Prophylaxis | Caries in children

Prophylaxis

As parents, avoid giving your child an increased sugar intake. To ensure this, you should know the different types of sugar and where they can be hidden. There are several different types of sugar: Bacteria can metabolise glucose and fructose most easily.

Sugars belong to the carbohydrates. No living being can exist without carbohydrates. They are the most important suppliers of energy.

Above all, our cells can gain fast energy from them. The bacteria in the oral cavity also need carbohydrates. The waste product is acids, which attack the teeth.

Sugar substitutes such as xylitol cannot be digested by the bacteria and therefore hardly contribute to the development of caries. Hidden sugars are found in ketchup, lemonades, fruit juices or canned vegetables, for example. Of course there are differences here.

The sugar in fruit juice is not as highly concentrated as in lemonade. Fruit sugar is less harmful than ordinary industrial sugar. However, it should not be drunk too often and only very diluted (e.g. water : juice in the ratio 2:1).

Do not let your children drink the juice or spritzer from a bottle. There is an increased risk of tooth decay. Milk teeth can be “sealed” by the dentist.

Here a kind of protective layer of plastic resin is applied over the tooth surface. This procedure is absolutely painless. The dentist only has to clean and dry the teeth thoroughly.

The primary purpose of sealing is to preserve the permanent teeth. The first permanent molars, for example, grow between five and seven years of age. A sealant lasts on average about four years.

Seals are harmless to health. Allergies rarely occur.It goes without saying that the teeth must be thoroughly cleaned on a regular basis. Dentists recommend fluoride toothpaste, which hardens the teeth.

Teeth should also be brushed for small children. Even in early childhood, it is important to make sure that the toothbrush is not too hard to protect the gums, which protectively surround the necks of the teeth and provide support for the entire tooth. With the type of bristles the spirits are divided.

But in general it can be said that a normal toothbrush with straight bristles definitely serves its purpose! Children should visit the dentist twice a year for a check-up.

  • Fructose (Fructose)
  • Dextrose (glucose)
  • Milk sugar (lactose)