Children should visit a dentist when their first tooth comes in or no later than their first birthday.
Baby teeth that have decay should be restored to prevent the decay from spreading. Baby teeth should be cared for as they serve the same important purposes as the permanent teeth. Baby teeth should be kept in place until they are replaced by permanent teeth. They reserve the space for the permanent teeth to grow into.
If baby teeth are lost/extracted too early, the adjoining teeth can drift into the spaces that are needed for the permanent teeth. This can then cause crowding problems, because there is insufficient space for the permanent teeth.
