German Dental Experts Advise Water as Best Summer Drink for Children

Dental professionals warn that frequent consumption of sugary and acidic beverages during the summer raises the risk of tooth decay in children. Data from the Robert Koch Institute shows that 13.7% of girls and 17.6% of boys aged 3 to 17 drink sweet drinks one to three times daily, with an additional 3.3% to 4.7% consuming them four times or more.

Prof. Dr. Yvonne Wagner, a pediatric dentist and director of the Dental Education Center in Stuttgart, advises that water or unsweetened tea are the safest thirst‑quenchers. She stresses that it is not necessary to ban ice cream, but children should avoid keeping their teeth in a constant cycle of sugar and acid exposure. The World Health Organization’s recommendation to limit free sugars and the German Nutrition Society’s guidance of 80–100 g of sugar per litre for many drinks support the call for healthier beverage choices.

Parents are encouraged to offer water regularly, limit sweet drinks to meals, and choose whole fruits over fruit‑based drinks, which still contain sugars and acids that can erode enamel.