Prevention Tips for Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

Preventing baby bottle tooth decay is of the utmost importance when it comes to the oral health care in children. Baby bottle tooth decay is named thusly so due to the fact that tooth decay in children is often caused by baby bottles, or more precisely, the substances within. Listed below are some prevention tips for baby bottle tooth decay:

– Do not cover or coat the tops of baby bottles with sugary sweets like honey.
– Never let your child fall asleep with a bottle in their mouth.
– A child’s first tooth begins to appear when they are around 6 months of age. At this time, the tooth is susceptible to baby bottle tooth decay, so it must be cared for daily.
– Avoid sharing utensils, toys, pacifiers, bottles, or cleanings tools like toothbrushes between you and your child, as this can increase the risk or bacterial contamination being spread to your child.
– Be careful to never use too much toothpaste when cleaning your infant’s mouth. Typically for children under 3, use a dab of toothpaste the size of a rice grain.
– Baby bottle tooth decay is often caused by the ingredients used in baby bottles, so make sure you are feeding your child healthy substances. Avoid sports drinks, sugar water, honey-infused liquids, sugary juices, and soft drinks.

Don’t wait until it’s too late for your child’s oral health. Please book an oral exam with Dr. Samuel Bailey at our pediatric office in Taylorsville, Utah, by calling us at 801-417-8080. Our team at West Valley Pediatric Dentistry looks forward to bringing your child’s smile back to its fullest.