Milk teeth matter
As parents we think of milk teeth as the trial run before our child gets their ‘proper’ teeth. We often give little thought to the care of these teeth and the effects the lack of oral care can have on the permanent teeth later in life. It is important to start your child on a regular routine of dental hygiene from an early age, with regular brushing in the morning and at night before bed. This will set them up hopefully for a lifetime of good oral hygiene.
Milk teeth should be treated with the same care as later permanent teeth, so a balanced diet is also important for children from Dukinfield. Too many sugary snacks and drinks can cause tooth decay in milk teeth, which can then pass on to permanent teeth.
Why are milk teeth important?
Children have 20 milk teeth in comparison to adults, who have 32 permanent teeth. Milk teeth actually start to develop in the womb in between the ages of 5-8 months. Often the last of the milk teeth develop when the child is 2 or 3 years old.
Milk teeth are incredibly important in the first stages of digesting food, biting, chewing and grinding. They also act as a guide for later, permanent teeth keeping the space in the mouth and making sure that permanent teeth can enter the mouth in the right place.
If milk teeth are lost too soon because of tooth decay permanent teeth can be directly affected and can come out crooked or in the wrong place. If tooth decay then leads to tooth infection it can permanently damage the adult teeth.
The milk teeth also help the growth of the face and the development of the jaw muscles in a child.
Going forward
It is important for your child that they look after their milk teeth and that they are taught good oral hygiene techniques from a young age so that their milk teeth are healthy, giving them the best possible chance for the later permanent teeth.