Food and habits that keep teeth strong

The rule that changes everything: frequency

Every time your child eats or drinks something sugary, the teeth are “under acid attack” for about 20 minutes. A chocolate after lunch is one attack. The same sweets, a few at a time all afternoon, are ten.

• Sweets with the meal, not between meals
• Between meals: water. Only water.
• Juices, soft drinks and “kids’” drinks count as sweets – even natural juices
• Nuts, cheese, vegetables and whole fruit are the best snacks

The bottle and sleep

“Bottle decay” is the most common cause of extensive damage in children aged 1–3: the child falls asleep with milk or juice in the mouth and the front teeth “melt” within a few months.

• After the evening brushing, only water in the bottle
• Don’t put the child to sleep with the bottle in the mouth
• Start a cup by the first year, say goodbye to the bottle at 12–18 months
• Night breastfeeding after the first year, if it continues, calls for more careful brushing in the morning

Nancy’s tip

Never dip the pacifier in honey or sugar. And don’t “clean” it in your own mouth – that is how decay bacteria are passed on.

Pacifier and thumb

Until 2–3 years the pacifier does no harm. After 3, if it continues for many hours a day, it starts to affect the position of the teeth and the jaw. The thumb is harder to “quit”, so we stop it earlier and with patience – never with punishment.

• Goal: goodbye to the pacifier by 3
• Limit it to sleep first, then not at all
• A goodbye “ritual” (a gift, a sticker calendar) helps
• If thumb-sucking continues after 4, talk to us – there are simple solutions

Fluoride: teeth’s best friend

Fluoride strengthens enamel and can stop decay at its very start. In Greece the water is not fluoridated, so fluoride toothpaste and fluoride varnish at the clinic are our main tools.

• Fluoride toothpaste from the first tooth, in the right amount
• Fluoride varnish at the clinic every 6 months – painless, takes a minute
• Fluoride supplements only on the pediatric dentist’s advice

Small habits, big difference

• A school snack without croissant and juice: bread with cheese, fruit, water
• After a sweet, a glass of water or a piece of cheese
• Sugar-free gum (with xylitol) after 5–6, when brushing isn’t possible
• Each child their own brush and their own cup – decay bacteria are contagious