A healthy and balanced diet is the best way to avoid caries. This applies to children and adults alike. Do without too many sweets, and also things that contain exceptional amounts of sugar such as fizzy drinks, ketchup or tinned vegetables. Furthermore, look out for hidden sugar because not everything that is loaded with sugar can be identified as such at first glance.
Caries, also known as tooth decay or cavities, does not develop until very specific bacteria settle in the oral cavity. Newly born children initially don’t have any of these bacteria at all in their mouths. They are later transmitted to the child by their parents or other people; this means that the longer your child remains free of caries bacteria, the better it is for them.
Try to delay for as long as possible the point in time when your child eats sugar and sweets for the first time. By its nature, sugar has many negative effects on the body. When your child has acquired the taste, get your child into the habit of only eating sweet things immediately after a main meal. This provides a great number of health benefits if only because it prevents them from filling up with sweets. If they then clean their teeth, everyone will be happy.
The chewing surfaces of the teeth are first in line. These are thoroughly cleaned of food remnants and deposits with horizontal back and forth movements – first the lower row of teeth and then the upper row. In this context, you should always make sure that your child does not exert too much and similarly not too little pressure.
The assumption “the milk teeth don’t matter – new ones come along later on, after all” is utterly wrong. Healthy milk teeth are not only important for chewing food but also for the development of the jaw, articulation and speech development. If a child loses their teeth prematurely due to tooth decay, this can later lead to overcrowding, crooked teeth and other problems.
Despite everything, even sweets or hidden sugar, it is basically always possible to avoid the formation of caries. The key to this is education and getting children accustomed to regular and thorough oral hygiene. As a general rule in this context: the earlier children learn and understand how important toothcare is, the easier it will be for them to always keep up the good work.
Cleaning your teeth is a must after breakfast and, most of all, before you go to bed after the last meal of the day. Above all, it is important to brush the milk teeth properly and remove any food remnants. It’s probably best to teach teeth-cleaning using the COI method. We will be happy to explain what that means and how it works.
Learn more about the COI methodYou should consult a dentist whenever you have any questions or problems with your child’s teeth and at the very latest when their milk teeth have all come through at the age of between two and three. Regular check-ups for your child are a matter of course thereafter. It’s probably best to take your child with you when you go in for a check-up yourself and your child only watches at the beginning. In this way, they will learn from their great role model – from you – that they don’t need to be afraid.
