Baby teeth, also known as “primary teeth”, are important to a child’s speech and body development. The first baby tooth does not fall out for most children until age six or seven and the last baby tooth does not fall out until early teen years between 11 and 13. This means that when the last baby molars come in they will be expected to stay for nearly ten years.
If a child gets a cavity in a molar tooth (a very common location to find decay) around age six then the child will need that tooth to chew for at least the next five to six years. If a small cavity is ignored it will turn into a large cavity and eventually lead to an infection. Once a baby tooth becomes infected it will need to be extracted. This will make eating a much harder task. It is important to have all teeth present to eat. The body needs proper nutrition to be healthy and support a growing mind. When teeth are missing or causing pain (often due to infection or nerve exposure) it makes getting the right nutrients to the body painful. This often leads to a child missing school due to pain or going to the doctor or dentist’s office, feeling tired from not enough sleep and even interacting less with peers. The overall developmental process is disturbed. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry website states that “Students miss more than 51 million school hours per year because of dental problems or related conditions. Dental pain can distract students, cause their schoolwork to suffer or even lead to school absences.”
Without strong, healthy teeth a child’s speech can be impaired. The formation of words may sound slurred or even hard to pronounce. Broken down teeth, infected teeth and/or decayed teeth can also cause speech problems.
Teeth have a great impact on a child’s overall health and development. Teeth with cavities may require fillings or even crowns to be saved; or alternatively may need to be extracted. Studies have shown that children with discolored or missing front teeth may suffer emotionally at the hands of their peers. No child should have to suffer from tooth pain or the lasting effects of tooth extraction; which is why it is so important to take child to the dentist for routine check-ups in order to prevent dental cavities.
Learn more at: World of Smiles, Pediatric Dentistry
Funny Corner
A little boy was taken to the dentist. The dentist found a small cavity that needed to be filled.
"Now, Mrs. Jones," asked the dentist, "what kind of filling would you and your son like for that tooth?"
"Chocolate, please," replied the child.
About Me
- Dr. Stafford, your kids' dentist
- World of Smiles Pediatric Dentistry is a fantasy place of travel and excitement. We believe in stimulating the mind, body and soul to create overall health and happiness. Compassion and superb care is what you can expect from our dental team. Every child should have a loving, positive and exciting time at the dentist; a visit that is all about them! At World of Smiles, we only use the most sophisticated products that we know are safe and healthy for our patients. Therefore, we do not use any mercury-containing materials.