How Baby Teeth Help Mouths Grow Up Right

Every Houston 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. Dassani wants you to know that that couldn’t be further from the truth! At Dassani Dentistry, 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 Houston 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. Dassani would like every Houston 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. Dassani when your baby’s first teeth emerge, and then twice a year after that for regular checkups and cleanings. At Dassani Dentistry, we love to help Houston families maintain great oral health, so please give us a call at 281-606-0691 if you have any questions.

Sources

http://www.uichildrens.org/importance-of-baby-teeth/

http://www.dentalassociates.com/pediatric-dentistry/importance-baby-teeth/

http://www.uic.edu/classes/orla/orla312/DeciduousDent.htm

About Meghna Dassani, DMD

Dr. Meghna Dassani received her initial dental training from the University of Mumbai, India, where she graduated in 1996 as Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS). After working as an associate for one year, she established her own practice in Mumbai, India. She successfully operated this practice for six years prior to moving to the US. When Dr. Meghna Dassani is not in the office she is at home being a mommy to her 2 beautiful girls and enjoying time relaxing with her husband. Since opening her own practice in 2011 she doesn’t have a lot of free time but when the time allows she enjoys traveling, reading, gardening, cooking, visiting with friends and family and of course SHOPPING with a Starbucks in her hand!