What Is The Purpose Of Baby Teeth?

Posted November 11, 2016

Many animals are born with one set of teeth and as they lose one tooth another erupts to fill the space. Humans, on the other hand, are born with baby teeth which are then lost and replaced with permanent teeth. Once we have our permanent teeth we must take very good care of them, because if we lose them, that’s it. There are no other teeth left to replace them. But, what is the purpose of baby teeth?

The Main Purpose For Baby Teeth

Baby teeth, also referred to as primary teeth, actually serve many purposes. The first and foremost reason we have two sets of teeth, however, is that when we are born, our jaws simply are not large enough to accommodate full-sized teeth. Baby jaws are tiny and take years to develop. In the meantime, you still need to eat. There isn’t enough room for all 32 teeth so fewer and smaller teeth are required. As the human jaw grows, it loses the baby teeth and they are replaced with our permanent teeth.

Other Reasons

Nutrition: Baby teeth are required for young children to eat and maintain good nutrition.

Speech: The presence of baby teeth also help children learn to speak properly.

Space/Position: Baby teeth make way for permanent teeth by saving the space for them, and also by helping guide them into their proper position.

Jawbone health: Your jawbone relies on the roots of your teeth to stimulate the flow of nutrients to your jaw. This is what helps your jawbone grow and become healthy and strong enough to accommodate your permanent teeth.