Baby bottle tooth decay – Causes, Treatment and Prevention Tips
Dr. D.Sendhil Nathan MDS, DNB Prosthodontics And Implantology
Kids and children are highly susceptible to cavities. Tooth decay occurs in toddlers or babies are commonly known as baby bottle tooth decay or nursing caries. Such early childhood caries occurs mainly due to frequent feeding of sugary drinks to kids with a baby bottle.
Untreated baby bottle tooth decay can make a kid loses the teeth too early. Baby teeth (teeth erupt in the infanthood) are the placeholders for adult teeth. Early loss of baby tooth is associated with speech problems, crooked teeth and various life-threatening infections.
How do feeding bottles cause tooth decay in babies?
When you feed milk with added sugar or other sweetened liquids like fruit juices, sodas, flavored water with feeding bottles, the sugar in those liquids cling to the teeth for a long time. It is because the liquid enters into the mouth with a tiny opening which exposes the teeth and gums to the sugary drinks for a long period. Oral bacteria flourish with the sugar and turn it into an acid. The acidic substances weaken the enamel and cause cavities.
On the other hand, the pacifiers dipped with sweetened solutions or sugar solutions to soothe the kids also increase the risk rate of cavities.
Similarly, tooth decay in babies can also occur with poor oral hygiene actions like sharing saliva on spoons, cups or other appliances. For instance, if you share your cup with your toddler to feed, then the chances are higher for the oral bacteria transmit from your mouth to that kid.
The good news is, baby bottle tooth decay can be prevented if it is treated in the initial stage.
Treatments
When you notice atypical white spots on your little champ’s teeth, consult your dentist immediately. Pediatric dentists reveal that such abnormal spots on baby teeth are the initial symptoms of baby bottle tooth decay.
The treatments vary depending on the child’s age and severity of the infection. If the infection is diagnosed in the initial stage, then it can be fixed with a fluoride treatment. Fluoride can reverse the decay and restore the enamel surface. Meanwhile, the fluoride supplements recommended by dentists also aid in reversing tooth decay in baby teeth.
Keep in mind that the fluoride treatment is suitable to fix cavities in initial stages only. Moreover, you should indulge in actions like dietary changes to preserve your child’s teeth from cavities.
Baby bottle tooth decay prevention tips
- Limit feeding juice and other sweetened liquids with a feeding bottle.
- Substitute water for milk and other fluids
- Don’t let your child sleep with the feeding bottle in mouth
- Don’t coat or dip the pacifier in sweet solutions
- When your kid becomes 1 year old, feed him/her with a cup instead of feeding bottles.
Remember that early childhood caries happens because of the constant feeding of sugary drinks and improper teeth cleanings. Hence you should limit the feeding of sweetened solutions to your kids between meals. Likewise, clean the kid’s teeth with a wet cloth when the teeth begin to erupt. This practice will prevent developing cavities in milk teeth.
