"Little Teeth Need Big Friends!" states the mission of the Toothfriendly Foundation. Under this slogan, the Foundation carries out its caries prevention programs in needy regions. But what are the little teeth and who are the big friends?

"Little teeth" belong to children, who are born in less developed countries and lack the basic knowledge of dental care", explains Dr. Albert Bär, the spokesperson of the Foundation. "Children from needy regions are the ones who need our help the most."

Numerous studies show that caries is a problem especially in less developed countries, where sugar consumption is increasing due to the westernized consumption behavior, but good dental services are still unavailable. According to Dr. Bär, the combination of poor oral hygiene and expanding sugar consumption is particularly harmful.

"In Europe we have an excellent model for caries prevention: tooth brushing and fluoride use is part of our daily life. And everybody knows what sugar does to teeth. Children from underprivileged families do not necessarily grow up with this knowledge. Lack of dental health education is a tragedy. Caries prevention should be widely applied, also in poor countries."

"This is why we need the "big friends", explains Dr. Bär. "Our big friends are prevention-minded individuals or organizations who wish to support the Foundation's work. Our caries prevention programs bring dental health education to countries, where caries still remains a major burden to the lives of thousands of children."