I’m wondering how many parents have heard the word "baby bottle tooth decay". Your kids may possibly have had the disease, but you didn’t realize it. Then let's read this article to learn about the baby bottle tooth decay, for the sake of the healthy growth of your kids.

1. What is baby bottle tooth decay?

Baby bottle tooth decay, also called early childhood caries, is essentially tooth decay or dental caries of baby teeth caused by baby’s sucking on the feeding bottle without interruption during sleep. The most common symptom is the extensive decays on the labial and proximal surfaces of the upper front teeth. Once dental caries is formed, it cannot heal automatically. Baby bottle tooth decay often happens to children of 2, 3 or 4 years old. Mothers can see that there are large black decays in the upper incisors of their children. In severe cases, the decayed part will fall off.

2. How does the baby bottle tooth decay arise?

When babies suck on the nipple of the feeding bottle, the milk will directly attaches to the surface of their teeth. In addition, babies usually have fun during bottle feeding, and it is easy for them to fall asleep on a full stomach. Since the flow of saliva decreases during sleep time, the milk attached to the teeth can hardly be removed. If the babies sleep with the nipple in their mouths, there’s no way to give them a dental cleaning. In such condition, the bacteria in the mouth will multiply and break down the tooth structure. As time passes by, the teeth will be decalcified and the crown will come off to form the black root or tiny broken tooth, thus causing the baby bottle tooth decay.

3. What are the hazards of the baby bottle tooth decay?

(1) Cause the inflammation of the tooth nerve

Rampant baby bottle tooth decay may lead to the inflammation of tooth nerve that will make the baby cry, become restless and sleepless, and even refuse to eat in certain severe cases, further influencing the baby’s growth and development.

(2) Affect the feeding and the maxillofacial development

Baby bottle tooth decay will affect the further development of kids’ chewing function. Baby with unhealthy teeth will have trouble in eating, which is not conducive to the absorption of nutrients. In severe cases, it may also affect the baby's oral and maxillofacial growth and development.

4. How to prevent baby bottle tooth decay

(1) Avoid long-time use of the feeding bottle

Long-time use of the feeding bottle will develop kids’ dependency to the pacifier, and affect their articulation and oral development. More importantly, the tooth decay will deteriorate as the milk residue accumulates in the mouth. Therefore, once the children can drink water themselves, you can train them to drink from water cups, so as to help them get rid of the bad habit of using pacifier;

(2) Rinse mouth in timely manner

After milk feeding, rinse your baby’s mouth with warm water. Baby usually drinks milk before sleep, which brings potential dangers to the teeth. Because the teeth are surrounded by bacteria and sugar during the night for a long time. Therefore, feeding the baby with some warm water after milk can effectively wash away the milk residue in the mouth, and maintain a good oral environment;

(3) Remove milk residue

Mothers can wipe off the milk residue on their babies’ teeth with a gauze wrapped around the finger. Limiting the feeding time within 15 minutes can reduce the time for the teeth to be soaked in the milk;

(4) Brush teeth

After the eruption of the first deciduous teeth, mothers can start brushing teeth for their babies after every meal and before going to bed, at least twice a day. For babies under 3 years old, clean water can be used for teeth brushing. For children over 3 years old, fluoride toothpaste can be used;

(5) Regular dental check-ups

After the eruption of the first deciduous teeth, babies must be taken to the stomatological hospital for dental examination every three months, and for regular application of fluoride solution to improve the resistance of the deciduous teeth against decay.

Please feel free to contact me if there’s any dental problem (WeChat ID: aiyuan325180).