CHILDREN'S ISSUES When should you start cleaning the baby's mouth?  The baby's gums should be cleaned with fingers from as early an age as early as possible. Once the baby is a few months old, the gums can be cleaned with gauze wrapped on the finger tip, after food. When should children start brushing by themselves? Children can start brushing by themselves from the age of two years. After they brush, adults should check to make sure the teeth are clean. When should you take the child for the first dental visit? Children should be taken for the first dental visit at the age of one year.  The dentist will only examine the mouth. The first visit must be a pleasant one. Subsequently the child must be taken to the dentist once every six months for regular check ups. Should impacted teeth be removed? Most of the impacted teeth have to be removed because they cause problems. The teeth most impacted are the third molars because of lack of space.

WISDOM TEETH How to clean the milk teeth in young babies? With gauze wrapped around the finger tip as mentioned earlier. Milk teeth should be cleaned before the baby goes to sleep and after each feed if possible. As they grow older, a baby tooth brush can be used instead of the finger. Is it safe to let children use toothpaste? Young children should be given only a minimal amount of toothpaste, i.e. a match head sized amount for a child of two years. Adults should see to it that children spit out the foam after brushing and do not swallow it. What are "wisdom teeth"? Wisdom teeth are the third permanent molars which erupt when a person is 18 to 21 years old. What is a  "tooth impaction"? A 'tooth impaction' is when a tooth does not erupt due to lack of space or when it is positioned unfavourably. How are impacted teeth removed? Most of the impacted teeth are removed by a minor surgical procedure in the dental clinic under local anaesthesia.. Few of the complicated ones have to be removed in the hospital under general anaesthesia.