Your guide to baby bottle tooth decay

Baby bottle tooth decay often happens when a child’s teeth are exposed to sugary liquids in a feeding bottle for prolonged time. Bacteria in the mouth thrive on these sugar-containing liquids such as milk, formula, fruit juice and other sweetened drinks, and produce acids that attack the gums and teeth of the infants. The resultant decay develops rapidly and can destroy the teeth even before the child turns two. Moreover, infants who suffer from baby bottle tooth decay are likely to have more dental problems in future. It’s therefore always better to treat this problem even before it starts.

•          Visit a dentist when your baby has his first teeth coming in.
•          Limit fruit juices to mealtimes. Make sure that the juice is finished at the table or is taken away.
•          Avoid the practice of putting your infant or toddler to sleep with a bottle, especially with any kind of sugary drink. Just plain water in bottles is acceptable.
•          Avoid giving sodas, energy drinks or any other high fructose drinks to your child.
•          If you allow your toddler to walk around the house with formula bottle, tooth decay may develop early. Moderation is the key. Establish feeding routines to prevent early dental decay. 

To know more about how to keep your baby safe from early dental decay and child dentistry ,contact Green Meadow Dental, 3579 B Berlin Turnpike, Newington, CT 06111 (860)-865-0056. Many people from Berlin come to our office because we are conveniently located next to Target. Our flexible hours and family dental practice makes it easy for busy families to schedule visits for both parents and children. We also service patients from surrounding areas including Kensington, Portland and Farmington.