Your Child’s Smile Is a Trust
Interview by journalist: Safa Abdulqaher
Those white pearls that spread joy across your child’s smile—do you really know enough about them? Yemen Children Platform conducted this interview with dentist Hanifa Hassan Al-Buraehi to discuss the importance of caring for children’s teeth and to correct some common misconceptions about pediatric dental health.
What are primary (baby) teeth, and how should they be cared for?
Primary teeth are the first teeth to appear in a child’s mouth. They are temporary and number 20 teeth. They begin erupting around 6 months of age, are usually complete by 2.5–3 years, and start falling out gradually between ages 6 and 12.
Care guidelines:
For infants:
Clean the gums with a piece of clean, damp gauze or cloth after feeding—especially before bedtime.
After the first tooth erupts:
Use a very soft toothbrush and a fluoride-containing toothpaste.
Brush twice daily (in the morning and before bedtime).
What is the correct way to brush a child’s teeth?
Hold the brush at a gentle angle toward the gums to avoid injury.
Use circular motions.
Clean the outer surfaces, inner surfaces, and chewing surfaces.
Clean the tongue.
Brushing time should be at least two minutes.
Tooth decay can be prevented if parents receive accurate information from a dentist. What are the key points?
Care begins at birth by cleaning the gums and brushing as soon as the first tooth appears.
Use a soft, age-appropriate toothbrush.
Use fluoride toothpaste and brush twice daily, especially before bedtime.
Feeding (breastmilk or milk) before sleep without cleaning is a major cause of early childhood caries.
Avoid giving juices or sweeteners in bottles, particularly before sleep.
Tooth decay is a contagious bacterial disease that can be transmitted through kissing a child on the mouth or sharing spoons—these practices should be avoided.
Finally, parents should ensure regular check-ups with a dentist ????, including topical fluoride applications to protect children’s teeth from decay.
How do you respond to claims that baby teeth are unimportant because they will fall out? What are the risks of neglecting tooth decay?
This is incorrect. Primary teeth are not temporary without purpose; they are the foundation of oral and permanent dental health.
Their importance:
Help the child chew properly and maintain good nutrition.
Essential for correct speech development.
Preserve space for permanent teeth.
Guide permanent teeth to erupt in the correct position.
Influence facial shape and jaw development.
Risks of untreated tooth decay include:
Crying and anxiety in children.
Difficulty eating and sleeping.
Infections, abscesses, and nerve inflammation.
Spread of infection to surrounding bone and tissues.
Damage to permanent teeth buds, causing deformities, weak enamel, or delayed/misaligned eruption.
Does a child’s dental health reflect overall physical health? Please explain.
Healthy teeth help children chew effectively, which leads to better digestion and healthy growth.
Tooth pain or decay can lead to:
Loss of appetite, weight loss, and delayed growth.
Chronic infections and abscesses that strain the immune system and, in severe cases, spread to other parts of the body.
Delayed tooth eruption, which may be associated with malnutrition or hormonal problems.
When should parents take their child to the dentist, and when should the first visit occur?
The first dental visit should be:
When the first primary tooth appears, or
When the child reaches one year of age.
This visit focuses on educating parents, teaching proper cleaning techniques, providing feeding and nursing guidance, and applying preventive fluoride. Subsequent visits should be every six months for routine check-ups.
What is the appropriate amount of toothpaste for children, and should it contain fluoride?
Toothpaste amount:
Under 3 years: the size of a grain of rice.
Ages 3–6: the size of a pea.
Yes, it should contain fluoride, as fluoride protects teeth from decay.
Do habits like thumb sucking or pacifier use affect jaw and tooth alignment? When should these habits stop?
Yes, they do. Such habits can cause:
Protrusion of the front teeth.
Upper incisors moving forward and lower incisors moving backward.
Increased anterior open bite.
Changes in jaw and palate shape (narrowing of the upper jaw and a high, arched palate).
Jaw relationship problems, malocclusion, and speech issues (difficulty pronouncing sounds like s, sh, and th).
When should these habits stop?
Ideally before ages 2–3, and certainly before the eruption of permanent teeth.
