There are so many new things to learn as a first time parent, the learning curve can be steep especially without sleep! You might even be tempted to allow your baby to fall asleep every night with a bottle of milk, formula or juice. Not a good idea! Why not? Well, it puts the baby at risk for Baby Bottle Tooth Decay (BBTD). When your baby falls asleep with a bottle nipple in his mouth, the liquid will continue to drip out and pools around your baby's teeth. A baby, who uses a bottle frequently throughout the day for comfort and security, as well as nutrition, is also at risk for BBTD.
What Causes Baby Bottle Tooth Decay?
When milk, juice, formula and even breast-milk pool around your baby's teeth, the sugars these drinks contain combine with bacteria and create acid that attacks the teeth. Over time, the acid will dissolve the tooth enamel and causes cavities, decay, or severe pain and even gum disease.
How Can I Tell If My Baby Has Baby Bottle Tooth Decay?
It's crucial that you check your baby's teeth frequently for any chalky white spots, white streaks, dark blotches, or lines. The teeth that are the most affected by this disease are the front ones, but since you should check for other types of decay as well, inspect all your baby's teeth. Early detection and treatment has a much better outcome and it can save your baby's teeth. If you notice anything unusual about your baby's teeth don't hesitate to call a dentist and set up an appointment.
Can A Breastfed Baby Get Baby Bottle Tooth Decay?
When breast feeding liquid doesn't leak from the breast as it does from a bottle; a baby must suck actively for milk to be released. Therefore, a baby that is breastfed is less likely to get BBTD. However, a baby who nurses frequently throughout the night can have the liquid pooling effect in the mouth, which might cause the same problem. Although breast milk, however, is less apt to cause decay than juice, formula or other fluids, and plenty of night-nursing babies have perfect teeth. Always play it safe and brush your baby's teeth before bedtime, particularly if the baby is eating solids.
Ways To Prevent Baby Bottle Tooth Decay?
Never allow As most of us know the mouth is full of bacteria, believe it or not so is your innocent baby's. These bacteria feed on sugars that are found in liquids that we drink and in the foods we eat. Ungrateful hosts, these bacteria produce acid as a by-product of their feasting. It is this acid which attacks the tooth enamel and causes cavities.
Many parents put their children to sleep with a bottle. They often find that this helps the baby settle down. Although, this can help the baby settle down this decision can be a big mistake and might even be considered a bad parenting technique when used all the time.
What can parents do to protect their children's teeth? We suggest that after every bottle feeding you take a wet cloth or gauze pad and gently wipe your child's gums and teeth. This will remove any bacteria containing plaque and excess sugar that may have built up.
If you give you child a bedtime bottle, the liquid of choice inside of the baby's bottle should only be water. Because water does not contain sugar and can not be used by bacteria to produce acid and this helps reduce the possibility of decay.
Never give your baby a pacifier dipped in any type of substance containing large amounts of sugar. Many parents, for example, give their children pacifiers dipped in honey. This can be very bad for the baby's teeth. Not only that, honey can be very bad for the babies overall health and is not considered safe to share with any child younger than 12 months of age. Although honey seems like a wholesome and natural food to give your infant, don't do it until after he or she's at least a year old. Why? Honey can contain spores of a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum, which can germinate in a baby's immature digestive system and cause infant botulism, a rare but potentially fatal illness.
These spores are almost always harmless to us as adults and children over 1 year old, because the friendly microorganisms normally found in our intestines keep the bacteria from growing.
To be on the safe side though, don't cook with honey (in baked bread or pudding, for example) if your baby is going to be eating the finished dish. While the toxin is heat sensitive, the spores are difficult to kill. Commercial foods that contain honey, like ready-to-eat breakfast cereals and baby food, are safe for your baby because they've been heated enough to kill the spores.
Ways To Prevent Baby Bottle Tooth Decay?
Make sure that your baby's pacifier is always clean. Don't ever dip it in anything (such as sugar or honey). Another surprise for many new parents is that honey is not safe your baby. Not only that, honey can be very bad for the babies overall health and is not considered safe to share with any child younger than 12 months of age. Although honey seems like a wholesome and natural food to give your infant, don't do it until after he or she's at least a year old. Why? Honey can contain spores of a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum, which can germinate in a baby's immature digestive system and cause infant botulism, a rare but potentially fatal illness.
These spores are almost always harmless to us as adults and children over 1 year old, because the friendly microorganisms normally found in our intestines keep the bacteria from growing.
To be on the safe side though, don't cook with honey (in baked bread or pudding, for example) if your baby is going to be eating the finished dish. While the toxin is heat sensitive, the spores are difficult to kill. Commercial foods that contain honey, like ready-to-eat breakfast cereals and baby food, are safe for your baby because they've been heated enough to kill the spores.
What Causes Baby Bottle Tooth Decay?
When milk, juice, formula and even breast-milk pool around your baby's teeth, the sugars these drinks contain combine with bacteria and create acid that attacks the teeth. Over time, the acid will dissolve the tooth enamel and causes cavities, decay, or severe pain and even gum disease.
How Can I Tell If My Baby Has Baby Bottle Tooth Decay?
It's crucial that you check your baby's teeth frequently for any chalky white spots, white streaks, dark blotches, or lines. The teeth that are the most affected by this disease are the front ones, but since you should check for other types of decay as well, inspect all your baby's teeth. Early detection and treatment has a much better outcome and it can save your baby's teeth. If you notice anything unusual about your baby's teeth don't hesitate to call a dentist and set up an appointment.
Can A Breastfed Baby Get Baby Bottle Tooth Decay?
When breast feeding liquid doesn't leak from the breast as it does from a bottle; a baby must suck actively for milk to be released. Therefore, a baby that is breastfed is less likely to get BBTD. However, a baby who nurses frequently throughout the night can have the liquid pooling effect in the mouth, which might cause the same problem. Although breast milk, however, is less apt to cause decay than juice, formula or other fluids, and plenty of night-nursing babies have perfect teeth. Always play it safe and brush your baby's teeth before bedtime, particularly if the baby is eating solids.
Ways To Prevent Baby Bottle Tooth Decay?
Never allow As most of us know the mouth is full of bacteria, believe it or not so is your innocent baby's. These bacteria feed on sugars that are found in liquids that we drink and in the foods we eat. Ungrateful hosts, these bacteria produce acid as a by-product of their feasting. It is this acid which attacks the tooth enamel and causes cavities.
Many parents put their children to sleep with a bottle. They often find that this helps the baby settle down. Although, this can help the baby settle down this decision can be a big mistake and might even be considered a bad parenting technique when used all the time.
What can parents do to protect their children's teeth? We suggest that after every bottle feeding you take a wet cloth or gauze pad and gently wipe your child's gums and teeth. This will remove any bacteria containing plaque and excess sugar that may have built up.
If you give you child a bedtime bottle, the liquid of choice inside of the baby's bottle should only be water. Because water does not contain sugar and can not be used by bacteria to produce acid and this helps reduce the possibility of decay.
Never give your baby a pacifier dipped in any type of substance containing large amounts of sugar. Many parents, for example, give their children pacifiers dipped in honey. This can be very bad for the baby's teeth. Not only that, honey can be very bad for the babies overall health and is not considered safe to share with any child younger than 12 months of age. Although honey seems like a wholesome and natural food to give your infant, don't do it until after he or she's at least a year old. Why? Honey can contain spores of a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum, which can germinate in a baby's immature digestive system and cause infant botulism, a rare but potentially fatal illness.
These spores are almost always harmless to us as adults and children over 1 year old, because the friendly microorganisms normally found in our intestines keep the bacteria from growing.
To be on the safe side though, don't cook with honey (in baked bread or pudding, for example) if your baby is going to be eating the finished dish. While the toxin is heat sensitive, the spores are difficult to kill. Commercial foods that contain honey, like ready-to-eat breakfast cereals and baby food, are safe for your baby because they've been heated enough to kill the spores.
Ways To Prevent Baby Bottle Tooth Decay?
- Never allow your baby to doze off with a bottle of milk, formula or Juice. If your baby needs a bottle to fall asleep, fill it with water. In order to change an existing habit, you can dilute the fluid with water gradually until your baby accepts water alone.
Make sure that your baby's pacifier is always clean. Don't ever dip it in anything (such as sugar or honey). Another surprise for many new parents is that honey is not safe your baby. Not only that, honey can be very bad for the babies overall health and is not considered safe to share with any child younger than 12 months of age. Although honey seems like a wholesome and natural food to give your infant, don't do it until after he or she's at least a year old. Why? Honey can contain spores of a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum, which can germinate in a baby's immature digestive system and cause infant botulism, a rare but potentially fatal illness.
These spores are almost always harmless to us as adults and children over 1 year old, because the friendly microorganisms normally found in our intestines keep the bacteria from growing.
To be on the safe side though, don't cook with honey (in baked bread or pudding, for example) if your baby is going to be eating the finished dish. While the toxin is heat sensitive, the spores are difficult to kill. Commercial foods that contain honey, like ready-to-eat breakfast cereals and baby food, are safe for your baby because they've been heated enough to kill the spores.
- Never clean your baby's pacifier by sucking on it yourself; it's a common but unhealthy practice, since you are passing bacteria from your mouth over to your baby!
- Avoid letting your baby use a bottle as an all-day security object.
- As your child approaches their first birthday, encourage your child to use a cup rather than a bottle.
- If your baby is breastfed, try to avoid letting her sleep with the nipple in their mouth. After the baby falls asleep, remove the nipple to prevent pooling of liquid.
- Brush your baby's teeth at least twice a day--morning and night.
- Ask your child's doctor if your baby should take fluoride supplements. If your baby drinks formula, he may be getting fluoride from this. Don't self-prescribe fluoride, since an excess of this mineral can cause spotting on your baby's teeth.
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