If you’re like many parents, you probably have a nighttime routine built around your little one. What starts with a warm, calming bath often leads to comfy pajamas, a bedtime story and song, and then a warm bottle to help them go to sleep. While all of this sounds nice, the last step could be putting your baby’s oral health at risk. Find out more about baby bottle tooth decay and what you can do to prevent it.
Can Giving a Baby a Bottle at Bedtime Lead to Cavities?
The short answer is yes. It might seem like the most soothing and appropriate thing to do to help your little one sleep each night, but the reality is that giving them a bottle that contains sugary liquids (even milk) can be detrimental to their teeth over time.
No matter if you fill it with formula, milk, juice, or soda, the contents of the bottle remain on your baby’s teeth throughout the night, giving bacteria and plaque free reign to break down tooth enamel and attack gum tissues.
Night after night, when given a bottle, the process continues until cavities begin to form.
Can My Child’s Dentist Help?
Yes, a pediatric dentist like Dr. Justin or Dr. Sage can provide treatment should a cavity form as the result of baby bottle tooth decay.
Oftentimes, the type of treatment required is based on the severity of the cavity. Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is a great alternative should a child not be ready for a permanent restoration just yet. The silver and fluoride work together to kill the bacteria and strengthen the enamel.
However, there is also the option to place a tooth-colored filling, which involves using composite resin to fill the cleaned tooth so that it creates a tight seal to minimize the potential for future reinfection.
What Can I Do to Prevent Baby Bottle Tooth Decay?
Since no parent wants to see their child having to deal with a cavity, especially at such a young age, there are things you can do to reduce their risk, such as:
- Stop giving your baby a bottle when going to bed. Instead offer them another calming toy (i.e., stuffed animal, etc.) that will help them to go to sleep.
- Clean their gums with a warm washcloth or gauze so that remnants of bottle liquids do not remain on their soft oral tissues.
- Use a small toothbrush and a pea-shaped amount of toothpaste to clean any teeth that erupt. It is essential to remove any bacteria and plaque that will try to harm these new smile additions.
Cavities do not have to be a part of your child’s early years of life. You can instead take steps to reduce their risk of developing decay and help them to maintain a healthier smile as they grow into childhood.
About the Authors
At Sprout Dentistry for Kids in Allen, Dr. Justin Chan and Dr. Sage Yoo are board-certified pediatric dentists. Working alongside parents to establish good oral hygiene habits from the start, much of the time spent before teeth erupt is making sure a baby’s oral environment is in the best possible shape. If you are looking for ways to lower the potential risk of cavities during infancy, visit our website or call (469) 663-0098.