What is baby bottle tooth decay and how can it be prevented?

Baby bottle tooth decay is a term often used for the condition also known as bottle caries. It refers to early childhood caries, which usually comes from prolonged exposure of a child’s teeth to sugary drinks, leading to a destructive bacterial process affecting dental health.

Baby bottle tooth decay is the most commonly detected chronic disease in young children, largely due to the quality of diet accompanying this stage of life. It primarily occurs in infants (from birth to 4 or 5 years old).

How do I know if my baby has bottle caries?

Once our little one starts developing their first teeth, we need to pay attention. The most affected teeth are usually the upper milk teeth.

This is one of the reasons why visiting a pediatric dentist is highly recommended: nothing beats an expert’s eye. Besides being able to recognize some other irregularities, they can also help in the prevention of baby bottle tooth decay because they understand its causes.

What habits cause baby bottle tooth decay?

First and foremost, caution should be exercised with the frequency of carbohydrate intake and high sugar content in every child.

Let’s remember that newly erupted teeth are more vulnerable to acidic effects. Therefore, if you still can’t get your child to sleep without their bottle, try changing the liquid to water, thus preventing harmful substances from coming into contact with their fragile teeth.

The best option when it comes to baby bottle tooth decay, or any suspicion of it, is to visit the Children’s Dentistry of Abilene and let our professionals take care of it. We can prevent or resolve baby bottle tooth decay and any other issues, as well as help establish good dental habits so that, over time, your child understands the importance of taking care of their dental health.