There is a common misconception regarding the importance of baby teeth across the globe, with many believing they are of no significance as they fall out after a few years. This misconception is affecting the oral health of Australian children considerably. In 2019 the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) reported that dental decay was the MOST prevalent disease amongst Australian children. It is also one of the leading reasons a child needs a general anaesthetic in Australia.
Now that we have laid down the hard facts, let’s look at why baby teeth are so vulnerable and so important.
Baby teeth can get decay in them, just like our adult teeth. In fact, due to their weaker tooth structure, decay can advance more rapidly in baby teeth. Early stages of decay can be asymptomatic, meaning it does not cause pain. But in the later stages, once decay has made its way to the nerve, it can be severely painful and potentially life threatening. If the nerve of a tooth becomes infected, this infection can ooze out from the tooth roots underneath the gum and into the underlying bone structure. It may also present as a tiny pimple on the gums next to the tooth, so if you notice this in your child’s mouth, it is best to book a dental appointment promptly.
Underneath a baby tooth is the developing adult tooth. If the infection surrounds the underlying adult tooth it can damage the development of that tooth, resulting in various malformations and developmental defects. More serious consequences would be if this infection spreads to the blood stream, known as cellulitis. This can cause a blockage of swollen tissue and airways can become affected, resulting in breathing difficulties. If this happens, seek medical attention quickly, as this could be detrimental to your child's overall health and is potentially life threatening
When decay and infection occur and baby teeth need to be extracted prematurely, this has a flow on affect to not only the oral structures and underlying adult tooth, but a child’s overall wellbeing and development. Baby teeth hold space for adult teeth to come through. If they are removed too early this space can become closed, causing crowding and potential impaction of the adult tooth. This in turns alters how all the teeth come through and how the jaw develops. If one tooth is out of place, typically multiple teeth will be too, causing occlusion malformations such as crowding or crossbites.
If teeth are missing only on one side, this can result in unilateral jaw growth which ultimately affects the function of the jaw (chewing food), speech and aesthetics as you do not get the bilateral symmetry of facial features.
Missing teeth affect our ability to pronounce certain sounds and eat certain textures. If a child is missing teeth early on in development, this can lead to speech impairment and eating difficulties. Mastication, which is the chewing of food, relies on having molar teeth to chew, canine teeth to take large bites and anterior teeth for the speech sounds like ‘S’ and for cutting foods into smaller, chewable pieces.
It has been shown that children with decay in baby teeth have an association with poorer school results. This is assumed to be because the discomfort caused by decayed teeth distracts the child from their schoolwork. It should also be noted that speech difficulties due to prematurely extracted baby teeth can lead to insecurities and self-doubt, while eating difficulties, due to the same, can result in failure to thrive.
Decay in baby teeth is also associated with higher rates of decay in adult teeth. This can be due to the child’s mouth having high rates of cavity causing bacteria present. So, if you know your child is prone to decay already, it is important to instil healthy dental care habits at home and regular dental check-ups and cleans to prevent the decay spreading to the adult teeth. Sound dental habits can prevent decay and start from day dot!
We hope this has given everyone an insight as to why baby teeth are so critically important to the overall health and development of children. They are not to be taken for granted because you will ‘just get another tooth replacing it’. For more information regarding the importance of baby teeth or for any other dental related issues, feel free to contact us via our socials or email.
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