{"id":320,"date":"2011-08-25T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2011-08-25T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mydentalpracticeblog.com\/\/hudsonhighlandsdentistry\/dental-care-blog\/preventing-baby-bottle-tooth-decay\/"},"modified":"2011-08-25T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2011-08-25T00:00:00","slug":"preventing-baby-bottle-tooth-decay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mydentalpracticeblog.com\/hudsonhighlandsdentistry\/dental-care-blog\/preventing-baby-bottle-tooth-decay\/","title":{"rendered":"Preventing Baby Bottle Tooth Decay"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"EACH YEAR, MANY INFANTS AND TODDLERS SUFFER FROM EXTENSIVE TOOTH DECAY that could be avoided\u2014and the culprit is surprising.<\/strong> Milk and sweet liquids are the biggest contributors to something referred to as ECC (Early Childhood Caries). Just like adult mouths, babies\u2019 mouths are full of bacteria that feed on the sugars found in the foods and liquids they consume<\/em>. One of the byproducts of these bacteria buffets is an acid that can attack tooth enamel and cause cavities. Now, don\u2019t worry…<\/strong> We\u2019re not suggesting that you stop using baby bottles or that you don\u2019t give milk to your infants and toddlers. <\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/a>Dr. Lynch<\/a><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong> simply recommends being aware of the issue and taking some simple preventive steps to help avoid a potential problem. Here\u2019s a short video from Nursery Water about preventing baby bottle tooth decay:<\/strong> [youtube https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=mpmcRQ5b-UY&fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0] Many parents give their children a bottle to suck on as a way of helping them settle down and doze off at night. Unfortunately, studies show that<\/em><\/strong> when a baby falls asleep with the bottle in his or her mouth, the fluid from the bottle can settle in a pool around their fragile teeth<\/strong>. <\/em>This allows the bacteria in the baby\u2019s mouth to feed off the sugar present in the liquid ALL night long, creating a steady stream of tooth-decaying acid. If your child absolutely needs a bottle to suck on as he or she goes to sleep, your best bet is to fill it with warm water. Or, once asleep, at least be sure to remove the bottle from your child\u2019s mouth. Here are a few other ways you can take care of your baby\u2019s teeth:<\/strong> <\/p>\n