Baby bottle tooth decay, sometimes called nursing bottle syndrome, is a kind of teeth disease affecting young children. It is a type of early, severe childhood caries brought on by consuming liquids with fermentable carbohydrates frequently or continuously, such as feeding formula or breast milk. This decay is especially seen in children constantly falling asleep with their nursing bottle or nursing from their mother.
The baby’s liquid from the feeding bottle as it feeds or nurses first collects below the upper lip and on the outer surface of the upper teeth. The upper teeth’s outer surfaces first experience decay as a result of this prolonged exposure, followed by the rest of the upper teeth. Ultimately, the decay spreads to the lower back teeth.
When sweetened liquids are fed to infants over extended periods, time is crucial in this case. While sleeping, they are at a high risk of developing nursing bottle caries. The bacteria in the mouth utilize sugar as their food, producing harmful acid, slowly beginning to attack and breaking down the enamel of their milk teeth. This only happens after some time. Over an extended period, this will lead to tooth decay. Doubling the risk is that the saliva produced in the mouth is reduced during sleep, increasing the tooth decay hazard.
How can we notice it and be aware of it? It will start as subtle, white, decalcified streaks along the gum line of the upper front teeth. Later, brown spots and holes appear along the gum line. Being the most exposed, the upper front teeth are typically the first to be affected. With prompt and appropriate care, teeth’s crowns will eventually be recovered.
The best treatment is prevention. Avoiding baby bottle tooth decay has to be done by eliminating nighttime breastfeeding when the first milk teeth sprout.
The bottle is not meant to soothe the infant during crying and should be given to the baby just during feeding. The bottle should not be used as a pacifier, especially after dipping in sweet liquids. Please don’t make the youngster sleep while holding the bottle in their mouth. Better ideas exist than filling the bottle with sugar water, juice, or soft drinks. The earlier the child starts drinking from the cup, the better. Encourage children to drink from cups once they turn one. Use a moist washcloth to clean and wipe the baby’s gums after each meal.
Brush the child’s teeth once their first tooth begins to erupt. Establish and maintain routine examinations for your child with the dentist. As they develop, the youngster can become accustomed to the dental office environment thanks to this.
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This Article Created By Ethereal Dental Hub