Children are prone to dental caries, and some parents will ask if the baby’s teeth need to be treated. First, we will look at the function of deciduous teeth to better understand their importance and why deciduous teeth should be treated as soon as possible.
What is the Role of Deciduous Teeth?
Deciduous teeth play a vital role in a child’s physical and mental health. For example, deciduous teeth help with the following:
1.Eating (chewing): Healthy teeth during children’s growth and development can ensure the child eatsbetter and takes in nutrients. In addition, good chewing can promote jaw development.
2.Speaking (pronunciation): Healthy baby teeth, especially the incisors, allow a more precise grasp of pronunciation as children learn a language.
3.Cosmetic (social): Healthy baby teeth make children more socially confident.
4.Guide the eruption of permanent teeth: deciduous teeth are responsible for safeguarding and guiding the development and eruption of permanent teeth.
Why Do Deciduous Teeth Rot?
Deciduous teeth, commonly known as "cavities," are caries. Caries is a process of bacteria fermenting remaining food on the teeth, metabolizing it, and producing acid. This process erodes the teeth and eventually forms dental caries. Pain occurs when caries continue to develop and spread to the pulp (dental nerve), resulting in pulpitis.
What is the Impact of Rotten Baby Teeth?
Children with rotten baby teeth suffer negative oral health care consequences. Here is the impact of rotten baby teeth:
1.Deciduous teeth affect eating habits.There is no noticeable discomfort in the early stage of deciduous tooth caries, but it will be painful and uncomfortable when it develops to a later stage. The pain and discomfort will affect the child’s eating habits.
2.When the deciduous area of the teeth is relatively large, the shape of the teeth is damaged, and the child cannot chew well. Unbalanced chewing may cause poor facial development in children.
3. Deciduous teeth affect the development of permanent teeth.Deciduous tooth cariesthat are not treated in time will infect the nerve of the tooth, spread around the root, and cause infection and absorption of the alveolar bone around the root. They will also affect the development of the permanent tooth germ and cause adverse consequences like osteomyelitis of the jaw, which affects the development of the jawbone.
4.The teeth are misaligned and affect the child’s appearance. The deciduous teeth are so rotten that they cannot be treated and are pulled out. Or,after a little bit of rot, the space where the teeth are located is occupied by adjacent teeth, and there is not enough space when the permanent teeth erupt, which causes crowding.
Key Takeaway
Parents must not underestimate deciduous teeth. Baby teeth are vital for the healthy development of children's physical and mental health. If deciduous teeth are rotten, they should be treated as soon as possible.
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