Some baby teeth don’t fall out until your child is 12 or 13 years old. Some uninformed people might advise you not to repair the decayed primary teeth as they will fall out. This is a big mistake for several reasons:
Should we Repair Baby Teeth?
Given that they will eventually fall out, should we repair baby teeth with cavities?
- Decay will dig a hole in the tooth and let in the bacteria, which is bad for the overall health of the child.
- Tooth decay will eventually cause pain.
- The decay will gradually darken the tooth. The child, embarrassed by his smile, is likely to close socially.
NB: If the decay is minor and the milk tooth is likely to fall imminently, it may not be necessary to repair it. Your dentist will advise.
Milk Tooth Extraction
The option to extract the milk tooth is a last resort decision by the dentist and will be the recommended option only if decay is very advanced. In this case, the dentist will also recommend using a space maintainer. This device prevents movement of adjacent teeth and facilitates the correct eruption of the permanent tooth. It will also reduce the need for orthodontics later.