Baby Bottle Tooth Decay is a certain kind of tooth decay that occurs in babies and young children. It is caused by the sugars contained in breast milk, formula, cow's milk, fruit juice, Kool-Aid® and soda pop.
When these drinks stay on the teeth for long periods of time, the sugar starts to rot the teeth and even turn them black.
This happens most often when babies:
are allowed to nurse from the breast or suck from a bottle while they are sleeping, or carry a bottle or sippy cup around with them and sip from it throughout the day.
Preventing Baby Bottle Tooth Decay :
Don't put your baby to bed with a bottle. If your baby cries for the bottle because he/she has gotten used to it, fill it with plain water. Water does not harm the teeth. Never prop a bottle while your baby is sleeping.
Don't allow your baby to walk around with a bottle or sippy cup throughout the day. Try a pacifier instead.
At mealtime, don't share your fork or spoon with your baby. This passes bacteria from your mouth to your baby's mouth and can cause tooth decay in your baby.
Wean your baby from a bottle to a cup (not a sippy cup) by 10-12 months old:
Drinking from a cup cuts down the amount of time that juice or milk is in contact with the teeth. Therefore, you are cutting down on the chances of tooth decay.
You may need to help your baby hold the cup.
Clean your baby's mouth at least once a day:
Use a wet washcloth (no toothpaste until age two).
Wash inside the lips, cheeks, and all around the tongue, the roof of the mouth and upper and lower gums.
Starting at 18 months, have your child use a toothbrush twice a day to help keep his/her teeth clean. Your child will need help with this. Use only water until age two.
Make sure your baby gets enough fluoride from fluoride drops or fluoridated water. First ask your doctor or nurse about this.
Set a good example. Brush and floss your own teeth every day and visit a dentist every 6 months
2006-07-18 05:14:23
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answer #1
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answered by pdanielleh 4
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Just to clarify - the bottle itself does not cause "bottle rot" (a disease called early childhood caries), rather it is what is in the bottle that feeds the bacteria present in the child's mouth, which causes the decay.
The bacteria is actually transferred from the primary caregiver (usually the mother) to the child shortly after birth - children are not born with this bacteria present in their mouths, which is why it is so important for parents and other siblings to properly care for their teeth. Anything in the bottle (or sippy cup) but water will cause a constant acid-attack on the teeth. Children's teeth should be cleaned with fluoridated toothpaste (wiping it out if the child is too young to spit) to help fight the bacteria.
"Bottle Rot" is 100% preventable!!!
2006-07-18 12:20:26
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answer #2
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answered by rdt210 1
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Bottle rot is decay of the teeth caused by sucking on a bottle, usually in bed or while going to sleep. When babies suck on a bottle, they tend to really bathe the teeth in the milk. When your teeth soak in milk, which is pretty sugary, all night long, they rot out. That's why you should never put your baby to bed with a bottle -- just a pacifier or water.
2006-07-18 05:14:55
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answer #3
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answered by PrincipalNZF 2
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yes, I have. I don't think I would call it "bottle rot". It is, rather, rotten teeth caused by sending a child to bed with a bottle and letting them suck on the nipple all night, ingesting a liquid that contains sugar which causes the cavity process to begin. If it is not stopped, then the remaining teeth will also "rot" from the sugary liquid.
2006-07-18 09:34:34
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answer #4
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answered by red in the head 1
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Bottle rot is a name given when people send there children to bed with bottles and milk. The reason is when milk remains in the mouth and children fall asleep without brushing their teeth or rinsing out their mouth the milk actually rots the teeth,
2006-07-18 05:19:12
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answer #5
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answered by txff22dragon 1
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when the child's teeth are rotted out because of sucking on the bottle all the time. the milk may rot the teeth when they are not properly brushed.
2006-07-18 05:15:10
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answer #6
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answered by ♣ 4
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Bottle Rot is so preventable. The parent who permit this to happen should be held responsible in my opinion. A child should be given water if they must have something in their bottle to go to sleep with or never start going to bed with a bottle.
2006-07-18 07:32:30
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answer #7
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answered by Skeeter 6
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I'm a dentist.
Milk is loaded with sugar. That includes breast milk.
Babies who drink milk before bed, or worse, sleep with the bottle in their mouths are basically exposing their teeth (and the bacteria that reside on their teeth) to a healthy supply of fermentable carbohydrates which the bacteria digest and produce decay-causing acids from.
To make matters worse, we produce less saliva at night. Saliva helps to buffer these bacterial acids (i.e. lactic acid) and inhibit decay formation. Less saliva, more decay.
That's why the 4 year old has rampant decay.
Milk at night before bed is generally a lousy idea. Same goes for juice. Besides, juice is a fairly worthless product to consume. Loaded with calories and low on nutrients.
2006-07-18 13:26:43
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answer #8
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answered by Anonymous
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yes i have its because the baby sleeps with a bottle or has in the past and the sugar from the milk has destroyed their teeth .
2006-07-18 05:16:26
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answer #9
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answered by crazylionessinc 1
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2015-12-30 15:28:19
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answer #10
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answered by NONAME 1
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