Parents want their children to have healthy, strong and beautiful teeth. How can you make sure your child has good teeth? Starting today we are launching a series on oral health care for children. Caring for baby teeth starts during pregnancy Babies start teething at around 6 months of age, so many people think that tooth development starts at this time. In fact, this belief is not entirely true. The development of teeth goes through a long and complex physiological process. Take a tooth for example: for example, it takes about 2 years from the beginning of the development of the milk incisor to the complete formation of the tooth root, while the permanent incisor takes about 10 years to complete. The development of teeth is divided into three main stages: germ formation, calcification and eruption. When the mother is about 6 weeks pregnant, the 20 milk teeth germ formation begins in the fetus’ mouth. During the 5-10 months of fetal life, the tooth germ of permanent teeth begins to form. The growth and development of teeth can be roughly divided into stages such as germ formation, beginning of calcification, crown formation and root formation. During the embryonic period, the embryos of all the milk teeth are formed and calcified, and the embryos of the incisors, cusps and first permanent molars of the permanent teeth are formed. In other words, when the child is born, there are already 20 milk tooth germ and 16 permanent tooth germ in the body. Therefore, the health of the mother during pregnancy directly affects the health of the child’s teeth. Some children have missing new teeth, some children lose their baby teeth in pieces before they are born, and some children have missing permanent teeth, usually at the incisal end of the incisors or the cusp of the molars. In the case of multiple, symmetrical teeth, this is mainly due to diseases of the mother and baby during the development of the teeth, i.e. from around the second month of pregnancy to within 2 years of birth. For example, severe pregnancy reaction, calcium deficiency, fever, rickets or severe malnutrition. In the case of individual teeth, it is usually permanent teeth that show enamel defects, often due to recurrent infections of the root tips of the milk teeth. Also, pregnant mothers need to refuse to smoke and stay away from second-hand smoke. Medical studies have shown that regular or passive smoking by pregnant mothers can lead to malformations in the jaws or mouth of the fetus, leading to many dental problems and periodontal disease. This is very serious. The development of teeth requires nutrients such as protein, vitamins (e.g. vitamins A, D, C) and minerals (e.g. calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, fluoride). Vitamin D is needed for the deposition of calcium and phosphorus; lack of vitamin C can cause underdevelopment of teeth, atrophy of alveolar bone, easy bleeding and edema of gums; lack of vitamin A causes keratinization degeneration of epithelial cells throughout the body, delayed growth of teeth, poor tooth development, especially on the development of enamel, making the color of teeth turn chalky. When there is a lack of fluorine in the body, teeth will be easily decayed and more caries will occur; however, when too much fluorine is consumed, the enamel of teeth will have brownish mottling and be fragile and easy to break. In order for the child to grow a good mouthful of milk teeth and lay a good foundation for the normal growth of permanent teeth, pregnant women should pay attention to nutrition during pregnancy. Especially in the last three months of pregnancy, you should increase the intake of calcium-containing foods and increase the intake of protein. Nutrition should also be emphasized after the child is born and throughout childhood. Foods rich in calcium, phosphorus and vitamins A, D and C include milk and dairy products, soy products, liver, fish, shrimp, eggs, fresh vegetables and fruits. Children should be allowed to participate in outdoor activities regularly and take a certain amount of vitamins A and D (such as oral cod liver oil drops) daily if necessary to ensure that they grow a good mouthful of teeth.