Learn About Baby Bottle Tooth Decay & How You Can Prevent It
What Causes Baby Bottle Tooth Decay?
Baby teeth can get cavities as soon as they begin erupting into the mouth. It is vital to do everything you can to prevent cavities in your baby’s teeth.
When your baby consumes any sugar, even natural sugars from milk, the natural oral bacteria in their mouth eat away at those sugars and turn them into acid, which then attacks the teeth. These attacks on the teeth will eventually cause the enamel to break down and lead to cavities. The more frequently these acid attacks happen, the more susceptible to cavities your baby will be. The most crucial factors involved in cavity risk are the amount of sugar consumed and the frequency of exposure to sugar. Baby bottle tooth decay most often occurs in the upper front teeth because this is where the milk passes by, but it can also affect the bottom and back teeth. Cavities look like a brown or stained area and may be associated with chipping. Here are several tips when it comes to protecting your baby from cavities.
Tips To Prevent Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
- Before your baby has any teeth, use a damp cloth or gauze to wipe their gums after a bottle and before bed
- As soon as your baby has at least one tooth, begin using a small toothbrush to clean their teeth after a bottle and before bed
- Never put your baby to bed with a bottle of anything besides water
- Always brush your baby’s teeth before bed, after their last bottle
- Never put juice or any sweetened liquid into your baby’s bottle
- Never dip your baby’s soother into anything sweet
- Try to eliminate the bottle and encourage drinking from a cup around 1 year old
- Never transfer a spoon or utensil from your mouth to your baby’s mouth
- Begin using a grain of rice size amount of fluoridated toothpaste around the age of 3
- Begin flossing your baby’s teeth as soon as there is contact between 2 teeth
- Help your child brush and floss their teeth until around the age of 8
Did you know?
Bacteria can be passed from mother to baby by transfer of saliva. This means that if a mother passes a utensil she put in her mouth to her baby or sucks a pacifier before giving it to her baby, she is passing her cavity-causing bacteria to her baby and increasing the risk for cavities.