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Baby Bottle Tooth Decay: What You Need To Understand!

It is never too early to start your maintenance of adequate oral hygiene with regard to your baby. The teeth equally as important as any part of the body. As early as the first tooth arrives it’s prone to dental decay or cavities. It’s imperative that we attend to our babies young teeth early on. A dentist should be consulted as to when the optimum time for a dental visit is.

Baby bottle tooth decay, also called Early Childhood Caries, is the term used when describing tooth decay in infants and toddlers. The upper front teeth are more at risk of this condition nevertheless other teeth may be affected as well. Studies show it’s caused by this bacteria called Streptococcus Mutans. Baby bottle tooth decay can develop into a serious dental problem if unattended. Aside from the reality that having Baby bottle tooth decay can hurt your young child, it can also result to poor eating habits, and irritability.

Though this probably sounds like a significant condition, baby bottle tooth decay is truly an avoidable issue. One of the biggest causes of this condition is the intake of sugar which is usually added to  infant formulas. Sugar encourages the growth of bacteria in the mouth. It is extremely important to avoid feeding the baby with food containing too much sugar. It is also best to wash the gums and teeth of the baby after each feeding using a clean wet cloth.  It is also a good idea to give your child several sips of water to clean out any remaining formula in the mouth. Using an infant or toddler’s toothbrush along with the toothpaste recommended by your dentist, you should brush your baby’s teeth a couple of times during the day. Sleeping with a baby bottle is a definite NO with babies. Smaller amounts of saliva are produced when one is asleep which means the milk or whatever the baby drank will stay in the mouth longer than during other times.

Though Baby bottle tooth decay is fairly common and quite simple to develop, it is honestly not inevitable. With proper home dental care and regular consultation with a dentist, good dental health for the child can be achieved.

To learn more, contact your local dentist.