In Pediatric Dentistry, we get asked all the time: “Well it’s just baby teeth, does it really need a filling, crown, etc.….?” And the answer is YES.
Baby teeth, or primary teeth are important for a number of reasons:
- They help with facial development
- They are place holders for the adult teeth to follow
- They are necessary for chewing and eating
- They help facilitate speech and the ability to make certain sounds
Without teeth your little one wouldn’t even be able to say “smile!”
The best way to make sure your kiddos are able to pronounce their dental sounds correctly, in childhood and adulthood, is to make oral hygiene fun and go to the dentist every 6 months.
However, it is completely normal for your kids to start making weird sounds around the age of 6-8 as their two front teeth transition from baby to adult teeth. But don’t worry this is completely transitional and their speech will revert as their permanent teeth erupt.
The sounds they may struggle with are called dental sounds are the following: “th,” “v,” “sh,” “f,” “s,” “ch.”
If a child loses their teeth earlier than when it should fall out naturally and they are still learning to speak, this might affect how they pronounce words even when their adult teeth grow in.
In this case, a speech pathologist can help teach your child how to place their tongue and create better speaking habits.
As always, follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok (@socopdo) for more tricks and tips!
