Primary teeth, otherwise known as milk teeth or baby teeth, are very important to a child’s health and development. Though only temporary, healthy milk teeth lead to healthy adult teeth. Hence, any dental health decisions you make as a parent for your child will have great effect on his/her dental health for the rest of their lives.

Milk teeth are necessary for a child to chew and speak. But they also serve another very important purpose – they save space for the child’s future permanent teeth. Therefore, they must be cared for as if they will last forever.

Decayed or crooked teeth can affect a child’s self-confidence, especially for school children who may experience bullying which in the long run affects the child psychologically. On the other hand, healthy teeth give them the confidence needed to thrive in a social environment while interacting with their peers.

It is therefore crucial to instil positive dental attitude in children by having them get their routine dental check-ups done in a clinical setting regularly every 4 to 6 months. Delayed visits might lead to symptomatic (pain or swelling) driven visits which can cause elevated levels of anxiety and fear in children.

4-year-old Zara came in for her routine dental check-up accompanied by her father. Her father claimed that she has two upper front teeth which have turned brown. Upon examination, we found that three of her primary teeth (one of which is a primary molar tooth that will only exfoliate when she is about 9 to 10 years old) were carious. Fortunately, the decays were not large and Zara did not experience any pain from the concerned teeth.

We showed and informed both Zara (yes, she needs to know too 😶‍🌫️) and her father the carious teeth and that they have to be restored to prevent further decay which can lead to pain or swelling in future. Zara’s father agreed to the treatment and we started by removing the decayed structured from Zara’s teeth.

Zara showed excellent cooperation throughout the procedure and we managed to get 3 permanent fillings done in one single sitting! She was happy when she saw that her teeth are now white again. I reminded Zara to keep her teeth clean by brushing at least twice daily and she promised that she will do it.

Children deserve to have beautiful teeth too, don’t they? Klinik Pergigian Fauziah is dedicated in providing the best dental care for you and your children. Do give us a call at 03-95201595 for an appointment! We look forward to seeing you soon. 🙂

Dr Damalis (damalis@drfauziah.com)