Most parents think that their children’s milk teeth don’t need to be cared for very well because they fall out after a certain time anyway. This misbelief is widespread. In order for your children’s teeth to develop well, healthy milk teeth are a basic requirement.
You should therefore clean your child’s very first milk tooth every day with a small child’s toothbrush or cotton swab. The filigree toothbrush for your child’s teeth has particularly soft and small bristles. With the help of these bristles, the plaque on your children’s milk teeth can be removed without any problems. Brushing the milk teeth not only removes the food residues, but also the annoying plaque on the teeth, which can attack the enamel.
Milk teeth – Train your child to brush their teeth
Already after the third year of your children’s life, they can brush their teeth independently. Teach your loved ones how to brush their teeth with playful exercises and motivate your children to take care of their teeth. Just play a cheerful tune while brushing your teeth to show your children how much fun it is to clean their milk teeth.
And don’t forget that your children look up to you, so keep your role model function. Together with your children, clean your teeth thoroughly after meals and integrate them into everyday life.
Preventive examination of milk teeth
If your child receives the first tooth, the first preventive examination at your dentist is necessary. This will allow your child to get used to the visit to the dentist and will show that it is not bad to go to the dentist. In addition, problems with the milk teeth will be avoided at an early stage, as defects can be repaired quickly.
The right technique for cleaning milk teeth
Always show your child how to brush the milk teeth in the same order. This means that it doesn’t matter where you start cleaning, but it’s important to follow a fixed schedule so that your child can remember the technique well. This will also prevent any tooth from being left out during the cleaning process. Please note that it is allowed to brush back and forth on the chewing surface of the milk teeth, as this will not damage the gums. Circular movements are recommended for cleaning the cheek teeth and incisors on the outer surface in order to also gently clean the gums. In the inner area of the milk teeth, you can clean the teeth using the “Ausfege” technique.
Please note that children are usually not able to imitate the movements exactly. Therefore, you should always show your little ones the correct cleaning technique and remind them how best to clean milk teeth.
Brush the milk teeth of your children after
Children under the age of three usually cannot hold the toothbrush properly. Therefore, show your children from the age of three how they should clean their milk teeth. Unfortunately, the little ones are often not able to clean more than the chewing surface of the milk teeth. From the age of four, you can try to teach your children how to clean the outer surface of their milk teeth. Between the ages of five and six, your children have already learned their first fine motor skills, which is why the cleaning of the inner surface of the teeth can be trained.
Especially with children who have not yet reached the age of six, it is necessary that you “clean” the milk teeth at least once a day. This is because the fine motor skills of your children are not yet fully developed and they usually have little patience to clean their teeth effectively. Praise your children after brushing their teeth and show them that you only polish them once more over their milk teeth.
The right toothpaste for milk teeth
Regular brushing of your child’s milk teeth is not the only important stage in maintaining dental health. The right toothpaste is also very important when cleaning your baby’s milk teeth. Use fluoride toothpaste for your baby’s small teeth if they already have their first milk tooth. Normally the first teeth come at the age of six months, but it is also possible to get the first tooth later or earlier. Fluoride toothpaste can help prevent your child from developing tooth decay.
When brushing milk teeth, use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste if your child is between three and six years old. The optimal amount of fluoride in toothpaste for milk teeth is 1350 to 1500 ppm. Brush your child’s teeth twice a day for two to three minutes. The most effective method is to brush your baby’s milk teeth after breakfast and before going to bed. It is advisable to supervise the brushing of your children’s teeth up to the age of eight.
Milk teeth are susceptible to tooth decay
Especially when your child is still very young and is getting the first teeth, these are especially small. Due to your child’s delicate milk teeth, the dentin and enamel are also much thinner and not completely mineralized. This also promotes the development of dental diseases such as tooth decay. This is exactly why it is important that you show your children how to take optimal care of their milk teeth. Also make sure that your child brushes his or her teeth after eating sugared food to prevent mouth problems. In this way, your child can prevent tooth decay and show healthy teeth even in adolescence.
It is refined sugars that ensure that the acid balance in your child’s mouth becomes unbalanced and that the enamel is damaged. This is why the risk of tooth decay is particularly high after eating desserts. Sweets that only dissolve slowly in the mouth are particularly harmful. Fructose is just as dangerous as refined sugar. Therefore control the consumption of sweets or give your child unsweetened food. Especially dried fruits such as dates or raisins, which also taste very good to children, are recommended.