Are Baby Teeth Important?

Baby teeth, also known as primary teeth, allow children to chew their food, assist with speech development, and they are a placeholder for future permanent teeth. If the baby tooth is lost too soon, this can affect the development of the jaw and the remaining teeth will start to shift. This prevents the jaw from having enough space for the permanent teeth to properly erupt into an optimal bite, which could possibly require orthodontic intervention. Regular professional dental visits will allow you to receive expert advice on how to proceed if your child loses a baby tooth prematurely.

The first baby tooth starts to come in around 6 months old and baby teeth continue to erupt until about 2 ½ to 3 years old. As the baby’s teeth erupt, they may become fussy, sleepless, irritable, lose their appetite and drool more than normal. Children continue to lose baby teeth and gain permanent adult teeth until approximately 12 to 13 years old, with wisdom teeth erupting after adolescence. The new adult teeth need to last a lifetime, so establishing healthy oral habits at a young age will encourage continued lifelong healthy habits.