Dental healthy diet for children

A healthy, balanced diet strengthens children's teeth and gums. Calcium occupies a special position here. The mineral is not only important for the formation of teeth, but also promotes dental health, even when the dear little ones are long grown up.

Calcium is found primarily in milk and dairy products. Around 250 milliliters of milk and 50 to 60 grams of cheese a day are enough to supply the body with sufficient calcium. Calcium-rich vegetables, such as broccoli, fennel or kale, and calcium-rich mineral water with over 150 mg of calcium per liter also serve as good sources of calcium.

A healthy diet for children: Why children should always chew well

Our saliva is the body's own supplier of calcium and is particularly activated by chewing. With or after eating, saliva flow is increased to flush food residues and bacteria from the teeth. In addition, the calcium and the phosphate also contained in saliva harden the teeth and neutralize the acids that damage teeth. Therefore, offer your child mainly foods that he or she has to chew intensively, for example wholemeal bread, muesli and other cereal products as well as raw vegetable food and fruit, for example carrots or apples. Saliva production is also stimulated by chewing sugar-free gum. You can offer your child a piece of gum after a meal, as soon as he or she is able to avoid swallowing it unintentionally.

A healthy diet for children: sweets in moderation only

As with adults, sugar is harmful to children's teeth. It does not matter which sugar is consumed. Whether it is glucose, fructose, lactose, maltose or honey or syrup, the caries bacteria in the mouth use all sugars to form damaging acid.

Nevertheless, your child can eat sweets from time to time. However, make sure that you take the right amount and try to limit the consumption of sugary products to the main meals if possible. Afterwards, it is best for your child to brush his or her teeth or at least rinse the mouth thoroughly with clear water.

Tooth-healthy nutrition: Beware of teat-bottle caries

It is particularly harmful for the teeth if your child regularly drinks sugary beverages from a teat bottle. Continuous sucking causes the milk teeth to be continuously washed around with sweet or acidic drinks. The teeth cannot fend off the constant acid attack, and caries develops. So-called teat bottle caries is painful and a major problem in infancy and toddlerhood. Diseased baby teeth can affect the child's overall health. Also, realize that although baby teeth (should) fall out later, they serve an important function before then: They serve as placeholders for the permanent teeth and are important for the child's speech development.

A feeding bottle should always contain either water or unsweetened tea at mealtimes. The bottle should never be used for constant self-service or for soothing in bed. From the age of two, the child should learn to drink independently from a normal cup.

Brushing teeth regularly: Just as important as a tooth-healthy diet.

No matter how healthy you feed your child: Dental plaque always forms - even at night when your child is neither eating nor drinking.

Therefore, from the first milk tooth on, make sure that your child brushes his or her teeth carefully and regularly. From the age of three, use an electric toothbrush, because it makes brushing easier and your child is more likely to forgive brushing mistakes.