{"id":272,"date":"2020-05-18T21:00:47","date_gmt":"2020-05-18T21:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.weldondentistry.com\/blog\/?p=272"},"modified":"2020-06-03T21:00:58","modified_gmt":"2020-06-03T21:00:58","slug":"why-is-it-important-to-fix-cavities-in-baby-teeth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.weldondentistry.com\/blog\/why-is-it-important-to-fix-cavities-in-baby-teeth\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Is It Important to Fix Cavities in Baby Teeth?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.weldondentistry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/AdobeStock_307146625__1583193518_13069-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Little girl covers her mouth after hearing cavities lead to tooth infections\" class=\"wp-image-273\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.weldondentistry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/AdobeStock_307146625__1583193518_13069-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.weldondentistry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/AdobeStock_307146625__1583193518_13069-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.weldondentistry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/AdobeStock_307146625__1583193518_13069.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>According to recent studies from the American Academy of\nPediatric Dentistry, tooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood\ndisease. However, if your child\u2019s baby teeth are going to fall out eventually\nanyways, do they really need to be treated for tooth decay? In short, the\nanswer is a resounding yes. Leaving your son or daughter\u2019s cavity untreated can\nlead to a dangerous tooth infection and disrupt the development of their\npermanent teeth. Here\u2019s what your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weldondentistry.com\/childrens-dentistry.html\">Ocala children\u2019s\ndentist<\/a> wants you to know about the importance of healthy baby teeth in\nyour little one\u2019s smile. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Do Baby Teeth Do? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Although they\u2019re not a permanent fixture in your son or daughter\u2019s\nsmile, primary teeth play a critical role in your child\u2019s oral development and\nhealth. Baby teeth are important for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Learning to chew and eat properly, which aids in\ndigestion.<\/li><li>Developing normal speech patterns and\npronunciations.<\/li><li>Building your little one\u2019s self-esteem and\nconfidence.<\/li><li>Stimulating the normal development of facial bones\nand muscles.<\/li><li>Saving space in the jaw for permanent teeth and\nguiding them into position. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Importance of Healthy Baby Teeth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, primary teeth have softer enamel than\npermanent teeth, which means they are much more likely to develop tooth decay.\nThe longer a cavity is left untreated, the further it can progress towards the\nprimary tooth\u2019s sensitive pulp and nerve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eventually, the tooth can become infected. Not only is this\nincredibly painful, but the bacteria can spread to the surrounding teeth as\nwell. What\u2019s more, some studies show that the bacteria can escape into the\nbloodstream and travel to the major organs. If the infected baby tooth needs to\nbe pulled before the permanent tooth underneath is ready to erupt, it may come\nin misaligned and will likely need corrective orthodontic treatment later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tips for Protecting Your Child\u2019s Smile<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Thankfully, you can easily save time, money, and grief by\npreventing tooth decay from developing in the first place. To protect your\nlittle one\u2019s oral health:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Establish a great dental routine early. <\/strong>It\nshould include brushing for two minutes twice a day and flossing all their\nteeth daily.<\/li><li><strong>Make sure they\u2019re getting enough fluoride. <\/strong>Fluoridated\ntap water and toothpaste help strengthen your child\u2019s teeth and protect against\ndecay.<\/li><li><strong>Cut back on sugary foods. <\/strong>Beware of\nsugary children\u2019s snacks and juices. Instead, feed them more dairy products,\nvegetables, and proteins. <\/li><li><strong>See their dentist regularly as soon as they\nturn one. <\/strong>Your son or daughter should start getting their biannual dental\ncheckup by their first birthday to ensure that their oral development is on\ntrack.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember, leaving a cavity untreated can lead to a serious\ntooth infection, even in baby teeth. Stop tooth decay in its tracks by seeing\nyour Ocala dentist regularly and practicing excellent oral hygiene at home!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Practice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>At Weldon General &amp; Cosmetic Dentistry in Ocala, FL,\nwe know that growing smiles need special attention. Our team of dental\nprofessionals goes above and beyond to make you and your child feel as comfortable\nand confident as possible during your visit. They are proud to offer services\nspecifically catered to children and their unique dental needs, like sealants and\nfluoride treatments. If you are concerned about tooth decay in your son or\ndaughter\u2019s smile, we encourage you to reach us via our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weldondentistry.com\/contact-us.html\">website<\/a> or at <strong>(352)\n622-3236. <\/strong>&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>According to recent studies from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, tooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease. However, if your child\u2019s baby teeth are going to fall out eventually anyways, do they really need to be treated for tooth decay? In short, the answer is a resounding yes. Leaving your son [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-272","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Keeping Baby Teeth Healthy Ocala | Weldon General &amp; Cosmetic Dentistry<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Do cavities in baby teeth need to be fixed? Find out how healthy baby teeth can protect your son or daughter\u2019s smile from a dangerous tooth infection.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.weldondentistry.com\/blog\/why-is-it-important-to-fix-cavities-in-baby-teeth\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Keeping Baby Teeth Healthy Ocala | Weldon General &amp; Cosmetic Dentistry\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Do cavities in baby teeth need to be fixed? Find out how healthy baby teeth can protect your son or daughter\u2019s smile from a dangerous tooth infection.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.weldondentistry.com\/blog\/why-is-it-important-to-fix-cavities-in-baby-teeth\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Weldon Dentistry Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-05-18T21:00:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-06-03T21:00:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.weldondentistry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/AdobeStock_307146625__1583193518_13069-300x200.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"drweldon\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"drweldon\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.weldondentistry.com\/blog\/why-is-it-important-to-fix-cavities-in-baby-teeth\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.weldondentistry.com\/blog\/why-is-it-important-to-fix-cavities-in-baby-teeth\/\",\"name\":\"Keeping Baby Teeth Healthy Ocala | Weldon General & Cosmetic Dentistry\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.weldondentistry.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.weldondentistry.com\/blog\/why-is-it-important-to-fix-cavities-in-baby-teeth\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.weldondentistry.com\/blog\/why-is-it-important-to-fix-cavities-in-baby-teeth\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.weldondentistry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/AdobeStock_307146625__1583193518_13069-300x200.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-05-18T21:00:47+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-06-03T21:00:58+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.weldondentistry.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c68a4500ece64613e6270e6e2ac30642\"},\"description\":\"Do cavities in baby teeth need to be fixed? 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