Baby Bottle Tooth Decay most often occurs in the upper front teeth, but other teeth may also be affected.
Most common cause is the frequent, prolonged exposure of the baby’s teeth to drinks that contain sugar.
Tooth decay can occur when the baby is put to bed with a bottle, or when a bottle is used as a pacifier.
- Don’t share spoon with your baby.
- After each feeding, wipe your child’s gums with a clean, damp gauze pad or cotton cloth.
- When your child’s teeth come in, brush them gently with a child-size toothbrush and a grain of rice sized amount of fluoride toothpaste until the age of 3.
- Brush the teeth with a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste from the ages of 3 to 6.
- Supervise brushing until your child can be counted on to spit and not swallow toothpaste—usually not before he or she is 6 or 7.
- Place only formula, milk or breast milk in bottles.
- Avoid filling the bottle with liquids such as sugar water, juice or soft drinks. Infants should finish their bedtime and nap time bottles before going to bed.
- If your child uses a pacifier, provide a clean one-don’t dip it in sugar or honey.
- Encourage your child to drink from a cup by his/her first birthday.
- Encourage healthy eating habits.
