It is tempting to think that baby teeth don’t matter – after all, they are going to be lost anyway, aren’t they?

But they are just as important as adult teeth.

They are necessary for eating, for helping with speech, and also for the development of the jaws and the adult teeth.

Underneath each of those baby teeth there is an adult tooth waiting for its chance to come through. The roots of the baby teeth ‘guide’ the adult teeth into the correct position.  If a baby tooth is lost early, the adult tooth behind it can move forward and take up some of the space which is needed for the tooth underneath the lost tooth.  This can result in a tooth becoming stuck or impacted and can lead to crooked teeth.

How can we take care of baby teeth?

When it comes to preventing decay in baby teeth, it’s all about sugar!

When it comes to sugar, it’s the frequency of eating that matters.  If you keep sugary ‘treats’ to mealtimes, then the damage to the teeth is reduced.

However, if your child is eating lots of sugary foods and drinks between meals, then there is a pretty good chance that they will get cavities.

Remember that natural sugar can do just as much damage to the teeth as ‘added sugar’.  Be very careful with ‘reduced sugar’ and ‘no added sugar’ labels… those foods still have sugar in them.