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What is Baby Bottle Tooth Decay?

Baby bottle tooth decay (also known as baby bottle tooth) is a condition that occurs when sweet liquids are allowed to have frequent contact with your baby’s teeth. A common cause of this ailment is putting your baby to bed with a bottle of formula, milk, juice, soda, or sugar water. This can also be caused by giving your child several sweet drinks throughout the day. According to the ADA, “As soon as a baby’s first teeth appear, usually by age six months or so, the child is susceptible to decay.” 1

Treatment of baby bottle tooth decay varies greatly, from fluoride application to full coverage of teeth with stainless steel or veneered crowns, depending on the progression of the decay. It is best to contact your pediatric dentist as soon as possible to evaluate your child’s risk.

How you can help to prevent baby bottle tooth decay?

Baby bottle tooth decay is a very serious condition; however, there are several ways in which you can prevent the disease from taking place. Prevention methods for infants range from teaching your child to drink from a cup at an early age, cleaning his/her mouth after feedings, brushing at the first sign of teeth, and using a clean pacifier as opposed to a bottle to calm your baby between feedings.

Prevention of baby bottle tooth decay does not stop with toddlers. You should brush your child’s teeth twice a day and make sure that your child receives enough fluoride. If your local municipal water does not contain fluoride, contact your dentist to ask how your child can get it.

Consult your physician or dental professional if using another fluoridated product.

1 “Early Childhood Tooth Decay (Baby Bottle Tooth Decay)”, www.ada.org

Consult your physician or dental professional if using another fluoridated product.

Helpful Tips
for Parents

Ponder the Pacifier

Whether or not to use pacifiers is an age-old debate, but the American Academy of Pediatrics gives it the thumbs up through the first year of life. Sucking is comforting, familiar and calming to babies and a pacifier can be the ideal way to provide contentment between feedings.
More

Drive Time

You’re always careful to protect your baby from the sun’s harmful rays with sunscreen, clothing and a hat when he’s outdoors. But did you know he also needs protection when he rides in the car for an extended period? The glass in car windows blocks some but not all ultraviolet rays that can cause sunburn, so if possible, move his car seat out of direct sunlight and apply broad spectrum children’s sunscreen to his exposed skin.

Hand in Hand

Are you wondering whether your baby will be right-handed or left-handed? Be patient; it may be months or years before you know for sure. Most babies start showing a preference for reaching for things with their right hands between six and nine months, but it’s not until they’re 18 months or older that they start using their preferred hand more consistently. By age three or four, their handedness should be fairly evident. If it’s not, you may want to talk to your pediatrician.

Source: “How Handedness Develops in Infants,” by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P., www.drspock.com, June 10, 2001