Why Letting Your Baby Sleep with a Bottle Can Lead to Tooth Decay

Do you sometimes let your baby fall asleep with their bottle? This might seem harmless and even cute, but in the long term, it could cause serious problems for your child’s smile. Specifically, it could lead to cavities forming in your infant’s teeth, which is sometimes referred to as baby bottle tooth decay. To protect your little one’s oral health, it’s a good idea to have a clear grasp on what causes baby bottle tooth decay and how you can prevent it.

What Causes Baby Bottle Tooth Decay?

Baby bottle tooth decay is a consequence of prolonged exposure to the liquid inside your child’s bottle. Many of the liquids that you might put in a baby bottle, such as milk or baby formula, tend to contain high levels of sugar. If sugary beverages are allowed to remain on the enamel for too long, they can easily increase your child’s risk of tooth decay.

Why is Baby Bottle Tooth Decay a Problem?

It may not be immediately obvious why baby bottle tooth decay is a serious issue. After all, the baby teeth are meant to fall out eventually anyway, so what does it matter if they develop cavities? However, this is a misguided way of thinking. Cavities in baby teeth can still cause your child a significant amount of discomfort, and they can ultimately lead to infections. On top of that, if the baby teeth are lost too soon due to cavities, the permanent teeth may not come in correctly, resulting in a crooked smile.

How Can You Prevent Baby Bottle Tooth Decay?

Fortunately, there are a number of steps you can take to protect your little one from baby bottle tooth decay. The most obvious one, of course, is to avoid putting your baby to bed with their bottle in the first place. Below are a few other precautions that are worth following:

• Whenever your child is done drinking from their bottle, use a washcloth to gently clean their gums.
• Do not put your child’s bottle in your own mouth before feeding them; this could result in the transfer of oral bacteria that can cause decay.
• Get in the habit of brushing your child’s teeth as soon as they come in. You can use a finger brush or a toothbrush specifically made for infants.

Your child deserves a lifetime of excellent oral health. Make sure they’re on the right path to doing so by taking whatever steps you can to prevent baby bottle tooth decay. And if the worst happens despite your best efforts, call your pediatric dentist to see what restorative solutions are available.

About the Practice

At Kids Dentist in Grayslake, we offer reliable dental care for children of all ages, from infants to teenagers. We can take a number of steps to prevent cavities and other oral health threats from occurring in the first place, but we also offer solutions for teeth that have already developed decay, such as tooth-colored fillings. To schedule your child’s first appointment at our office, visit our website or call (847) 223-1400.