Parents of toddlers often have a lot of worries and questions about their children's health, wellbeing, and teeth. One common question many parents have is whether they should worry if their toddler has gaps between their baby teeth. If your child fits this description, you will be glad to know that gaps are not a bad thing for a child to have.

Gaps Are A Good Thing

It is completely normal for a toddler to have gaps between the baby teeth he or she has. In fact, having gaps between the teeth are a good sign. Baby teeth are naturally smaller than permanent teeth, and this is one of the reasons you will see gaps. As these teeth fall out and the permanent ones erupt, the extra spaces between the teeth will come in very handy for these larger teeth.

Overcrowded Teeth Are More Of A Problem

While you may worry about the gaps your child has, you should worry more if there are no gaps. If your child's baby teeth are too close together and appear overcrowded, your child may face several oral issues.

The first problem overcrowded teeth present is the risk of decay. When teeth are so close together, bacteria is more likely to get trapped in these areas, and this can lead to decay formation. The second problem to be concerned with is what will happen when the adult teeth come in. If the child doesn't have room for baby teeth, he or she most certainly will not have room for the adult teeth. This may lead to the need to have some of the teeth extracted at some point.

Gaps From Missing Teeth Can Lead To Problems

One other thing to know is that if your child has a gap from a primary tooth that did not come in or that fell out too quickly, your child may experience some issues when the adult tooth comes through. Baby teeth should not fall out until they are pushed out be the eruption of permanent teeth. If a baby tooth comes out before this, the other teeth may fill this gap, which could lead to a loss of space for the adult tooth. In addition, if a child has a baby tooth that never erupts, the tooth could be trapped inside the child's gums.

If you have any questions about your toddler's teeth and oral health, contact a clinic like Waller Ray DDS that specializes in pediatric dentistry work.