Where There Is No Dentist 2012 65
Between the ages of 6 and 11, a child needs healthy baby molars to guide
the first permanent molars into position and then to hold them there. When
the first permanent molars grow into the right place, this is a good sign. It
means the other permanent teeth will also grow in properly, because they
will have enough space.
Note: Some people are born without enough space. But most people are
not born with this problem—they lose the spaces when they remove
baby teeth instead of fixing them.
HEALTHY BABY TEETH
tohmelapke STRAIGHT PERMANENT TEETH
10 years
SICK BABY TEETH
tohmelpake
adult
CROOKED PERMANENT TEETH
10 years
adult
Tell mothers why baby teeth are important. Good food and regular cleaning
keep them healthy. They should know that new teeth coming in do not
cause diarrhea and fever, but that a child may have diarrhea or fever at the
same time.
If there is a cavity, fix it so the tooth can be kept in the mouth to do its
important work (see Chapter 10).