Tooth decay in children and infants are often referred to as Baby Bottle Syndrome. It happens when sweetened liquid (such as juice, milk, and pacifiers dip into the sweetener) clings onto the teeth for prolonged period of time and bacteria lived off from these sugar and secrete acidic metabolic byproducts that damage the tooth structure.
Many parents would allow the baby to sleep with the bottle of milk or juice. Also, they would give the child pacifiers dip into sugar water. These would promote tooth decay because during sleep, the salivary flow would decrease and there is not enough saliva to wash away these sugar from the teeth.
Baby teeth are important because they are needed to chew food for proper nutrition. Also, they are important for speaking and smiling. The baby teeth are there to serve as placeholders for adult teeth when the adult teeth starts to come in. Without these baby teeth, the adult teeth would come in improper position and the adult teeth become crooked. Decayed or damage teeth can affect development of speech learning. Decayed teeth can also become painful.
There are many methods to avoid baby bottle syndrome:
1. Use and teach proper oral hygiene to child. Use dampened cloth to wipe the baby teeth after ingestion of food, milk or sweetened liquids.
2. Floss the baby teeth
3. Clean and massage the gum area.
4. Make sure your child has proper fluoride exposure such as fluoridated drinking water, fluoride-containing toothpaste, etc. Also go to the dentist for checkup and to give your child fluoride treatment on teeth.
5. Don’t let your child to sleep with bottle of milk or sweetened liquids.
6. Don’t dip pacifiers into sugar water.
Written by Daniel Tee, DDS, MS
Practicing Family Dentist Serving the city of Tempe, Chandler, Phoenix, Gilbert, and Mesa in Arizona.
