Should I fill my decayed baby teeth or not? There are many misconceptions here, let’s analyze the most common ones. Misconception 1: Milk teeth will be replaced after only a few years Wrong! The longest-serving milk teeth will serve your baby for up to 10 years! Babies start teething at 6 months, enter the tooth replacement period at 6 years old, and will not replace all their teeth until they are 12 years old. The baby’s front milk teeth that grow at 6 months old will not be replaced until 6 years old; the baby’s milk teeth that grow at 2 years old will not be replaced until 12 years old! Myth 2: Bad milk teeth is a small matter Wrong! Bad milk teeth can lead to bad permanent teeth. Tooth decay (worm teeth) is caused by bacteria, and if left untreated, it will progress deeper. Underneath each baby tooth, there is a corresponding “permanent tooth germ” (like the seed of a permanent tooth). Bacterial erosion of the permanent tooth germ underneath can result in the baby’s permanent teeth not growing in, or having a defective permanent tooth as soon as it grows out. Be careful with the dense phobia! (I didn’t think baby’s teeth under the X-ray is like this:) Myth 3: Bad milk teeth have no effect on the baby Wrong! Bad milk teeth affect the baby’s growth and development. Breast tooth decay, will lead to two situations: 1) toothache, the baby has no appetite; 2) food can not chew, swallowed whole, poor digestion. So the baby with rotten teeth will tend to be short and thin. (Good teeth appetite is good; bad teeth, appetite how will be good?) Myth 4: Breast teeth are unsightly, baby does not mind Wrong! The 3-year-old baby already has self-esteem and does not like to be laughed at by others for having bad teeth. No one likes to be laughed at, and babies are no exception. Children with dark teeth will be afraid to grin because of the ridicule of others, and over time, this may even affect self-confidence and affect character development. (Don’t let your baby suffer unnecessarily because of the fear of momentary trouble) Myth 5: Breast teeth decay without filling, pull it out Wrong! Premature extraction of baby teeth will lead to distorted permanent teeth and affect the beauty of the face. The baby teeth occupy the space for the future permanent teeth. If the baby teeth are extracted early, the left and right teeth will move over and occupy this space. When the permanent teeth need to erupt, they have to grow out from the side because there is no space, making the baby’s teeth uneven and even affecting the shape of the face. Many people’s “baby tiger teeth” are the result of early loss of the first molar. (Would she be more beautiful without that little tiger tooth?) To sum up, baby teeth are very important and must be treated promptly if there is tooth decay. Parents are the first line of defense for their babies’ teeth. Babies are incapable of protecting their own teeth, and if parents don’t pay attention to them, who else can they rely on? Don’t let your baby “decay” at the starting line!