Baby bottle tooth decay are caries on primary teeth caused by liquids that contain sugar. When kids are put to bed or drink sugary drinks like juices, sodas, milk and other sweetened drinks in their bottle or sippy cup they have a higher chance of developing baby bottle decay. When these sugary drinks are being consumed through a bottle or sippy cup the sugar tends to attack the gum and teeth, and if the teeth aren’t being brushed they higher the chance of baby bottle decay. The risk also increase if children are being put to bed with bottle or sippy cups.

There are many ways to prevent baby bottle tooth decay. You can start by lowering the amount of sugars that are being consumed. Avoid juices, sodas, and sweetened drinks and give more water. If given milk brush your child’s teeth immediately and don’t have your child go to sleep with a bottle or sippy cup that contains sugary drinks. If your child teeth are just erupting you can wrap a moist gauze or cloth to massage the gums and gingival tissue.

The primary teeth are essential in the eruption of permanent teeth. So if you child has develop baby bottle tooth decay it is very important to schedule a dental appointment with your dentist to treat the affected teeth. Every primary tooth has its time to fall, if the primary tooth is extracted or missing at a time where it’s supposed to be in the mouth, the spaces may close and the permanent teeth still erupt and can cause the permanent teeth to erupt in a crooked position or can become impacted. So it is very important to treat those affected teeth as soon as possible.

Other ways you can help your child is by taking him to his regular dental exams. Dental exams should be every 6 months and children can begin seeing a dentist before the teeth even erupt. Your dentist can help you create a plan on how to clean and maintain your child’s teeth. If you have any questions regarding baby bottle tooth decay you can contact your friendly staff at Smiles on Bristol Dentistry.