Baby bottle caries is one of the most common dental problems in baby teeth. The milk that accumulates in the mouth when babies drink breast milk or drink cow’s milk with a bottle before going to bed or during sleep creates a suitable environment for bacteria to multiply rapidly and causes deciduous tooth decay.
Why Are Milk Teeth Important?
Nutrition is one of the most important tasks of milk teeth. It provides chewing and nutrition and helps growth and development. In addition, the proper development of speech also depends on the presence of milk teeth. These teeth serve as a guide to the permanent teeth that will come after them. The places of the milk teeth that are lost before their time cause the permanent tooth to remain impacted or crowding due to the displacement of the adjacent teeth towards this region. Children who lose their milk teeth prematurely for any reason experience aesthetic concerns and begin to limit communication with their environment.
Don’t underestimate baby bottle bruises!
Along with the harmful effects of bacteria that cause baby bottle caries, it can cause a painful condition and inflammation of the milk teeth in a short time due to their structure. These developing dental infections cause the child to have toothache, therefore to be restless while eating and not to sleep regularly. When the infection continues for a long time, it damages the tooth buds that develop under the milk teeth over time. If this condition is not treated, it causes significant damage to the baby’s permanent teeth. Especially starting from the incisors in the upper jaw, bottle decay causes great material losses in these teeth. This situation creates important problems in the child’s oral health, speech and aesthetic appearance.
Remember!
Into; Although sweetening foods such as honey and jam are not added, milk is a source of sugar on its own as it already contains lactose and has effects that will cause caries formation.
How to Block?
- After the age of one, the baby should not be allowed to sleep with a bottle and on the breast. In addition, under no circumstances, a sugary supplement should be added to the milk given to the child.
- Since the first eruption of teeth, after feeding, they should be cleaned by gently wiping with a clean gauze cloth.
- After the baby is one year old, he should be taken to the pediatric dentist regularly for a check-up.
- In between meals, fibrous vegetables, fruits and nuts should be preferred instead of a carbohydrate-heavy diet that sticks to the teeth.
