As their teeth continue to come in, your preschooler looks more and more like a little person, not a baby. But that special smile could be put at risk—if you believe certain myths about children’s dentistry. What are these myths? How could they endanger your child’s smile? Learn the truth behind just four common myths to protect your favorite smile from harm.
Myth #1: Baby Teeth Don’t Really Matter.
Baby teeth are often seen as temporary because they eventually come out. However, losing a baby tooth too soon can have repercussions for a child’s smile later on. These teeth not only enable your little one to bite and chew food but also serve as placeholders for the adult teeth. When a baby tooth is missing for too long, it can throw off the alignment of the developing permanent teeth, causing more severe issues like crowding, gaps, and the like. As much as possible, keep baby teeth in until they come out naturally.
Myth #2: Cavities on Baby Teeth Aren’t a Big Deal.
Tooth decay, regardless of which tooth it affects, is something to take seriously. Baby teeth have a thinner layer of enamel than adult teeth, which means that it doesn’t take much for the cavity to penetrate to the tooth’s nerve. As a result, a cavity can quickly become painful for a child, affecting their ability to play, eat, and learn.
In addition to being painful, an untreated cavity in a baby tooth could spread to the underlying permanent tooth, damaging it before it even has a chance to erupt. For these reasons, you should make preventing cavities a priority—even if your child only has baby teeth.
Myth #3: Sugar Is the Only Cause of Cavities.
Although your mind may initially jump to sugar and candy as the main source of tooth decay, there are plenty of other culprits you should be aware of. Even some “healthy” foods and drinks can contain high amounts of sugar, such as sports drinks and dried fruit. But did you know that carbohydrates break down similarly to sugar? As a result, cavity-causing bacteria thrive on bread, crackers, baked goods, and other foods you may not think of as hazardous to dental health. This means you should be careful about what your child eats.
Myth #4: My Child Doesn’t Need to Floss Yet.
You may think that your child is “too young” to floss, but the truth is that flossing should begin basically as soon as their first teeth come in. Food and plaque can get stuck between teeth, leading to cavities or infection, and teaching them to floss early in life increases the chance of them continuing this habit into adulthood.
Although these myths are pervasive, you can stop them from being handed down to the next generation and teach your child from an early age how to care for their strong smile for a lifetime.
About the Practice
Throughout the Lincoln area, Williamsburg Dental has locations that are conveniently located for individuals and families. We are proud to treat patients of all ages, including young children and provide positive dental experiences early in life to instill healthy habits. If you would like to schedule an appointment for your child at our Piedmont location, just click here or give our office a call.