What All Parents Should Know About Baby Teeth

Your child’s baby teeth will play a vital role in his or her future smile. Baby teeth serve many functions and it’s just as important to care for them as it is to care for adult teeth. In order to keep your child’s teeth healthy and strong throughout childhood, there are a few things all parents should know about baby teeth.

Facts About Baby Teeth

Below are a few things you can do to make sure your children have beautiful smiles that grow along with them:

• Baby teeth need proper nutrition – Part of helping your child maintain a healthy smile is making sure to provide proper nutrition. Make sure your child eats plenty of vegetables, fruits, fiber, and dairy products. Stay away from sugary or acidic foods or drinks.
• Baby teeth set the stage for healthy bite patterns – If baby teeth become rotted and lost too early, this can have a negative effect on the future bite pattern. If a tooth is lost, the other teeth may begin to crowd the space, leading to alignment problems.
• Baby teeth can be lost too early – Tooth loss should begin around the age of 6 and conclude by the age of 13. It’s common for this to vary a little bit in one direction or the other but let us know if you think your child is losing teeth too early. 
• Baby tooth enamel is vulnerable – Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body. However, it is always under constant attack from forces like the foods we eat and the buildup of bacteria and plaque. Help keep your child’s enamel strong by making sure they are well-hydrated and that they brush and floss daily.

At Little Smiles of Delaware, your child’s oral health is important to us. If you have concerns about your child’s baby teeth or if it’s time to set an appointment, please contact our Delaware, Ohio pediatric dental office today.