Tooth decay can occur in the mouths of infants and young children when there is prolonged or frequent exposure to liquids containing sugars.This could come from naturally occurring sugar present in juices, milk, breast milk or formula. It could also result from sugar being added to water.The best plan for prevention is to never lay a child down with a bottle.
When a child is placed in their crib with a bottle for a nap or bedtime, the teeth are exposed to the liquids for a long period of time and pool around the teeth as the child sleeps. (Laying down with a bottle also presents a choking hazard.) This places the child’s teeth at risk of an acid attack that happens when the bacteria naturally present in the mouth use the sugars found in the liquids as foods. As this happens, an acid is produced that is harmful to teeth.
Aside from not putting a child to bed with a bottle, there are a few other things you can do to prevent baby bottle tooth decay. Take these tips from the American Dental Association. Never dip a pacifier into sugar or honey then give to a child, as you are feeding the bacteria and encouraging acid attacks on the teeth. (Also, honey should never be given to a child under one year of age, due to the risk of infant botulism.)
Always wipe your baby’s gums after feeding, even if they have no teeth yet. Wipe with a clean, damp washcloth or something similar. When teeth do begin to emerge from the gums, use a soft bristled toothbrush with plain water to brush teeth daily. Don’t use toothpaste until the child is around two years of age, due to risk of them swallowing the fluoride in the toothpaste. A small, pea sized amount of fluoride toothpaste can be used after age two if you feel confident your child is able to spit it out instead of swallow it. Always supervise brushing. It is also advisable for an adult to assist with brushing the child’s teeth until at least the age of 6 to ensure thorough brushing.
The child should be encouraged to finish a bottle before bedtime or nap time. It is also strongly recommended that juice or soft drinks never be placed in bottles. Use bottles for only plain water, milk, formula, or pumped breast milk. Start encouraging use of a cup around one year of age, limiting the use of sippy type cups.
Parents and other caregivers should also be aware that their own saliva could contribute to the development of dental caries in the children in their care if their saliva contains cavity causing bacteria that comes into contact with the child’s mouth. This can easily happen by using the same spoon or fork, or putting something in their mouth that then comes in contact with the child’s mouth. Basically, any time saliva could be exchanged poses a threat to the child’s teeth if the adult has cavity causing bacteria present in the mouth.
Make sure your child gets adequate fluoride to help prevent cavities. Even though you should not brush a baby’s teeth with fluoride toothpaste until age two, there are other ways to provide the necessary fluoride. Most city water supplies contain fluoridated water. If you are using formula and use this water for making the formula, this a way to supply fluoride.If you are not on a city water supply, consult a dentist as to how to get the recommended supply of fluoride. If you do not like using tap water for formula making, consider buying the fluoridated nursery water for preparing formula. Or, add this to mix a child’s infant cereals. For breast-fed babies who do not use formula or drink much water, consult your pediatrician as they may recommend you give the baby a fluoride supplement.
To promote the development of healthy teeth, give your child a healthy diet with limited sweets. Practice good oral hygiene and make regular dental appointments for checkups and cleanings. You may want to call your child’s dentist after the first teeth erupt to see when they recommend the first checkup.
Baby bottle tooth decay can be very serious and lead to surgery or even damage to permanent teeth if left untreated. The best way is to prevent it from ever happening in the first place. Keep those pearly whites healthy from the beginning, and your child will have a lot to smile about in the future.