Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

Baby Bottle Tooth Decay: It's easy to avoid, important to prevent

Protecting your baby from baby bottle tooth decay needs to begin early, before the first tooth appears. The primary teeth (baby teeth) require care because they help develop good speaking and eating habits and reserve space for permanent teeth.

While most one-year-olds have healthy teeth, five percent develop a form of rampant tooth decay called "baby bottle tooth decay" soon after the top primary teeth begin to come in (six to seven months of age). The bacteria that cause this decay form when a baby's teeth are in prolonged contact with formula, breast milk, fruit juice, or other sweet drinks.

Baby bottle tooth decay occurs more frequently in babies who go to bed with a bottle, but it can also occur in babies who breast feed intermittently during the night or drink from a bottle off and on throughout the day.

This kind of tooth decay affects mainly the upper teeth, probably because the baby's tongue covers the lower teeth during nursing. Decay starts at the gum line in the front teeth and, if not promptly treated, spreads to include other teeth as they come in.

The consequences to the child's appearance, nutrition and speech development can be severe. To protect your baby from this condition, follow these guidelines for oral health:
Clean your baby's mouth at least once a day. Massage and wash with a wet wash cloth inside the lips, cheeks, all around the tongue, the roof of the mouth, and all along both upper and lower gum pads where the teeth will form later. This process should become part of the daily bath to encourage the child to brush his teeth at least once each day, before bedtime being the most important brushing of the day. Do not use toothpaste at this young age.

As soon as your baby's teeth start to come in, offer breast or a bottle only at three-or-four-hour intervals during the day, and at mealtimes. Don't allow at-will breast feeding during the night. If your baby is bottle fed, don't prop the bottle. Don't allow the baby to nurse while sleeping or take the bottle with him when he gets down from a meal.
Don't allow your baby to use the bottle as a toy or a daytime companion. A pacifier may be substituted, but don't put honey or other sweeteners on the nipple. Don't put your baby to bed with a bottle at night or at naptime. If your baby has gotten used to a bottle in bed and refuses to sleep without it, try filling the bottle with water (which is harmless to the teeth).

Take your baby for a first dental visit by 6 to 12 months of age. Wean your baby from breast or bottle to a cup by 10 to 12 months of age to reduce the incidence of baby bottle tooth decay.