Being a full-time parent can be difficult, but ensuring that your child has a healthy mouth is easy! Tooth decay in infants and toddlers most often occurs in the upper front teeth, but it can affect other teeth as well. We recommend monitoring your child's oral hygiene because if their teeth are healthy now, they will be healthy when they become adults.
The biggest reason for baby bottle tooth decay is the child's first exposure to sugary drinks. For example, this can occur when a baby naps with a full bottle of milk or juice attached to their mouth. When a child sips from their bottle during their sleep, the sugary liquid they are consuming can remain in their mouth when they are sleep. Their developing teeth soak in the sugar and their teeth begin to slowly decay.
How can you prevent this? Here's how:
- Refrain from putting your child to sleep with a bottle of milk, juice, or sugary drinks
- Avoid cleaning your child's utensils by putting them in your mouth
- Schedule your child's first dental visit as soon as their first tooth appears
- After each time your child is fed, wipe around their mouth and gums with a damp washcloth or gauze pad
- Gradually dilute the bottle with water over a period of two weeks
Unfortunately, severely decayed teeth may need to be extracted. If teeth are infected or develop tooth decay, this can result in poor eating habits, speech issues, and damaged teeth for the child. When the child's first tooth appears, use a soft toothbrush with a pea-size amount of toothpaste. A healthy baby will result in a healthy smile.
Please contact any of our dental locations if you believe your child is developing tooth decay.