Baby bottle tooth decay is caused by frequent or long term drinking of liquids that contain sugars including milk, formula, fruit juices, soda, and, actually, any sweetened drink.
Each time your child consumes a sugary liquid, bacteria consume the sugars, and produce acid byproducts. The acid attacks their teeth, and after numerous attacks tooth decay occurs. This is commonly referred to as baby bottle syndrome.
The teeth most likely to be damaged are the upper front teeth. They are some of the first teeth to erupt and thus have the longest exposure time to the sugars in the bottle. The lower front teeth tend to be protected by the tongue as the child sucks on the nipple of the bottle or the breast.
At Children's Dental Health Associates, P.C., we suggest filling your baby's bottle with water if your child needs to go to bed with a bottle. It is a good practice to wipe your child's teeth and gums with a damp cloth to remove any plaque after they have been fed. This will help prevent your child's teeth from decay. They could also develop problems like poor eating habits, speech impediments, crooked teeth, discoloration or damage to their adult teeth. So, be sure to keep your baby's smile a happy and a healthy one.
