Pediatric Dentistry of Redlands

Baby bottle tooth decay can be a scary and painful problem for a child. It is caused when milk or sugary substances stay on your child’s teeth and is not rinsed away after feeding. The milk turns into bacteria that begin to eat away at the enamel. This then creates cavities and decay.   Don’t PANIC. These four easy tips can help your child avoid getting bottle rot. 1.      Always rinse the mouth or wipe the mouth after the bottle or breastfeeding                   a. After your baby has eaten is when they are most susceptible to this problem. If they do not actually have any teeth, you’ll still want to gently wipe their gums with gauze or a soft cloth. 2.      See your dentist after the first tooth erupts                   a. The first visit to the...

 Bottle rot can impact your child’s baby teeth and have critical long-term effects on their adult teeth as well. When putting your child down for a nap,” Dr. Cameron Fuller suggests, “never putting them down with a bottle.” The milk they drink sits on their teeth and stays. The longer milk is on the teeth the better chance is has of producing bacteria that turn into acid, which then attacks the enamel of your son’s or daughter’s sensitive baby teeth.   Also, saliva amount decreases when your child is sleeping and therefore, there is a decrease in the amount of liquid that can help rinse the milk off their teeth.   Never dip the tip of the bottle in sugar or syrup. While, this may seem like a great idea if your baby is fussy and refusing a bottle, it actually increases the amount of bacteria producing acid.   Dr. Fuller of Pediatric Dentistry of Redlands and Associates recommends that parents not fill the bottle with sugary drinks or juice.   W...

“Bottle rot or baby bottle tooth decay is caused when milk sits on your baby’s teeth for an extensive amount of time,” says pediatric dentist, Dr. Cameron Fuller. Milk and other sweet liquids have sugar in them.   The sugar turns to bacteria, which then convert to acid, and the acid attacks the enamel. Although, your child’s teeth may be below the gum line, they can still be impacted by early habits     Bottle tooth decay occurs more often on the top front teeth, however decay can impact any teeth if not taken care of or if good bottle habits are not developed from an early age. If your child has decay from bottle rot it is important to take care of the problem right away, as leaving the decay in their mouth can impact them in multiple ways including creating pain, a decrease in overall health and it could even result in tooth extractions. While baby teeth may not seem important, if your child does not have a healthy mouth it can cause problems for...