Smile, grin or put on a happy face! Baby teeth are something to smile about. Your little one is growing up quickly and those baby teeth will be coming into his or her mouth before you know it. Learn why baby teeth are important and be prepared to care for your child’s teeth using the information and tips below.
You may wonder why baby teeth matter since they are going to fall out of the mouth one day. Baby teeth have many important roles in the mouth. They are needed for eating, speaking and smiling. Baby teeth help keep the space in the jaws for adult teeth. Your child will lose their first baby tooth around age 6 when the adult teeth begin to come into the mouth. If your child loses a baby tooth too early, talk to your child’s dentist about options to keep the correct space in the mouth for the adult tooth to come in normally.
The first baby teeth will break through the gums and into the mouth around 6 months of age. These are usually the front bottom teeth. The last baby teeth to come into the mouth around age 3 are in the very back of the mouth in the upper jaw. At this age, your child will likely have 10 top teeth and 10 bottom teeth.
There are many things you can do to help care for your child’s baby teeth. Below is a list of ways to keep your child’s mouth healthy.