It’s very important for parents to help their children maintain healthy baby teeth, even though they are temporary. Babies will still need these teeth to chew their food in order to ingest and digest properly. Having healthy baby teeth makes it easier for children to speak clearly. Also, having healthy and strong baby teeth enable their adult teeth to grow correctly. Therefore, it’s essential that parents help their babies maintain excellent oral health by understanding how to avoid baby bottle tooth decay.

How Does Baby Bottle Tooth Decay Develop?

There are various factors that contribute to the development of baby bottle tooth decay in infants. One of the leading causes is babies over consuming liquids full of sugar. Often times when babies cry, parents try to sooth them by offering tasty juices that contain lots of sugar. They’ll give them a bottle as they lay them down for bed, or they’ll use the bottle as a pacifier. However, despite a parent’s good intentions behind these methods for calming down their child, they’re putting their child at risk of developing baby bottle tooth decay.

Another common cause is when mothers pass on saliva to their child by sharing a spoon, cleaning a pacifier with their mouth, or chewing food before feeding it to their baby. When mothers perform these actions, they’re passing on cavity-causing bacteria into the mouths of their children, which could lead to baby bottle tooth decay.

Lastly, insufficient amounts of fluoride could put a child at higher risk of developing tooth decay. Fortunately, there are preventative methods that parents can utilize to decrease their children’s chances of experiencing this oral health issue.

How to Prevent Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

Mothers should do their best to avoid passing their saliva into their babies’ mouth by rinsing pacifiers with water and not sharing feeding spoons. Mothers should also wipe their babies’ gums with a clean washcloth after feeding them.

Babies should only consume formula, milk, or breast milk. Parents should avoid filling bottles with sugar water, soda, or juice.

Babies should suck on a clean pacifier at all times, not one dipped in sugar or honey.

Once a child’s baby teeth grow in, parents should brush them with a soft toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. Once the child is old enough to hold their own toothbrush, they should be supervised until they are at least 7-years-old.

Once a child’s first tooth grows in, parents should contact their dentist to schedule their first appointment. The earlier parents begin taking care of their child’s teeth, the healthier they’ll be.

San Diego Preventative Dental Care

At McBride Dental, our number one goal is to help our clients prevent oral complications from developing, such as tooth decay, tooth loss, periodontal disease, and more. Although we offer services to help treat those problems, we know it’s best to prevent them altogether. Some of our preventative care services include X-rays, deep cleanings, dental sealants, and more. If you are in the San Diego area and would like to schedule an appointment, call us today at 760-471-1003.