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Children's dental care Parents should consider the end of elementary school
To prevent tooth decay, gingivitis and unpleasant toothache, there is nothing more important than brushing your teeth. This is sometimes difficult for small children. Parents should train their babies with their offspring and check them regularly.
Children need parental support
Proper dental hygiene is the best protection against tooth decay and other dental problems. Milk teeth already need a lot of care. Then the parents are in the duty, since the little ones are not even able to do so. It takes a while anyway for children to brush their teeth properly. "It's not until the end of elementary school that they can do it," Dirk Kropp, managing director of the ProDente initiative, told the dpa news agency. Until then, the motto is: practice, practice, practice.
Parents should keep an eye on their children's dental care at least until the end of primary school age. (Image: karelnoppe / fotolia.com) At the latest with three years toothbrush in the hand take
For this purpose, children should take the toothbrush into their own hands at the age of three at the latest. Nevertheless, the adults must always pay attention to how the offspring maintain their teeth, especially since younger children sometimes only stand in front of the mirror and dream or scrub always over a spot instead of really brushing their teeth. "Best to ask and be shown how the children clean and then pretend again," says Kropp's recommendation. If in doubt, the parents should clean up.
Children get used to cleaning early
The first teeth - usually these are the lower incisors - parents can first clean, for example, with a cotton ball or a soft child's toothbrush and once a day with a touch of child's toothpaste. Children get used to brushing their teeth early on. Kropp recommends that parents and their offspring should go to the dentist for a check-up every six months as soon as the first baby teeth are there. Ideally, a toothbrush with a small brush head should be chosen that is more rounded or oval in shape. In addition, attention should be paid to soft, rounded bristles.
Toothbrush with a thick handle
"Children have more sensitive gums, and the broken baby teeth are rather softer," says Kropp. The handle should be comfortable for children's hands and therefore slightly thicker. The ages of the manufacturers on the packaging can also give hints. "You can usually rely on them," said Kropp. The children's toothbrushes should be replaced every two to three months. The toothpaste should contain fluoride. If necessary, you can make yourself smart at Stiftung Warentest. This had only a few months ago tested various products and found that the toothpastes in the test were usually convincing.
Special children's toothpastes up to the age of six
According to Kropp, children's toothpastes that contain no more than 500 ppm of fluoride are suitable for children up to the age of six. Most of these information can be found on the back of the pack. In addition, children's toothpastes are usually slightly milder in taste than those for adults and therefore more popular among the little ones. Nutrition also plays an important role in protecting against tooth decay and other dental problems. So the very little ones should get as no sugary drinks as sweetened tea or fruit juice. And milk also damages the milk teeth when it is constantly in the mouth. (Ad)