The Importance of Taking Your Child to Your Family Dentist in Lewisville

Do you have a little one at home? If your son or daughter has a smile full of baby teeth, you may be wondering why you should take them to the dentist if their teeth are going to fall out anyway. The answer is that their baby teeth are a vital part of their physical, emotional, and social development. A good at-home routine and regular dental visits will set them up for oral health success in the future. Keep reading to learn 5 reasons why baby teeth are just as important as permanent teeth from your family dentist in Lewisville.

#1. Healthy Permanent Teeth

Untreated cavities in baby teeth can actually spread to their adult teeth. Your child’s permanent teeth grow in very close to their primary ones, making it easy for decay and infection to spread to their adult smile. Regular dental visits and a good brushing and flossing routine will ensure that their permanent smile grows in healthy!

#2. Tooth Alignment and Position

Your child’s baby teeth have an important job of being a placeholder. Healthy baby teeth save space for their adult teeth and even guide them into proper position in their mouth. If your kid’s teeth are lost or knocked out due to decay or trauma, it can cause their adult teeth to grow in crooked or misaligned.

#3. Proper Nutrition and Health

Besides giving you a great-looking smile, your teeth also give you the ability to chew. If your children develop dental issues or cavities that hinders them from proper chewing, it can affect their diet. Additionally, untreated cavities can cause infections that have the ability to spread throughout their body. Infection can quickly turn into a dental emergency, causing serious health risks.

#4. Speech and Facial Development

Your children’s teeth play an important role in their speech development. Their primary teeth work in tandem with their lips, tongue, and cheeks to speak properly. They help your son or daughter pronounce words correctly, but baby teeth also help their face grow and develop.

#5. Self-Esteem and Overall Concentration

Believe it or not, dental pain can affect your child’s learning ability. Decayed teeth can cause distracting pain and it can also cause decreased confidence and self-esteem in social settings. Plus, dental visits for decay and cavities cause children to miss an estimated 51 million school hours each year.

Thankfully, all of these problems can be avoided with a great at-home oral healthcare routine and dental visits every 6 months. Taking care of your kid’s baby teeth will not only keep them healthy, but it will make them more likely to care for their smile as they grow older.

Meet the Dentist

Dr. Christopher Capehart is a native Texan that enjoys providing care for smiles of all ages. He takes pride in his friendly and kind dental approach, making him popular with the kids. He currently runs his own practice, and he can be contacted through his website or by phone at (972) 436-1325 for any questions.