Baby bottle tooth decay, also known as infant caries, is a term that refers to tooth decay in infants. This problem occurs mainly on the front teeth. The sugar that is found in milk, as well as other sweetened juices and snacks, causes caries on infant teeth. As a parent, you are responsible for the teeth of your child, so you hold the keys to preventing infant caries.
What Causes Baby Bottle Tooth Decay?
The name is derived from the act. This occurs when babies are put down for a nap or bedtime along with a bottle of milk or other sugary liquids. This eventually becomes the main cause of the caries. The sugar from these drinks can stay on the teeth for hours while they sleep. Hence, the bacteria find a perfect breeding ground for causing tooth decay.
What Children Have an Increased Risk of Baby Bottle Tooth Decay?
Baby bottle tooth decay is common in children who feed on a bottle throughout the day and go to bed with a bottle in their mouths. However, the solution to this is using pacifiers that are properly cleaned to help the baby go to sleep.
What Are the Symptoms?
Ideally, baby bottle decay affects the lower and upper front teeth. The most common symptoms are the white spots formed on the tooth surface, swollen gums, toothache, or fever caused by tooth or gum infection.
Treatment for Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
If left untreated, the issue can become critical. Therefore, you should visit the dentist to discuss the best management options for your baby. If there are white spots on the teeth, the dentist might apply fluoride in small amounts and suggest a change in the diet to remineralize the teeth.
The dentist might suggest using stainless steel or filling material to cover the tooth. However, if the infection has reached the pulp chamber, pulp therapy or tooth extraction may be considered. All these treatment options must be understood by the parents. Therefore, visit our offices together with your child to come up with the best solution for repairing baby bottle tooth decay.
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Baby bottle tooth decay, also known as infant caries, is a term that refers to tooth decay in infants. This problem occurs mainly on the front teeth. The sugar that is found in milk, as well as other sweetened juices and snacks, causes caries on infant teeth. As a parent, you are responsible for the teeth of your child, so you hold the keys to preventing infant caries.