Should baby teeth be treated?

I often hear from young parents:
“Why spend money and time treating baby teeth, when they will soon fall out and be replaced by permanent teeth?”
Yes, the importance of baby teeth health is often underestimated!

Of course, your child’s baby teeth will fall out, but only when a permanent tooth begins to erupt, and not due to cavities or, more generally, a lack of care for the young patient’s oral health. Let’s look at this in detail.

What are baby teeth for?

Baby teeth have a relatively short life cycle, yet they fulfill three important functions:

• Mastication
• Space maintainer for the permanent tooth (preparing the shape of the child’s mouth)
• Stimulator of bone growth around the tooth.

Children’s Cavities

Decayed baby teeth are particularly painful: this is because the pulp chamber is larger and, consequently, the hard part is thinner compared to a permanent tooth. The risk of pulpal infection is therefore very high, as is the probability of painful abscesses or fistulas.

The cause of baby teeth cavities is the same as for permanent teeth: enamel erosion by bacteria and the accumulation of plaque not removed due to poor oral hygiene. In children under 3 or 4 years old, this is often referred to as “baby bottle tooth decay,” stemming from the habit of letting the child fall asleep sucking on a bottle with milk, honey, or other sugary and viscous substances.

The onset of the carious process is thus favored from a very young age. I recommend paying particular attention to the dental health of young patients and scheduling the first visit around 3 years old, to familiarize them with the dentist and prevent what could become complications at all levels.

Maintaining Interdental Space

If regular check-ups are not performed, there is a risk of compromising the proper eruption of permanent teeth and, consequently, the need for longer and more invasive dental treatments in adulthood.

For example, the first molars (baby teeth) must remain in place until 11 or 12 years old before being replaced by permanent teeth. Premature loss can cause a shift in the dentition and a lack of space when new teeth erupt. This dental malposition is very long to correct with orthodontic appliances.

Nevertheless, if the extraction of a baby tooth could not be avoided, we will use a space maintainer while waiting for the new tooth to erupt.

Conclusion

1. In childhood, not all of a child’s teeth are baby teeth. From 5-6 years old, some are permanent.
   
2. It is essential to treat baby teeth to prevent permanent tooth problems in the future.
   
3. One must try to maintain the baby tooth until its natural resorption, in order to preserve space for the permanent tooth, so it must be treated.
   
4. The key to healthy baby and permanent teeth is good dental hygiene. Remember that cavities form under plaque!