What Are the Dangers of Not Filling Baby Teeth?

Infections

• A cavity is an infection in the tooth. Tooth decay can lead to infection in the gum or deeper structures of the face, which can cause your child pain or discomfort. In some cases, an abscess -- a walled-off infection -- can form, which needs to be drained. The longer you wait to have small cavities filled, the more likely it is that your child will develop pain from infection. On very rare but devastating occasions, a tooth infection can travel to a child's brain, causing death.

Tooth Loss

• Severely decayed teeth can break off or fall out, leaving gaps in a child's mouth. Although you might not worry about the toothless look if your child is close to the age where his permanent teeth will start coming in, the back molar baby teeth don't fall out until around age 12, which is a long time to be without teeth used for chewing. Tooth loss can also affect your child's speech.

Appearance

• Severely decayed teeth can break off or turn brown, giving your child's mouth an unattractive appearance and affecting his self-esteem. Your dentist can repair small cavities with a filling that matches the child's tooth color. However, if cavities become very large, your child will need a silver crown over the tooth, because there won't be enough tooth area left to fill after drilling out the decay.

Permanent Teeth Placement

• When baby teeth fall out before their time, it can affect the positioning of the permanent teeth. Baby teeth act as placeholders; they save a space for the permanent tooth to come through. When baby teeth fall out or are pulled because of severe decay, the permanent teeth have room to shift. Letting baby teeth fall out prematurely or having them pulled can increase the amount of dental work your child will need after his permanent teeth come in.