The Importance Of Dental Services For Toddlers
If your toddler has any signs of tooth decay, it is important to see a dentist and have the problem nipped in the bud. While you may not be concerned about it because you know that the teeth are not permanent, the fact is that this decay can affect the permanent teeth as well. Consider the following facts when debating whether to allow professional dental intervention administered to correct tooth decay in a toddler.
Decay of the Permanent Teeth
Tooth decay is caused by bacteria. The bacteria can remain in the root of the baby teeth and travel into the jaw bone or the permanent teeth that are already formed below. When this happens, the permanent teeth will be decayed before they even erupt. If even one baby tooth is bad, the bacteria can travel throughout the mouth, causing many, or even all, of the permanent teeth to be bad as well.
Overcrowding
When a baby tooth crumbles and falls out prematurely, the teeth beside it will shift and fill in the gap. Now, as the permanent teeth underneath grow and start to erupt through the gums, there is not enough room for them. This can cause the big teeth to turn, shift, move further into the mouth, or crowd together. Even if there is enough room in the child's mouth for the tooth, they may not have access to it. As the child gets older and has most of his or her big teeth in, they will not be where they are supposed to be. In order to move the teeth into place, the child will need to undergo some type of orthodontic treatment.
Speech Problems
Children begin to learn to talk while they are toddlers. If their teeth are decayed or missing, they will not be able to form the letter sounds correctly. This will cause them to try to form the sounds in a different way and often people will have a hard time understanding them. Not only will this frustrate the child, but the habits formed will continue on once the permanent teeth are in place. They will need to relearn how to form the sounds needed for proper language.
Do not assume that a cavity in a baby tooth does not need to be taken care of because the tooth is going to fall out anyway. In order to keep the permanent teeth healthy, and to allow your child's speech to develop correctly, begin regular dental care as soon as the baby teeth start to erupt. You can even clean his or her gums before the teeth show through the gums to make sure they are healthy so the baby teeth get a good, healthy start.
For children's dental services, contact a dentist such as Lucky Kids Dental.
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