Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
Dental Health
What is Baby Bottle Tooth Decay?
- Baby Bottle Tooth Decay (BBTD) is the main type of tooth decay in infants. Infants that have a bottle in bed or older toddlers that carry around a bottle or sippy cup during the day are at risk for this type of tooth decay.
- Baby Bottle Tooth Decay is often not noticed until about 1 year of age.
- The earliest sign is white spots on the baby teeth.
- Brown spots are usually a sign of more advanced decay.
- The upper front teeth (incisors) are usually damaged first.
What Causes Baby Bottle Tooth Decay?
- The normal bacteria in the mouth change the sugar from beverages to an acid.
- The enamel (protective coating) of baby teeth is only half the thickness of an eggshell. The acid can easily eat through this coating if left on the teeth for a long time.
Things that create acid on the teeth:
- Infants and children who sleep or nap with a bottle that contain anything but water. Beverages, including juice and milk, have sugar in them.
- Prolonged use of sugary drinks in sippy cups. This is a leading cause of pediatric tooth decay.
- Pacifiers or bottles dipped in sugar or honey.
- When a child sleeps they have less saliva which helps to keep their mouth clean. Bacteria and acid develops easier.
How to Avoid Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
- Never give your infant a crib bottle.
- Do not bottle-feed your baby until he falls asleep. This is the most common cause of bottle dependency and may eventually cause sleep problems. Your child will expect a bottle as a transition into sleep, even with normal awakenings during the night.
- Separate the last bottle-feeding of the evening from bedtime.
- Do not allow your infant to think that the bottle belongs to him. He will not voluntarily give it back.
- Do not allow your infant to have a tote or companion bottle during the day.
- Do not give a bottle in place of a pacifier, security object, toy, or being held.
- Give a bottle only during mealtimes.
- Introduce a cup by 6 months of age. Introducing a cup is the best way to prevent bottle dependency. Do not expect a child to start weaning himself from the bottle unless he has been exposed to a cup.
- If your child uses a bottle, stop using it by age one. Do not expect weaning to occur in a day or a week. It may take gradual exposure to a cup for 3 months or longer for a child to prefer a cup over a bottle.
- If your infant has developed a bottle habit, continue to give him the bottle, but fill it only with water. Water cannot harm tooth enamel. Your child may find water to be boring, which will help him to eventually give up his bottle. The bottle itself is not harmful.
How is Baby Bottle Tooth Decay Treated?
It is always best to prevent Baby Bottle Tooth decay. Some parents may find it difficult to take away the bottle completely. Talk to a dentist about ideas that may work for you. If a child continues to use a bottle past age one he is at higher risk of Baby Bottle Tooth Decay. Although it can be treated, it can have negative effects on a child, such as:
- If the problem is detected at an early stage, the teeth can have fillings or stainless steel caps placed.
- If the decay is severe, the decayed teeth will need to be pulled out.
- If BBTD is not discovered and treated, decay will eventually destroy the teeth causing them to break off at the gumline. The decay will continue to destroy the root of the tooth and cause ongoing pain.
If a child has teeth pulled, he may have the following problems:
- May not be able to chew well without the missing teeth.
- May get teased about the missing teeth.
- The permanent teeth may come in crooked or be crowded because the baby teeth are no longer there to save the appropriate space.
Links about Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
About Tooth Decay
American Academy of Pediatrics—http://www.aap.org/publiced/BR_ToothDecay.htmBaby Bottle Tooth Decay
American Dental Association—http://www.ada.org/public/topics/decay_childhood.asp
American Family Physician—http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000101/20000101b.html
Family Physician—http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/food/infants/formulafeed_concerns.html
