Baby teeth are important for form and function:
Function: Biting into food, chewing food, adding to facial expression with smiling, and Speech.
Form: Primary teeth aid in the Jaw growth and form. Early loss of primary teeth can result in shortening and narrowing of the jaw ridge, Loss of space for permanent tooth successor (requiring orthodontics to create space or extraction of permanent tooth successor).
Allowing primary teeth to have active decay can result in: Pain, infection, systemic antibiotics, hospital stay, affects eating, irritability, attention at school, missing school, good night’s sleep, increase in cavity causing microbiome that will affect other healthy primary teeth and put permanent teeth at higher risk for decay. Financially it is more cost effective to heal primary teeth with a restoration then extraction, space maintainers, and ortho.
*Overall maintaining healthy primary teeth and healing infected primary teeth is preventative for discomfort, illness, orthodontics, decay in permanent teeth, dental care costs.
