Dr. Roland Buyama: Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What Is a Good Time to Begin Brushing a Child’s Teeth?

The best time to begin practicing dental hygiene with your child is as soon as they come home from the hospital. As an infant, the child should have their gums cleaned with an infant toothbrush, as these are made to be soft enough to clean the gums of a baby without causing damage. As soon as baby teeth appear, you should begin using small amounts of toothpaste on a soft child’s toothbrush.

Q: When Is a Child Old Enough to Brush Their Own Teeth?

It’s a good idea to teach your child how to brush their own teeth in a supervised manner anywhere between the ages of three and five.

Q: Is Thumbsucking a Serious Problem?

Contrary to popular misconception, thumbsucking is a common practice for infants, and most stop this habit by the age of two. However, if they are sucking their thumb for prolonged periods of time, or the habit persists beyond the age of three, you may want to have them professionally evaluated by a pediatric dentist.

Q: How Do I Prevent “Baby Bottle Tooth Decay”?

Children should be discouraged from chewing on the baby bottle, or sucking on it for prolonged periods of time. Also, children should not drink fruit juices out of baby bottles, as the acidity can damage the teeth. Furthermore, it is not a good idea to allow at-will breast-feeding past the age when a child develops their baby teeth.

Q: Why is it important to begin dental hygiene at such a young age?

Surprisingly, babies can suffer from a plethora of dental problems. One of the primary concerns for infants is early childhood caries, also referred to as nursing caries. As soon as a child begins consuming any food other than breastmilk, the risk for dental decay arises.