It’s probably no surprise for you to hear that kids get a lot of cavities. However, did you know that about 28% of American children between two and five years old have cavities? In fact, over half of kids between the ages of six and eight years old have had at least one cavity! The enamel on baby teeth is thinner than permanent teeth, so they’re less equipped to keep tooth decay at bay. Unfortunately, this means that many parents accidentally put their children at a higher risk of cavities due to baby bottle tooth decay! Read on to learn more abut this common issue and what you can do to keep your little one’s precious smile cavity-free.
Why Are Cavities In Baby Teeth a Big Deal?
First, it’s important to learn about why baby bottle tooth decay matters. Many parents are under the incorrect assumption that since baby teeth are meant to fall out eventually, treating cavities in them isn’t a big deal. This is quite untrue! Allowing tooth decay to go untreated in a baby tooth can lead to:
- Persistent and painful toothaches
- Dental infections
- Challenges speaking or eating comfortably
- Reduced self-confidence
- Early loss of baby teeth, which could cause the adult tooth to come in incorrectly
Just like in permanent teeth, leaving a cavity untreated in a primary tooth can lead to serious complications and discomfort down the road.
Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
When a child sucks on their bottle, the liquids and the sugars they contain pool around their teeth and gums. The sugars fuel cavity-causing bacteria in the mouth, which produce an acid that burns through the enamel and causes tooth decay. Even healthy choices like fruit juice and formal contain sugars that can lead to cavities.
When a child is allowed to suck on their bottle all day, or is put to sleep with it, the cavity-causing bacteria is fed a steady stream of fuel. This can prolonged contact can easily cause more cavities than if they drank a very sugary beverage in a short amount of time!
Keeping Your Child’s Smile Healthy
Now that you know what baby bottle tooth decay is, it’s important to act on this information! A few simple steps and easy precautions can go a tremendously long way in keeping your child’s smile cavity-free. Use these tips to keep baby bottle tooth decay at bay:
- Don’t put your child down for a nap or bed with their baby bottle (unless it’s filled with plain water)
- After a bottle feeding, wipe your baby’s gums off with a soft, damp washcloth
- Begin brushing your little one’s teeth as soon as the first one erupts
- Encourage your child to drink from a cup, ideally by their first birthday
- Bring your child in for their first dental checkup before they turn one year old
There’s no way around it: tooth decay is incredibly common in children. Fortunately, the tips above will go a long way in helping you lower your little one’s risk of cavities.
About the Practice
At Simply Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, we’re pleased to serve infants, children, and teenagers in Randolph and the surrounding communities. We understand that growing smiles need special care, which is why we offer a bevy of treatments that are designed to address the unique oral health issues of kids. We provide infant’s dental care to help children get the best start to a lifetime of great oral health and cavity-free smiles. To learn more about baby bottle tooth decay and how to prevent it, we can be reached online or at (781) 767-7200.