Children and sweets are inseparable, and sweets are one of the main causes of caries.
You may be taking very good care of your child’s oral hygiene, yet caries still appears. If you look closely at a child’s teeth, especially the chewing surfaces of the back teeth, you will see very fine and sometimes quite deep grooves – the fissures of the tooth. Unfortunately, no toothbrush can reach these areas, and food debris that stays there for a long time leads to caries.
Caries is caused most of all by lollipops, which children suck for a long time and often. However, even in such cases, caries can be avoided with fissure sealing. This is done when the tooth has just erupted, the enamel is undamaged and harmful microbes have not yet got into the grooves.
At this stage, after preparation, we can fill these grooves (fissures) with a special liquid material, a “sealant”. As a result, the grooved surface of the tooth becomes smooth and much easier to clean with a brush. This method guarantees protection against caries for several years. A “sealant” is a filling with a liquid consistency; it contains fluoride, which enriches the tooth enamel and strengthens it as well as protecting it. It is best to fill the grooves on the tooth surface with “sealants” as soon as the tooth erupts, or as soon as possible afterwards.
The most harmful sweets
No, it’s not chocolate. It’s caramel and so-called lollipops, which create a favorable environment for bacteria in the mouth, damage the enamel and cause caries.
To keep teeth healthy, a complete ban isn’t necessary. Just teach your child how to take care of their mouth. What’s more, this should become such a firm habit that they do it without thinking. Ate a candy? Rinse your mouth with water or bite into an apple.
