Take precautions to prevent baby bottle tooth decay

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jessica Konkel
  • 66th Medical Operations Squadron
HANSCOM AFB, Mass. --  Children who have been taught good dental habits find it easier to keep those good habits throughout adulthood. It is important for parents to take care of their children's "baby" teeth because they serve a special purpose -- these teeth help children chew their food and speak clearly, and they hold space for permanent teeth to grow in straight.

Children's dentists recommend that children first see a dentist between six months and one year of age. Dental personnel can teach parents how to maintain their children's oral health through proper teeth cleaning, feeding techniques and use of fluoride supplements, if needed. Early preventive dental actions taught by a dentist or hygienist can help children avoid unnecessary suffering due to dental disease.

Even toddlers are not immune to tooth decay. If a child's teeth are not properly cared for, they may develop a severe form of dental decay know as "baby bottle tooth decay." Baby bottle tooth decay occurs when children's teeth are frequently exposed for long periods of time to liquids containing sugars.

Most people know that high levels of sugar in the diet can lead to tooth decay. The bacteria that live in our mouth use sugar as a food source and produce acid as a by-product. This acid chemically erodes the enamel on our teeth, causing a cavity. What people often don't realize is that the amount of time sugar is in contact with the teeth directly correlates with the extent of cavities. This decay is rapidly progressive, causing severe cavities on visible portions of the front teeth. The top four central teeth are the most commonly affected because they are among the first to erupt, and consequently, have the most exposure to sugar. Their counterparts in the lower gum usually remain sound because they are protected by the tongue and washed by saliva during sucking.

Babies who go to bed with bottles of milk, formula, juice, a pacifier dipped in honey or sugar, or who fall asleep while breast feeding, as well as well as infants and toddlers who walk around with a sipper cup or otherwise drink sugar containing beverages for an extended time to relieve teething pain, irritability, or satisfy their thirst will "bathe" the teeth in sugar and dramatically increase the risk for tooth decay. The sugars -- or the carbohydrates, which break down into sugars -- in the liquid stay in contact with the teeth during the night or all day, causing decay.

Parents may not know there is a problem until serious damage has already been done. The Hanscom Dental Clinic recommends that parents perform periodic oral checks to detect early signs of disease. Parents should remember to lift up their child's lip to avoid missing any signs. In particular, parents should check for white or brown spots on their child's teeth and along the gum line.

Modifying their feeding techniques is only part of baby bottle tooth decay prevention. Parents must also regularly clean their children's teeth and take their children for regular dental visits. If detected soon enough, early baby bottle tooth decay can be stopped with the application of a fluoride varnish.

Children's dentists advise parents to gradually water down juice in baby bottles, slowly reduce the volume of nighttime feedings, increase the time between feedings and gradually eliminate nighttime feedings. It is also recommended that the baby bottle be gradually replaced with feedings from a cup.
The likelihood of a child developing baby bottle tooth decay increases if the child continues bottle-feeding or breast-feeding past the age of 12 months.

Here's a simple list of some tips to avoid baby-bottle tooth decay:
■ Do not put your child to bed with a bottle. If necessary, use plain water, not milk or juice.
■ Stop nursing when your child is asleep or has stopped sucking on the bottle.
■ Try not to let your child walk around using a bottle of milk or juice as a pacifier.
■ Start to teach your child to drink from a cup at about 6 months of age. Plan to stop using a bottle by 12 to 14 months at the latest.
■ Don't dip your child's pacifier in honey or sugar.
■ Give your child plain water for thirst.
■ Make sure your child gets the fluoride needed to prevent decay
■ Have regular dental visits for your child.

Pediatric dentists recommend that children see a dentist as soon as their first tooth erupts, usually between the age of six months and one year. Most children begin life with strong, healthy teeth. Parents must make sure their teeth stay that way. The decisions parents make will have a vital effect on their child's dental future.