What Are Baby Teeth Good For?

Brackets Wires & Smiles loves kids! We love baby teeth almost as much. Also known as “primary teeth,” your child’s first set of pearly whites are more important than you might have realized.

The First Teeth: Vital to the First Years
Teeth are very important to our appearance. Even very young children can be negatively affected by learning that their smile doesn’t look like that of other children. Your son or daughter relies on healthy baby teeth to smile with confidence and make new friends.

Additionally, there’s no nutrition like that found in whole foods. Your kids will benefit the most from getting vitamins from foods they can chew. Just like anyone else, kids need strong teeth to chew with, so their dental health should never be minimized or neglected.

But there’s yet another important function of baby teeth…

Essential Placeholders
Just because they eventually fall out doesn’t mean that baby teeth aren’t needed. Each primary tooth falls out to make room for an adult one, as if saving a seat for it.

All teeth begin growing inside the bone of the jaw. As the roots develop, adult teeth grow out of the gums to take their place along with its neighbors.

But the teeth don’t always grow into the right spot on their own. Baby teeth save a spot for each succeeding adult tooth so that they come in as straight as possible. That’s why baby teeth fall out one-by-one over years, rather than all at once.

Baby Teeth and Orthodontic Treatment
According to the American Association of Orthodontists, kids should have an orthodontic evaluation by around the age of 7. This is because 7 is a good average age when most children have a decent mix of both adult and baby teeth in their smiles.

At this point, Dr. Farooq Ahmad can detect major problems early on and begin interceptive treatment, if necessary, to encourage healthy tooth eruption patterns.
To find out whether orthodontic treatment is going to be right for your son or daughter, schedule a consultation with our orthodontic team. We’ll be happy to answer any questions that you may have!