Milk Teeth: Why They Matter More Than Most Parents Think | Pakenham Shine Dental

When parents have uttered the statement ‘oh, it’s just a baby tooth’ when talking about tooth decay in their child’s mouth — they are in the same boat as many others.

This is a very common misconception in pediatric dentistry, but at the same time, one of the most dangerous ones. The milk teeth (primary, or baby teeth), indeed, are temporary.

But that does not mean that they are not important! For the families living in Pakenham, this knowledge can become an important factor in the future.

What Are Milk Teeth and When Do They Appear?

Milk teeth refer to the first 20 teeth that develop while one is still within the mother’s womb and start to appear at about six months. Usually, by two or three years of age, a child will have completed his/her set of milk teeth. They begin to fall out naturally from around six years of age to the teenage years.

Although these teeth are temporary, they play important roles during the most vital stages of childhood development.

Five Reasons Milk Teeth Are More Important Than They Look

1. They Make Eating Possible

Before permanent teeth, milk teeth do all the work of mastication for up to ten years.

A child suffering from pain, infection, and tooth loss in his or her jaw cannot properly masticate food – and that goes beyond the issue of pain.

Inefficient mastication implies inadequate breakdown of food, which may affect digestion and nutritional intake during the period when a person grows fastest.

2. They Shape How Your Child Speaks

Teeth are not only used for biting. Together with the tongue and lips, they contribute to sound production.

Some consonants – especially sounds such as ‘th’, ‘s’, ‘f’, ‘v’, ‘z’, ‘l’ – require front teeth for proper pronunciation.

A child losing his or her front teeth due to decay or injury will most likely form difficult-to-correct speech patterns.

3. They Reserve Space for Adult Teeth

Here is where the importance of this job becomes known to most parents. Every milk tooth is a space maintainer in itself; it maintains the position in the jawbone where the permanent tooth is supposed to develop. Whenever a baby tooth gets prematurely lost due to an infection or other reasons, the neighboring teeth fill up this gap, leaving the permanent tooth with less space to develop in the right place. This causes misalignment and crowded teeth.

4. Infection in Baby Teeth Can Affect Permanent Teeth

The decay in a milk tooth is not contained to just the milk tooth itself.

If it leads to an infection, there is a chance of the infection spreading to the permanent tooth bud located right beneath the surface of the milk tooth.

5. Early Dental Experiences Set Lifetime Habits

Those children who receive dental check-ups on a regular basis from a tender age, preferably since their first birthday, as suggested by the Australian Dental Association, tend to have better oral health outcomes when they grow up.

Positive experience helps to get familiarized, avoid dental phobias, and develop brushing and flossing habits.

The Biggest Threat to Milk Teeth: Early Childhood Tooth Decay

Tooth decay is the most widespread chronic illness among Australian children, but the best thing about it is that tooth decay is completely preventable.

Early childhood caries affects the lives of children by causing pain, interfering with their sleeping and eating, and making them insecure about their smile.

Contributors commonly found are:

• Repeated consumption of sugary beverages such as juices and flavored milk
• Bedtime feeding with a bottle that has anything other than water in it
• Inconsistent or delayed brushing – brushing should start at the eruption of the first tooth
• Lack of fluoride toothpaste – smear size for those under three years and pea size for three to six-year-olds
• Few visits to the dentist leading to a little problem becoming a big problem

When Should Your Child First See a Dentist in Pakenham?

According to the Australian Dental Association, the best time for your kid to visit the dentist should be when he or she gets their first tooth, or by the age of one year old.

This appointment has nothing to do with actual treatment.

It is an evaluation of his oral health situation, some preventative measures, and preparation of your kid for visits to the dentist.

Dr Rose Mathew and her professional staff at Pakenham Shine Dental provide consultations for children of any age, including those who have never been to the dentist before.

We prioritize your child’s safety and comfort during the whole procedure.

If your child is from Pakenham, Officer, Beaconsfield, or neighboring suburbs and is eligible for the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS), we provide dental care for eligible kids from 0 to 18 years old, which includes regular check-ups, cleans, fillings, and other covered services within the benefit cap, which is $1,158 per eligible child over two years.

Simple Habits That Protect Milk Teeth

• Tooth brushing should start when the first tooth comes through – with a soft-bristled toothbrush for babies and a very small amount of toothpaste.
• Check that your children brush their teeth regularly till they turn seven years old – as the child may not have the manual dexterity at this young age.
• Limit the consumption of sugar-containing foods and drinks to mealtimes – it’s not only the quantity of the sugar but also frequency of consumption that leads to dental caries.s
• Drink plenty of water, including fluoridated water that helps in building up tooth enamel
• Go for dental visits every six months – to ensure that any dental issue gets resolved before becoming bigger.
• Thumb sucking and dummy usage after three years of age should be reported to the dentist.

Key Takeaways

• The milk teeth function for a period of ten years and are responsible for chewing, speaking, and growth of permanent teeth.
• It is common but can be prevented with proper practices.
• Premature loss of milk teeth due to infection leads to crowded teeth in adults.
• The first dental checkup should take place within the first year of life or the eruption of the first tooth.
• If you have kids who need coverage for dental treatments, then CDBS will be applicable to your case at the Pakenham dental clinic.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why do milk teeth matter if they just fall out?

Milk teeth perform crucial roles that last until 10 years, and these include eating, ensuring good nutrition for children, development of speech, and retaining the place in the jaws for the adult teeth. Early loss of milk teeth due to decay or infection results in drifting of the neighboring teeth, causing overcrowding and malocclusion of the adult teeth when they develop.

Q2: When should my child have their first dental visit in Pakenham?

According to the Australian Dental Association, the first dental checkup for your child should be done after the eruption of the first tooth or within the first year of age. This visit is more of an assessment and prevention than treatment. Your child will get used to the environment without anything being wrong.

Q3: What happens if a baby tooth has a cavity?

When a child’s milk tooth gets a cavity, it is important to take the child to see a dentist immediately. Ignoring this will make the decay worsen, reaching the nerve and causing an infection that could harm the permanent tooth growing underneath. This is relatively simple as long as the cavity is still small and is easily treated with a filling; otherwise, this will become an even bigger problem.

Q4: At what age do children start losing their milk teeth?

Children start losing their milk teeth at the age of six, and this starts with the bottom front teeth. They continue to lose their milk teeth until they reach their teenage years; the last set of milk teeth are usually lost by the time they turn 12 or 13 years old.