Dental care is important, even for babies and toddlers. But children don't realise this and usually resist brushing their teeth at first.
How do you care for young children's teeth?

Although teeth are not essential for life and we can eat without them, there are few people who would be satisfied with purees and soups.

The eye eats too, but the jaw also needs to be trained. Chewing also stimulates enzymes in the mouth and promotes digestion, makes it possible for vitamins and minerals to be absorbed by the body and, last but not least, chewing sends signals to the stomach to control the feeling of fullness.

Teeth are therefore very useful and their care in this sense is highly necessary.

So when do you start taking care of your baby's teeth, when they are still babies or when they are sitting at the family table and eating? Dentists advise that proper dental care should be carried out from the very first tooth.

However, this can be difficult in practice because, as we all know, babies usually start teething from the age of 5 or 6 months, some even earlier, others a little later. Nevertheless, what they all have in common is that they will neither be able to stand at the sink nor see dental care as a necessity. As a result, it may be necessary to use tricks to get the little ones to look into their mouths in the first place.

In preparation for the toothbrushing ritual, you should arouse your child's curiosity and often let them watch how you brush your teeth yourself.

Now you can start to run a damp cotton bud along the teeth to neutralise acids.

When the baby can hold it himself, he or she should be given his or her own toothbrush for the first attempts, whereby it is best to let the baby try it out on his or her own and then brush it thoroughly again later.

Toothpaste - yes, no, which one?

Opinions are divided here: dentists recommend brushing once a day, i.e. in the evening, with a toothpaste suitable for children. However, these products often state that they should not be used before the age of 2 or 3.

This is mainly due to the ingredients that can cause damage once they reach the stomach.

However, there are also products, usually from health food shops, which are suitable for babies and do not contain any surfactants, i.e. foaming substances, and are free from preservatives etc. These can be swallowed without any major concerns. These can be swallowed without any major concerns.

Nevertheless, rinsing out the mouth should be practised at the same time, initially by the father or mother rinsing some water into the mouth with their hand and encouraging the baby to spit it out.

The toothbrush

The right toothbrush should be soft and have short, rounded bristles, as hard brushes can irritate the gums too much.

Electric toothbrushes are also recommended for children, as they ensure that brushing movements are carried out correctly.

A few more useful tips

Tooth decay can be transferred from one mouth to another, as the bacteria that cause it stick to spoons and forks, so it is advisable to always let your child eat with their own cutlery.

Dental problems are not only caused by incorrect dental care, but also by bad habits. Constantly sucking on bottles is harmful, with juices because of the risk of tooth decay and with children over 3 years of age because the jaw can become deformed.

Sleeping permanently on one side only can also have serious consequences, as jaw displacements can occur that affect teeth and tooth growth.

Sweets should not be eaten last, because then no other food can take over the cleaning of the teeth.