Healthy milk teeth through a healthy diet

It would be nice, but unfortunately just cleaning is not enough: Diet also plays a major role in healthy milk teeth. All children love sweets – even the dentists know that, who don’t want to be a spoilsport. But what they don’t like at all is when the little ones snack all day long. In our article “So much sweets is ok” , you will find tips on the appropriate amounts for children. In any case, sweets are better at fixed times than all the time. Because it is not the amount of sugar that matters, but how often you eat sugar. You should therefore never give children sweets throughout the day.

The right nutrition for healthy milk teeth

It’s best to seldom give your child trick, treat, or sticky foods. Your baby’s teeth need minerals – primarily calcium, phosphate and iron, as well as vitamins and trace elements. Such substances are contained in the following foods: milk and milk products, cheese, vegetables, fruit, high-quality grain products (for example: whole grains, oatmeal), lean meat and eggs.

Poor diet is one of the most important and common causes of tooth decay. However, there is no specific diet that can completely prevent tooth decay. However, if you feed your child a balanced diet, you make a significant contribution to your child’s dental health and thus to general health. You can find good tips and recipes in our “ Complementary foods ” and “ Recipes for small children ” sections.

The right drinks for healthy milk teeth

Not only chocolate and other treats, but also sweet and sour drinks such as fruit juice, cola, sweet tea and iced tea damage the teeth and are not a good choice as a thirst quencher. Caries is triggered by table sugar, but also by grape, fructose, malt or milk sugar. The bacteria in plaque break down the sugar into acid, which then attacks the enamel. Long-term result: a hole. So that it doesn’t get that far in the first place, mineral water and unsweetened teas are better because they don’t cause tooth decay and don’t also promote the need for sweets. And: Children can drink from mugs and cups at the age of nine months and should no longer enjoy drinks from feeding bottles or sippy cups. As a result, the teeth are constantly flushed with liquid and the caries bacteria have an easy time.

Beware of sugar – the caries trap

Sugar is bad for your teeth. As in adults, tooth decay occurs in your child’s mouth when sugar breaks down into acids directly on the tooth surface. These acids remove minerals from children’s teeth. This results in a carious defect over the course of a few months. Ultimately, this leads to the destruction of the teeth.

Tips for handling the sweets

Many parents know how to handle sweets at home, but don’t act accordingly. Of course, even a strict ban doesn’t help. This tends to make the sweet treats even more interesting. With the following rules, your child does not have to do without anything, but the damage to the milk teeth can be kept within limits:

• You should be a role model for your child! Your child should not eat sweets as snacks throughout the day.
• Sugar is also hidden in yoghurt, children’s teas or medicines, as well as in many other foods in which you would not even suspect it. Therefore, it is important that you always read the ingredient list. Ingredients that come first are the most contained in the products.
• Make sure you give your child tooth-friendly sweets. They can be recognized by the toothy man with an umbrella.
• In principle, it is therefore not necessary to forbid your child sweets. The only important thing is that your child always brushes their teeth thoroughly after eating sweets.

Proper brushing and the right handling of sweets helps to preserve the valuable teeth and saves your child from many a tear at the dentist later on.

The first visit to the dentist

Regular visits to the dentist should be part of the plan, even with good care. The first visit to the dentist is best when the child is between one and a half and two years old. Parents should not miss the six-monthly check-ups.