Baby Bottle Tooth Decay often occurs in the upper front teeth, but other teeth may also be affected.
There can be many factors that can cause tooth decay. This one is one of the common cause in babies and the most frequent, because of the prolonged exposure of baby’s teeth with the sugary drink, mostly occurs when the baby is put to bed with a bottle, or when a bottle is used as a pacifier for a fussy baby.
Tooth decay is a disease that can begin with cavity-causing bacteria being passed from the mother (or primary caregiver) to the infant. These bacteria are passed through the saliva. When the mother puts the baby’s feeding spoon in her mouth, or cleans a pacifier in her mouth, the bacteria can be passed to the baby.
Preventing Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
- Try not to share saliva with the baby through common use of feeding spoons or licking pacifiers.
- After each feeding, wipe your child’s gums with a clean, damp gauze pad or washcloth.
- When your child’s teeth come in, brush them gently with a child-size toothbrush and a smear (or grain of rice sized amount) of fluoride toothpaste until the age of 3.
- Brush the teeth with a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste from the ages of 3 to 6.
- Supervise brushing until your child can be counted on to spit and not swallow toothpaste—usually not before he or she is 6 or 7.
- Place only formula, milk or breast milk in bottles. Avoid filling the bottle with liquids such as sugar water, juice or soft drinks.
- Infants should finish their bedtime and nap time bottles before going to bed.
- If your child uses a pacifier, provide one that is clean—don’t dip it in sugar or honey.
- Encourage your child to drink from a cup by his/her first birthday.
- Encourage healthy eating habits.
Important tip:
When your child’s first tooth appears, talk to your dentist about scheduling the first dental visit. Remember: starting early is the key to a lifetime of good dental health
If you would like to schedule an appointment for your child, we welcome you to call Scarborough’s dental team at 416-546-5599. We are located in Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, at Markham and Ellesmere. We are excited to assist your family with all of your dental needs!