In decades past, primary (or baby) teeth were simply regarded as placeholders until the secondary teeth came in, so many people didn’t give much thought to their health. These days, we know better so we do better—cavities that are left untreated can cause pain, nutritional issues due to difficulty eating, and other oral health problems. Primary teeth that are extracted rather than restored with a filling or crown can leave kids susceptible to orthodontic issues and impact speech development. In short, yes, cavities do need to be filled, but we have technology to make the process trauma-free. (Read on to learn more about that!)