Recommendations by Dentists to Help Prevent Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

Jan 17
09:02

2012

Aaliyah Arthur

Aaliyah Arthur

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What is baby bottle tooth decay, how is it treated, and what do dentists recommend you do to prevent it?

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There are few things more important in your child's young life than healthy teeth. If the teeth are not healthy,Recommendations by Dentists to Help Prevent Baby Bottle Tooth Decay Articles it is harder for them to talk, eat, and look great when they smile. Baby teeth are important because without them, it is harder for the adult teeth to come in properly as if a baby tooth is lost while the child is too young, the other baby teeth may shift, causing crooked and crowded teeth. If you introduce good oral habits to your child while still an infant, you can protect his teeth for much of his life.

It is important for you to realize that your child's teeth are at risk as soon as they start to show through the gums. Most decay starts in the front teeth, but can affect the surrounding teeth as well. Often decay leads to the removal of the teeth. If your child has bad breath or you see anything on the teeth that appears abnormal, schedule a dental exam for him as soon as possible so treatment can begin right away if tooth decay is diagnosed.

There are several things that cause baby bottle tooth decay. These are:

- Sharing the spoon between mom and baby, which transfers bacteria through the saliva.

- Exposing the child's teeth to too much sugar, such as juice and milk.

- Putting the baby to bed with a bottle is one of the most common culprits as the liquid pools around the teeth as the child is sleeping, which causes the bacteria and acid to grow around the teeth.

- Pacifiers dipped in sugar to quiet fussy babies.

- The baby not receiving enough fluoride making the teeth weaker and less able to defend the attack of acid on the teeth.

However, there is good news. It is easy to prevent baby and toddler tooth decay. One of the ways is for the parent to not taste the food with the same spoon that she is feeding the baby with and not licking the pacifier before it goes in the baby's mouth. Dentists recommend wiping the baby's gums after each feeding with a clean washcloth to remove any food that may be stuck to the gums, and when the teeth start coming popping through the gums, you should use a small soft toothbrush and brush them until they reach age 6. Another thing that is recommended by most dentists is only putting in bottles, not juice and other sweet drinks and not take the bottle to bed. You should also provide pacifiers that are clean and don't put them in your mouth first. You should also make sure that your child gets the proper amount of fluoride to help fight acid erosion.

The best way to avoid tooth decay is follow your dentist's recommendations and stay up do date on your child's dental visits. When your child sees the dentist for the first time varies by dentist, but the earlier you start, the earlier your child can be on the road to healthy teeth for a lifetime.