How Dental problems affect both children and their parents alike !

ARE MILK TEETH IMPORTANT??

Yes, milk teeth are indeed important as they play a significant role in oral health:

1. Determining Bacterial Quality: Milk teeth, although temporary, serve as crucial indicators of the oral environment. The quality of bacteria that develop during this period can impact future oral health.

2. Duration in the Mouth: Some milk teeth, like the first and second milk molars, remain in the mouth for up to 6-8 years. Their health directly influences the condition of permanent teeth.

3. Early Bacterial Flora Formation: Bacterial flora forms during the milk teeth phase. Diet and brushing habits during this period can determine whether decay-causing bacteria or healthy bacteria dominate.

4. Transfer to Permanent Teeth: The type of bacteria prevalent in the mouth during milk teeth stages can influence the bacterial composition of permanent teeth.

5. Decay Reflection: The level of decay in milk teeth often mirrors what may occur in permanent teeth. Once decay-causing bacteria establish themselves, reversing the process becomes challenging.
   

Essential Children's Dental Care: How It Influences Parents' Lives  

1. Guide for Permanent Teeth Position: Baby teeth hold space for adult teeth. If baby teeth decay, they can lose their normal width, causing other teeth to shift and leading to crowding and bite problems. If they need to be extracted, adult teeth can come in crooked or move into that space, and braces will be needed for children. This means paying for them and taking them once a month for appointments usually spanning 2+ years, AND THUS IMPACT OUR LIVES AS PARENTS.

1. Speech Development: Healthy teeth are important for kids to learn to talk clearly, or we pay for speech therapy and the stress of it all, AND THUS IMPACT OUR LIVES AS PARENTS.

1. Eating and Nutrition: Poor dental health in children has been linked to malnutrition and developmental delays.Good teeth are needed for proper chewing, which leads to good nutrition. If nutrition is poor, children will have more days off school and health issues of all kinds, as they get a cough and a cold once a month from school, AND THUS IMPACT OUR LIVES AS PARENTS.

1. Avoiding Tooth Pain: Cavities can cause pain, making it hard for kids to eat or focus. The Children Dental Survey of 2013 highlights this - More than a third (35  %) of the parents of 15-year-olds reported that their child's oral health had impacted family life in the last six months 23 % of the parents of 15-year-olds took time off work because of their child's oral health in that period,  AND THUS  IMPACTS  OUR LIVES AS PARENTS.

1. Avoiding growth modification: When in pain, a child might chew only on one side, disrupting the normal development of their facial bones and muscles. And like adults, they also want to avoid being taken to the dentist / being told off by parents for not brushing well or eating too many sweets; they try and hide issues until they become unbreakable, and it is too late to save the tooth, I have seen this happen time and again.  This asymmetry can lead to misaligned teeth and jaws, affecting their smile and the shape of their face, and making them need braces or even surgery, AND THUS IMPACT OUR LIVES AS PARENTS.

1. Milk teeth susceptibility dictates adult teeth susceptibility: Severe decay in milk teeth can also change the environment in the mouth, making it more likely for decay, causing bacteria to thrive and thus decay to occur in their permanent (adult) teeth. Research shows that children with healthy primary teeth are more likely to have healthy adult teeth, and upon us to avoid lifelong problems for our children,  AND THUS IMPACT OUR LIVES AS PARENTS.

1. Good Dental Habits: Taking care of baby teeth teaches kids how to look after their teeth for life. All adult teeth, except the 3rd molars, erupt into the mouth by 13 years and often decayed, Children Dental Survey 2013 showed - Nearly half (46%) of 15-year-olds and  1/3 (34  %) of 12-year-olds had "obvious decay experience" in their permanent teeth, and eventually although it is their fault we as parents will get blamed forever, AND THUS IMPACT OUR LIVES AS PARENTS.  

1. Preventing Future Dental Problems and Thus Expenses: Healthy baby teeth lower the risk of problems with adult teeth, and adult teeth are in the mouth from 13 to 18 years of age, during which time they are our responsibility, AND THUS IMPACT OUR LIVES AS PARENTS.

1. Confidence and Social Skills: A healthy smile helps with a child's confidence and social interactions. An unhappy child can be the saddest thing a parent has to phase in life, AND THUS IMPACT OUR LIVES PARENTS.

2. Overall Health: A healthy mouth is part of overall good health. Dental problems can lead to other health issues like Diabetes, Stroke, Alzheimer's, Dementia, and heart disease. There's even evidence suggesting a connection between tooth decay and body weight issues, which we know as adults affects all of us at some point, and the bare minimum responsibility is to provide our children with health and body confidence, AND THUS IMPACT OUR LIVES AS PARENTS.

By recognizing the importance of milk teeth and taking steps to ensure their health, we can positively impact future dental health and reduce the risk of decay and related issues in permanent teeth - THUS AVOIDING MOST OF THE ABOVE PROBLEMS FOR OUR CHILDREN AND SELFISHLY FOR US TOO.