To keep children healthy, hygiene must be properly maintained—not just with baths, hair care, and changing diapers, but also with dental care. Good oral hygiene is what keeps baby bottle tooth decay away from children.

What is Baby Bottle Tooth Decay?

Baby bottle tooth decay, also known as baby caries, is a problem that affects thousands of children due to poor hygiene and habits. Parents often offer bottles with chocolate milk, milk, and sugary liquids before bedtime—and sometimes even soft drinks.

After ingesting these, the child goes to sleep without any dental hygiene being performed. During sleep, saliva production decreases, which increases the proliferation of bacteria responsible for cavities and other oral infections.

How Does Baby Bottle Tooth Decay Work?

Baby bottle tooth decay occurs aggressively and rapidly, destroying the tooth enamel and causing whitish stains across the surface. If not treated quickly, it develops into large cavities inside the tooth or appears on the outside, making the tooth look like “shards” and causing intense pain.

Unlike what was believed in the past—that it was not a problem to damage baby teeth since the permanent ones would later appear—dentists now inform that poor health of baby teeth will also affect the permanent teeth.

What Causes Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

What seems like such a trivial or cute habit can actually cause a very serious problem for the baby’s oral health. Some mothers have the habit of sweetening the pacifier with honey or sugar to calm the child or to get them to accept it, and don’t even realize the harm they are doing to the teeth that are still developing.

In addition to sweetened pacifiers, the habit of offering liquids like juices, teas, and sweetened milk and soft drinks in bottles throughout the day increases the chances of bacterial proliferation throughout the mouth. This is especially true for those who do not brush or clean their mouths after meals and bottle feedings.

Explanatory Video

Many parents use the tactic of giving the baby a bottle to hold and letting them fall asleep while sucking. After falling asleep, the liquid—whether breast milk or sweetened formula—remains around the teeth. It coats the tongue and gums and can cause cavities.

How to Prevent Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

Some simple care and the adoption of correct habits can reduce the chances of the nuisance and major problem that is baby bottle tooth decay. Below are some dentist recommendations for maintaining good oral health.

  • Remove bottles and feeding before sleep; if this occurs, the teeth should be brushed or the mouth properly cleaned
  • Do not offer sweetened juices and soft drinks in the bottle
  • In the case of babies without teeth, clean their mouths with gauze and clean water.
  • Offer liquids in a cup instead of a bottle
  • As soon as teeth appear, it is recommended to visit a dentist

Baby bottle tooth decay not only causes embarrassment for the child but also leads to low self-esteem, intense pain, and directly interferes with speech development—in which teeth play a crucial role in the pronunciation of certain sounds and can cause difficulty.

It can really be challenging to keep children from certain foods, but by reducing excess, maintaining, and teaching them how to care for their teeth, it is possible to keep healthy teeth! This way, health is managed and infections, health problems, and cavities stay out of your child’s life.

See also: Do You Know How to Care for Your Baby’s Teeth?

Photo: Jay Malone

_ Caixa de Informações Chave:

  1. To keep children healthy, hygiene must be done properly—not just with baths, hair care, and changing diapers.
  2. Baby bottle tooth decay, also known as baby caries, is a problem that affects thousands of children due to lack of hygiene and good habits.
  3. Baby bottle tooth decay occurs aggressively and rapidly, destroying the tooth enamel and causing whitish stains all over the surface.
  4. Some mothers have the habit of sweetening the pacifier with honey or sugar to calm the child, not realizing the harm they are causing.
  5. Many parents use the tactic of giving a bottle to the baby and letting them fall asleep while sucking.