When we talk about teaching kids about oral health, we often put it in the context of building good habits for the future. But kids’ oral health is about much more than just taking care of their teeth in the future. Having healthy baby teeth now is essential for having healthy adult teeth later. At Prime Smile, we take care of the oral health of your whole family with regular dental cleanings in MA. Helping your kids to develop good oral health habits will go a long way to ensuring that their permanent teeth are healthy, too.
These are just a few ways the health of baby teeth—supported by dental cleanings in MA—can affect adult teeth.
They Help Position Permanent Teeth
A young child’s jaw does not have enough space to accommodate adult teeth. As the baby teeth come in, they create space in the jaw and guide the adult teeth into position. If tooth decay causes a baby tooth to fall out too soon, the teeth next to it can drift into the empty space. This gives the permanent too less room to come in, which can lead to crooked or crowded teeth.
They Protect Permanent Teeth
Kids’ permanent teeth develop just under the roots of their baby teeth. Baby teeth are smaller than permanent teeth and have thinner enamel, so they are prone to decay and cavities. Making sure that your kids regularly brush their teeth not only keeps their teeth and mouth healthy now, it also protects their adult teeth. Decay in baby teeth, if left untreated, can damage the adult teeth underneath.
They Aid in Speech Development
You probably don’t think about or notice it, but teeth are an essential part of how we form words. The tongue, lips, and teeth all work together to produce speech sounds. Appropriately positioned and healthy baby teeth are essential for a child to learn proper pronunciation.
They Support Health and Nutrition
Chewing is the first step of digestion. Having strong, healthy teeth is important to your child’s ability to easily chew their food. If they have pain or discomfort due to cavities and tooth decay, that can lead to nutritional deficiencies. If it hurts to chew, your child may avoid certain foods and end up missing many of the nutrients they need.
Dental Cleanings in MA for the Whole Family
We understand that it can be difficult to convince your kids that going to the dentist is a good idea. Having the whole family go to the same dentist can help kids realize that there’s nothing to worry about if their parents are having their teeth cleaned, too. At Prime Smile, we offer dental cleanings in MA for the whole family.
