Your Child’s Dental Care: The Speech Connection

Posted January 18, 2018

It’s easy to forget about just how far-reaching the benefits of dental care can become for your child. If you were having even the slightest doubt about the worthwhileness of the effort you’ve been putting forth for your child’s preventive care, then we encourage you to think again! Your decision to protect that developing smile is extremely important. Did you ever stop to think about the way your son or daughter’s oral health impacts proper speech development? Consider some details regarding this connection. You’ll feel reassured that trips to the dentist are certainly as advantageous as you’d imagined!

Baby Teeth Help Develop Speech Patterns

First of all, remember that your child begins to learn how to speak when he or she has baby teeth in place. Now, think about what happens with your tongue when you speak. Say a sentence aloud. You will find that to create sounds, your tongue relies an awful lot on the presence of your teeth. If they were broken or missing, it might detract from your speech. The same is true for little ones. You need to protect their baby teeth (and permanent teeth) with dental care, so they may create proper speech habits (and continue them).

Misalignment Can Hinder Successful Speech

Did you know that when your child’s teeth are poorly aligned (we call this misalignment or malocclusion) it can cause many problems, including difficulty with speech? Your child may need dental care! Problems can include the development of bruxism, TMJ disorder, a lisp, difficulty forming certain consonant sounds, and more. When this dental issue is present, we will refer you to a trusted orthodontist for improvement!

Protect Your Child’s Speech With Dental Care

Remember that a healthy smile is one that promotes successful speech. Get started early with your little one’s dental care, so you may encourage proper speech development. Schedule a visit with your Dallas, TX children’s dentist, Dr. Marr at Pediatric Dental Care at Casa Linda by calling 214-321-4880. We proudly welcome patients from Dallas, TX, and all surrounding communities, including Casa Linda, Lakewood, Lake Highlands, Forest Hills, East Dallas, Mesquite, Garland, Richardson, and more.