FORT RILEY, Kansas  –   "They’re just going to fall out anyway, right?"

It is tempting to think baby teeth don’t need maintenance because they are temporary. But losing a baby tooth early to a cavity or injury is one of the leading causes of crooked adult teeth. Baby teeth act as physical placeholders and guides for adult teeth. When one is lost early, adjacent teeth shift, causing the incoming adult teeth to emerge rotated or blocked out entirely.

At Fort Riley, we want to help you protect both your child's smile. In this feature, CPT Heather Wilkinson breaks down the milestones of early oral care. Learn the clinical hacks to make your child's next dental visit stress-free.

Music title "Wildflowers" by Scott Buckley (@ScottBuckley) – released under CC-BY 4.0.