Thousands of children every year suffer from extensive tooth decay. Surprisingly, it is often the milk and other liquids from the baby’s bottle that is the major cause of the decay.

Just like adults, young infants teeth are at risk from decay and disease. A baby’s mouth is full of bacteria, which feed on the sugar found in plentiful supply in baby drinks and milk. These bacteria produce acids as a result of feeding off the sugar in the mouth; acids which begin to erode the tooth enamel and cause tooth decay.

Many parents put their children to sleep with their bottle because the child finds this comforting. This allows liquids to pool around the teeth when the child is asleep, meaning there will be several hours of uninterrupted acid erosion. Night after night, this acid erosion begins to negatively affect the baby’s teeth causing a host of dental problems that will affect their teeth now and long into their adult life.

The health of your child’s teeth in infancy is very important, as it will influence how their teeth develop through their life. Central Leeds dentists recommend that you never put your child to sleep with a bottle to protect their developing teeth. It is also a good idea to wipe your baby’s teeth and gums after they have been feeding from a bottle. This helps to remove any plaque and bacteria that might be there and possibly feed off the sugar in the baby’s drink. It may also be a good idea to try and avoid giving your child liquids that have a high sugar content.

You can receive more information about how to prevent baby bottle decay when you visit a Central Leeds dentist for your child’s next check up, which should ideally be occurring every six months. Your dentist will examine the child’s teeth and offer advice about how best to prevent premature decay.