Children “teething” at an age of approx. 6 months. As soon as the first milk teeth appear, it is important to keep them healthy. With the right nutrition, dental care and oral hygiene, parents set the course for the long-lasting dental health of their offspring. As your children’s dentist in Cologne, Dr. Langenbach looks after the healthy development of your child’s teeth and gives practical everyday tips on the subject of paediatric dentistry.
Tip for healthy children’s teeth #1 – Even milk teeth need dental care
Do not be fooled by the fact that milk teeth are inevitably replaced by “stronger” permanent teeth and therefore require less oral hygiene attention. Milk teeth need careful dental care from day one. They are more than just placeholders for the permanent teeth of your children.
Milk teeth enable your child to chew, which in turn promotes the development of the jaw. If your child has tooth decay in the milk teeth, this development will be impaired because your child will avoid chewing because of the pain. At the same time, there is a risk of caries bacteria being transferred from the milk teeth to the permanent teeth underneath.
Caries can quickly affect your child’s overall health, especially in young children. In addition to pain, fever is a common side effect of tooth decay in milk teeth. Children’s dentist Dr. Langenbach therefore recommends: “Prevent this and start with children’s dental care as soon as you see the first milk tooth.
Tip for healthy children’s teeth #2 – Parents set an example in the fight against tooth decay
Make it part of your education to teach your child to have fun brushing his teeth – for example with tooth brushing songs or the common way to the sink. Children naturally copy their parents’ behaviour; if you neglect your own dental hygiene, your child will adapt to it. In addition, tooth decay is transmitted in no time at all: If you have tooth decay, it can quickly pass to your child by kissing or sucking from spoons.
One of the most underestimated caries producers are teat bottles, baby cups and drinking bottles with suction valves, which cause so-called teat bottle caries. This is caused by sugary drinks, but also by drinking several times between meals, which impairs the natural production of saliva. Our tip: Don’t calm your child with the handle to the beak cup, but get him used to drinking from the cup early on.
If your child has ever had tooth decay despite good dental care, come to the Dr. Langenbach dental practice and we will be happy to help your child.
Tip for healthy children’s teeth #3 – Parental & medical control
Brushing your teeth together in the family bathroom is fun! As a parent, you are also responsible for controlling your child’s dental hygiene. For small children, the dental practice Dr. Langenbach recommends that you always brush your child’s teeth, as the motor skills of children of this age are not yet fully developed. You should also check your children’s oral hygiene regularly at a later age.
Your dental practice in Cologne and your pediatric dentist Dr. Langenbach cordially invite you to bring your child with you to your check-up appointments at an early age. In this way your child will get used to the new environment. From the age of 6, we recommend six-monthly visits to the dentist for dental prophylaxis and check-ups. Once your child is familiar with the dental practice and dentist Dr. Langenbach, the fear of the dentist must remain outside.
Tip for healthy children’s teeth #4 – Fluorides strengthen teeth
In combination with our calcium-containing saliva, fluorides strengthen the enamel and make teeth harder and more resistant to tooth decay. If you live in the Munich or Karlsruhe area, you can even enjoy a healthy fluoride content in your drinking water.
The external supply of fluorides represents a recommendable prophylaxis – under professional control also for children’s teeth. We advise you to consult your child’s dentist Dr. Langebach before starting self-therapy in order to adjust the dosage and application individually to your child and its teeth.
In addition to everyday tips, such as the use of fluoride-containing table salt, there are two applications in particular, both of which supplement conventional dental care but never replace it:
Fluoride tablets harden the tooth substance from the inside even before your child’s first teeth.
Fluoride-containing toothpaste is a child-friendly alternative, but can only be used when your child has learned to spit out the toothpaste instead of swallowing it.
Tip for healthy children’s teeth #5 – a calcium-rich, low-sugar diet
A healthy diet is the most effective prophylaxis against diseases and damage to children’s teeth because it directly addresses the causes of tooth decay. The renunciation of sugar is obvious, as caries bacteria feed on conventional, but also on milk and fructose. Especially sweetened drinks are poison for children’s teeth; lemonades, iced tea and juices often contain not only sugar but also harmful citric acids that attack the tooth enamel.
Calcium is all the more important in child nutrition. The mineral is produced in saliva, but with milk products, calcium-rich mineral water, fennel or broccoli you can help to supply your child with calcium. Up to the age of 3, you can cover your child’s daily calcium requirements with a glass of milk and a slice of cheese.
If you don’t want to do without sugar, careful dental care is all the more important. The advice from your dentist in Cologne: Give your child only sweets after the three main meals, so that the teeth build up minerals again in the breaks between meals, and then control the thorough brushing of your teeth.
Only acidic foods and drinks are an exception. Wait here for 30 minutes so that the enamel calms down, so that your child does not push the abrasion of the enamel during dental care. It is sufficient to rinse the mouth with water after eating.
Tip for healthy children’s teeth #6 – Chewing is important
The sight of dainty teeth tempts many parents to refrain from chewing intensive food when feeding their children. Chewing is immensely important for the development of the child’s tooth structure. Chewing promotes the important flow of saliva, supplies the teeth with minerals and also flushes food residues out of the mouth.
In combination with a calcium-rich diet, Zahnarztpraxis Dr. Langenbach in Cologne advises parents to take the following healthy snacks:
- an apple with yoghurt
- a wholemeal bread with cheese
- a carrot and a glass of milk
Everyday tips for healthy children’s teeth at a glance
Parents have a number of simple, uncomplicated ways to ensure their children’s dental health. Even without fluoride tablets or a change in diet, you can help your child to a radiant smile, which he will proudly present on his first visit to the children’s dentist:
- Care for the milk teeth, for example with a damp cotton swab.
- Have fun with dental hygiene.
- Be a good example: Children’s dental health begins in the mouth of the
- Do not spread germs: Do not suck away food spoons while feeding your baby.
- Brushing and checking – accompany your child while he or she brushes his or her teeth!
- Take your child to the dentist early.
- Cook with table salt containing fluoride.
- Sugar and caffeine damage children’s teeth – blacklist iced tea!
- Make sure your diet is rich in calcium.
- Guarantee breaks between meals to recover your teeth.
- Give your child sweets only after the three main meals.
We will also be happy to discuss more extensive measures with you, such as sealing the molars. However, we first recommend conventional methods of pediatric dentistry, with which you can “very easily” ensure healthy children’s teeth.