Babies and Tooth Decay

The best way to prevent disease is to start young and that includes dental decay. Starting taking care of your baby's teeth as soon as possible will result in longer lasting and healthier teeth in adulthood. Diet and hygiene is important but something that most parents are unaware of is a term called baby bottle tooth decay. Babies that drink sugary drinks, such as milk, through a baby bottle are more susceptible to getting caries.

Baby bottle decay is a result of babies teeth being exposed for longer periods of time to a sugary substance. The group that is at the highest risk is the baby that sleeps with a bottle. This is why it is important to minimize the use of a baby bottle to only when it is feeding time. Do not give it as a type of pacifier and most importantly do not let them sleep with it.

Other ways to reduce the risk of dental caries due to baby bottles are:

• 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.