Why Milk Teeth (baby teeth, deciduous teeth) so important ?

Why  Milk Teeth (baby teeth, deciduous teeth) so important ?


Even-though baby teeth is going to replaced by the permanent teeth they have very important functions.The milk teeth  usually  starts to erupt when the child is around 6 months with the eruption of lower A or central incisor and end around 2 1/2 years.

The primary teeth starts to shed at the age of 6 starting with lower central incisor and second molars are the last to fall.

Why primary / milk teeth are so important


Primary teeth have essential function for the child physical and psychological development. The main functions are simply explained below.

1. They used to chew the food which facilitate the  better absorption of nutrition.
2. Essential in proper growth in face and jaws.
3. To gain proper pattern of speech where pronunciation of letters like "T, V, " need the help of teeth.
4. To maintain the space for the lately erupting permanent teeth. 
5. Providing the guidance for the eruption of the permanent teeth.
6. To have a pleasant smile.
7. To maintain child's psychological well being.

• The first stage of digestion of some foods takes place in the mouth, and chewing helps break up foods to more easily digested sizes. If your child swallows too rapidly and without chewing food properly, she may prolong the digestion process.

• When a child having bad set of primary / milk teeth it causes difficulty chewing and may not be able to eat a well-balanced diet. If your child's mouth is sore because of cavities, loose teeth, or sore gums, she may refuse to eat or may accept only those foods or liquids she can consume without more pain. But she needs a variety of foods for a balanced diet, and chewing foods of different textures stimulates and exercises the gums and provides a cleansing action for the teeth.

• Chewing also exercises these muscles of the face and jaws. This exercise is necessary to develop facial bones facial profile.

• One of the main functions of primary teeth is to guide the permanent teeth to the correct position of the jaw by maintaining the space for them.premature loss of the primaries will lead to malocclusion. is this type of cases teeth tend to erupt in aesthetically unacceptable positions.

Animation- how primary teeth guide their permanents

• Primary teeth must last five or ten years or longer. As a permanent tooth reaches the stage of development when it is ready to erupt (emerge through the gum), the roots of the primary tooth it will replace begin to resorb (break down and dissolve). Gradually, the permanent tooth pushes the primary tooth out and takes the place the primary tooth has been reserving for it. If a primary tooth is lost too soon, the permanent tooth has no guide to follow.
• If your child has a good set of primary teeth he will be having a pleasant smile which leads to a good self steam and avoid sleepless nights with toothache.