It is common for many parents to decide to remove children’s milk teeth when they move. This practice is not recommended in all cases, as it can damage the eruption of the permanent tooth.
What functions do milk teeth have?
Baby teeth have many functions. The main one is chewing but they are also necessary so that the swallowing process runs correctly, they help the child to swallow well.
Another of its main functions is to serve as a guide for permanent teeth. When a baby tooth starts to move it means that the permanent tooth is reabsorbing its root from below. Little by little the root of the milk tooth, which serves as a guide to know which way it should be built.
Few things you need to know before removing baby teeth:
If the milk tooth starts to move and we remove it prematurely the permanent tooth loses that guide, which can cause, for example, the permanent tooth to erupt crooked. Another consequence of removing milk teeth prematurely is that we can cause the eruption to be lost or inactivated, that is, the permanent tooth stops erupting and, chronologically, the process is stopped.
Few consequences of extracting that milk tooth without the advice or indication of a dentist are that the teeth adjacent to the gap get collapsed.
When you lose that tooth prematurely it is common for the teeth next to you to occupy your space. When the permanent tooth tries to erupt it finds no space which can cause it to be impacted and included within the bone.
In that case, it would be necessary to make orthodontics to reopen that space and thus allow the tooth to find its way so that it comes out spontaneously. Another possible consequence of removing the baby tooth is that you can cause gingival dilacerations, damage or tears in the gum.
If you notice that one of the milk teeth of your children moves a lot and you are afraid of it sucking it, that is to say, swallowing it unintentionally, it is advisable that you start making a search on kids dentist near me and find him.
This will assess the state of the piece and if there really is a risk of aspiration. If the dentist thinks it necessary, he should be the one to remove it. To avoid any problem, in addition, place a space maintainer in the place where the milk tooth was so that it does not collapse and the permanent tooth can come out in its correct position.
How can I prevent kids from getting cavities?
Preventing cavities is simple:
- Avoid passing the cariogenic bacterial flora. The caregivers, especially the mother, are the ones who pass on her flora. Therefore, they should take care of their own mouth, from pregnancy and also afterward. We must avoid the actions that facilitate this step (suck the baby’s pacifier, bottle or spoon, blow his food to cool it …).
- Clean the gums with gauze with water from the first months of life, before the first tooth comes out. Clean or brush the teeth since the first one comes out; at the beginning only with water. When you already know how to spit saliva, brush them with fluoride toothpaste (1000 ppm fluoride) and after 3 years with a pea-like amount. They should be washed at least 2 times a day, after breakfast and before going to bed and, if possible, after each feeding. Even if you want to do it alone, you should always help him, at least until he is about 8 years old.
- Do not put sugars in the pacifier or bottle. Try not to let the baby fall asleep by sucking on the breast or bottle. When you already take other foods, water should be the main drink. It is not recommended to drink juice or drinks, especially between meals.
- And remember that you have the help by making a search of kids’ dentist near me to care for your baby’s teeth at each and every stage of their development. This will lead you to have no caries or cavities build in milk teeth.
