How Baby Teeth Help Mouths Grow Up Right

Every Portland parent remembers seeing their baby’s first teeth emerge, watching the rest pop up, and finally cheering as their child loses their first baby tooth, all in the blink of an eye! In fact, baby teeth come and go so quickly that some people are led believe they don’t have an impact on a child’s dental health later in life. Dr. David Case wants you to know that that couldn’t be further from the truth! At Family Dental Health, we are committed to giving our community access to reliable information on dental care, so here are the facts about why baby teeth matter. Feel free to give us a call with any questions.

A Guide to Baby Teeth

Baby teeth, also known as deciduous, primary, milk, or lacteal teeth, are a set of 20 teeth that will be in your child’s mouth for most of their childhood. Although baby teeth usually emerge at around 6 months, they begin forming in the womb as early as 16 weeks. By age 3, all Portland children should have all 20 of their baby teeth. By age 13, all their permanent teeth (except for wisdom teeth) will have come in.

Why Baby Teeth Matter

Your child’s primary teeth play a crucial role in their life. They may only be around for the first few years, but they set the stage for dental health and proper development in the future. Here’s what Dr. David Case would like every Portland parent to know about primary teeth:

  1. They make chewing possible so that babies can learn to eat solid food
  2. They help kids learn to speak quickly and clearly
  3. They save space for permanent teeth as children’s’ mouths grow
  4. They help kids learn the importance of dental hygiene

Taking Care of Baby Teeth

The best way to ensure life-long dental health is to teach your kids about dental hygiene with consistent, but fun routines. Brush their teeth twice a day and floss them at least once a day. Most importantly, make sure to visit Dr. David Case when your baby’s first teeth emerge, and then twice a year after that for regular checkups and cleanings. At Family Dental Health, we love to help Portland families maintain great oral health, so please give us a call at (503) 433-3737 if you have any questions.

Sources



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