue against them to make certain sounds when you speak. There's really no doubt about it — your teeth are important, and they deserve your respect. You can pay them that respect by visiting your dentist for regular cleaning and checkup appointments. You should also call at the first sign of dental pain, tooth discoloration, or other oral health changes. Read more about dentists and dentistry here on this blog, where we dive deep into related topics.
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Everyone knows that children first develop baby teeth before finally getting their permanent, adult teeth. But if you've had your first child, you may not know all the important things about your child's baby teeth. If you want to ensure that you're doing a good job, here are three important things you should know about.
1. They Need Care
Even though your child will eventually lose their baby teeth, that doesn't mean that they don't need dental care and regular teeth cleaning at home. Children need their baby teeth to be in good shape because they act as guideposts for the adult teeth that follow. If something bad happens to your child's tooth and it has to be removed before the adult teeth are ready to follow, it may cause your child's adult teeth to come in crookedly. Taking the time now to care for your child's teeth and ensuring that they get to the dentist on a regular basis can potentially save you from needing to get them braces later on.
2. They Don't Need Your Help Coming Out
In the old days, it was common to hear of parents 'helping' their children to lose a wiggling baby tooth. You may have even experienced this yourself growing up. Parents would often do things like try to pull the tooth out, or attach a string to it tied to a doorknob to quickly yank the tooth out.
Nowadays, though, that advice is outdated. Baby teeth will generally fall out when they're ready. If you yank out the tooth before it's ready, you'll not only leave your child in a lot of pain and fear, but you could cause more harm than good. If the baby tooth hasn't had its roots absorbed back into the body yet, the root may break off while trying to yank the tooth out. This can lead to sepsis, a dangerous infection that can put your child's oral health, and even overall health at risk.
3. They're at Higher Risk of Cavities
You might think that your child is at a lessened risk of getting cavities since they're typically not exposed to the same kind of junk foods that grown-ups are. However, the reality is that your child is actually more susceptible to cavities now than they will be as an adult.
This is because baby teeth tend to have a thinner layer of enamel covering the interior surfaces of the tooth. While enamel isn't invincible, it helps to keep the tooth safe from bacteria and damage. With a thinner layer, though, it takes less to erode it away, and then bacteria can start to chew away at the softer surfaces of the teeth.
If it's been a while since your child has seen a dentist, or if they never have, it's time to change that. Contact pediatric dentist clinics like Scott W. Murphy Dentistry to learn more.
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