Top Five Reasons why Baby Teeth are Important

A baby's first set of teeth is already fully developed below the gum line at birth; the first teeth typically start to show at six months of age, and by three years old, most children have their full set of baby teeth. People tend to think of these teeth as just a temporary set that aren't too important, but the truth is, baby teeth have a number of essential functions. 

Nutrition and health

Many children can start to eat small amounts of pureed solid food by six months, and are often ready for textured pureed foods that require minimal chewing by eight months. In order for a young child to get the nutrition they need for age-appropriate growth, they need strong, healthy teeth as they learn to chew. Good oral hygiene is important before the appearance of their very first tooth as gum health plays an important role too. 

Speech development

Speech is something that we learn as young children with seemingly little effort, but in fact it's an incredibly complex process that requires the presence of baby teeth. Teeth help the tongue position properly during pronunciation. Without them, children and adults alike find it difficult to make certain sounds—think, for example, of the characteristic lisp that develops when the front baby teeth are lost.

Correct placement of adult teeth 

After birth, as the baby teeth grow into place, a second set—the adult teeth—form underneath them. As each baby tooth is lost, the corresponding adult tooth emerges in its place, and is guided into the correct position by the adjoining baby teeth. If any of the baby teeth are lost early, they're unable to provide the necessary guidance for adjacent adult teeth. This is perhaps the most important function of this first set of teeth, as without them, adult teeth are more likely to develop alignment problems.

Help your child learn about oral hygiene

Even though baby teeth are important on their own merits for all of the above reasons, they're also useful because they help your child understand the importance of good oral hygiene. It's important that we not think of baby teeth as a "throwaway set." The fact that there's another set of up-and-coming teeth is extremely useful—it means your child has the chance to learn how to properly take care of their permanent teeth before they actually arrive.

Build self-esteem

Having strong teeth is important for helping your child develop good self-esteem; with straight, healthy teeth they'll be happy to smile without feeling self-conscious.

Your Colorado Springs family dentist works with parents to instill good oral hygiene habits into their young patients. Please contact our office to schedule your child’s next visit with Dr. Jackson Anderson.