Baby Teeth Are Important!

Baby Teeth Are Important! Do you remember hearing the saying when you were little "Don’t worry about taking care of your baby teeth, they are going to fall out anyway?" It made sense at that time but since then, researchers and dentists have discovered that those baby teeth are a very important part of a child’s development.

Baby teeth are as important to infants and children as permanent teeth are to older children and adults. The first set of children’s teeth helps maintain good nutrition by permitting your child to chew properly. They are important in allowing good pronunciation and speech habits; and they help your child feel good about the way he/she looks to others.

Baby teeth also save space for the child's future permanent teeth, says Dr. Stacy Eastman DDS; Dental Director for the Kern County Children’s Dental Health Network. A baby tooth usually becomes loose about the age of six when the tissue underneath the tooth begins to dissolve. That is when the tooth becomes loose and falls out. If a child loses a tooth too early due to disease or an accident, the space remaining must be saved or the permanent teeth will grow in crooked. Teeth that are positioned correctly are harder to clean and have a greater chance of being diseased.

Finding the right dentist for your child is an important step in good oral health care. On February 1, 2007, the Kern County Children’s Dental Health Network will be opening a dentist referral service for children. Parents and guardians can call Barbara Antongiovanni at 661.377.0328 locate a dentist based on their child’s needs, hours and days of operation, languages spoken and transportation availability. The KCCDHN staff also welcomes everyone to visit their location at 1800 30th Street, Suite 230, in Bakersfield.

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