Studies have shown that a history of poor oral health during childhood can influence the dental issues that you may experience as an adult. One reason for this may be that a lot of parents don’t consider the maintenance of the primary teeth to be of major concern. While it is true that “baby teeth” are temporary and will naturally fall out on their own it is important to keep them in place until that time.
Eruption schedules vary but your child should have all 20 primary teeth in place by the time he is three years old. These teeth help in speech development as well as allowing him to be able to chew and swallow his food properly which in turn will benefit his digestive system.
While the baby teeth are holding the space the permanent teeth are developing underneath the gum line getting ready to come through. If a baby tooth is lost prematurely one of the permanent teeth below may inadvertently drift into that space where it isn’t meant to be. If that happens often enough it will result in crooked alignment and crowding.
The secret to encouraging good oral health habits in your child is to start him off early on a regimen of home and professional care. The recommendation is that children see a pediatric dentist at the appearance of the first primary tooth. Call Kaelin Pediatric Dentistry @ 303-835-9330 in Parker, CO when it’s time for that appointment.