All About Baby Bottle Decay

 
How many anxious parents out there have despaired when noticing their young child's teeth turning black? 


Or, when many or all their teeth appear eaten up or broken down?

 Hang on, take heart. It is not as mysterious or impossible to deal with as it might seem.

Modern pediatric dentistry can and does come to the rescue for your baby.

What has been just been described is a classic example of nursing bottle caries, also referred to as baby bottle decay or Early childhood caries (cavities). And, there are ways to treat and to prevent the condition.
   

   So, What IS Baby Bottle Decay?

   Essential Factors

For decay to occur on any tooth - whether in children or adults - the following factors are essential:

        1) The tooth surface itself! So, the strength and hardness of the surface plays a major role.

2) Bacteria. There are only a few types of bacteria that specifically cause decay -so if your saliva has more of those ,then ,well , its like you drew a bad hand in a game of cards - you're stuck with it - so you will have to just be extra careful and vigilant with your child about dental hygiene and good habits.             

 

3) Food Substrates. If there are food particles (even too tiny to be seen by the naked eye such as those in formula and juices) left behind on the tooth surface  to rot - especially fermentable carbohydrates - then they will act like adding fuel to a fire. They consume the fuel and leave a gaping  hole in the tooth in the process. 

 

   Fementable Carbohydrates What??

 It is here that the bottle formula for children becomes the main culprit of baby bottle decay.

You see, any fermentable  carbohydrates - whether from milk or other sweetened formulations or from fruit juices or sodas - can be deadly for teeth. The former because bacteria act on them to produce acids and the latter because they are a direct source of  the acids themselves!

This acid then removes all the calcium and minerals from baby's tooth structure -- leaving it extremely softened  and vulnerable (in other words, decayed).

 What compounds the issue is a child being allowed to sleep with the bottle. This leaves the sugar just sitting on the teeth for a long time and causes extensive damage of the child's teeth. 

   Can Baby Bottle Decay Be Treated Effectively?

Luckily for children today, pediatric dentistry now offers effective treatment options for baby bottle decay.

Teeth can be filled, capped or extracted as need be. And there is a choice of appliances that children can wear comfortably  to maintain teeth positions until their permanent teeth are ready to come in.

These procedures can be very scary for and wearing on the tiny children who get this condition. Small children at best don;t like sitting for long periods and less having their mouths held in one spot. 

Modern pediatric dentistry has developed some tools to aid in  keeping them quiet and less uncomfortable - from papoose boards to to cocood and prevent injury due to squirming to modern anesthesia with less risks (though never risk free). 

Still, the BEST treatment is always prevention.

   How Can You Prevent It?

The best place to start can be derived from it's name -- simply put, stop feeding with a bottle! ;-) Smiles, If only, it truly was that easy!

  

   But what you CAN DO, jokes apart, is make sure to:

         

a) Remove the bottle immediately after feeding
         

b) Wipe/clean your baby's/child's mouth after Every feeding. ***more so after even one tooth has come in-  which is usually by 6-7 months. This tip applies to after drinking any juices, too.
       

c ) Encourage healthy eating habits in the child one solid food eating starts - get them to chew well rather than be soft eaters.
           

d) In some instances, substituting sugar with xylitol may be beneficial. * Be sure to get your specialists go ahead before doing this.
         

e) Schedule regular dental appointments for your little one with a children's dentist - they are trained to look out and prevent such problems at an early stage.

Remember that, started early, your child grows up thinking of  dental appointments as a routine, necessary , and not unpleasant experience rather than something to be terrified about.

If you delay until the signs of baby bottle decay are already present, the unpleasantness of treatment could affect not only your wallet but your kids lifelong attitudes about dental care - something that has a large impact on over all health.

So let's use these tips to understand, prevent and stamp out baby bottle decay before it can take root in our kids teeth.

Karen Chu DMD
  

Please Share This Article! 

  

I'm reading: All About Baby Bottle Decay