One of your responsibilities as your child’s parent or guardian is to help care for their teeth until they’re old enough to take better care of themselves. But many well-meaning adults don’t realize that their little one’s current dental condition can potentially affect their adult teeth, too.
For instance, you might not think ‘baby bottle tooth decay’ is a big deal, but cavities in their primary teeth are. Continue reading to learn more about it!
Can Babies Develop Tooth Decay?
You’re not alone if you’ve assumed that babies can’t develop tooth decay until they grow a full mouth of teeth, but unfortunately, that’s not necessarily true. Many drinks targeted to babies and children, such as formula or fruit juices, contain lots of sugar that attracts harmful bacteria, which increases the risk of gum disease before they’ve even erupted a tooth, as well as cavities in their enamel.
You might even think early caries, also referred to as ‘baby bottle tooth decay,’ isn’t a big deal, since their primary teeth will eventually fall out anyway. However, cavities are contagious and can spread from one tooth to another, or even affect your baby’s connective tissues or jawbone. This can then impact how their jaw and permanent teeth grow and develop.
How Can I Help Protect My Child’s Smile?
Thankfully, there are several ways that you can help prevent potential problems to preserve your little one’s grin, including:
- Avoid bottle-feeding before bedtime. Try not to put your baby to bed with a bottle full of milk, juice, or formula, which encourages long-term exposure to sugary beverages that can pool around their enamel and connective tissues. Instead, feed them during mealtimes, and provide other comforts for sleep, such as gentle music, white noise, or gentle rocking.
- Clean their mouth daily. Even before your baby sprouts any teeth, you can help cleanse their gums by wiping them down with a damp cloth after meals. Then, you can begin brushing their first tooth gently with a rice-grain-sized dollop of child-safe toothpaste once it arrives.
- Offer healthy snacks. Instead of giving your baby sugary drinks to consume, you can try feeding them more wholesome foods, like blended fruits or vegetables, cheese, or yogurt, to promote healthier teeth and gums.
- Schedule dental visits early. The American Dental Association recommends taking your child to their first dental visit by the time their earliest tooth erupts, which is often around 1 year old, and then every 6 months subsequently to help monitor their dental condition.
If you have additional questions about how to care for your baby’s smile, you can learn more by contacting their pediatric dentist!
About the Practice
At Barefield Pediatric Dentistry, your child benefits from a team of providers who are passionate about helping infants, toddlers, children, and teens build and maintain happy, healthy smiles. Our board-certified pediatric experts collaborate to provide a complete menu of services, including routine exams and filling cavities, to help meet all your kid’s unique oral needs conveniently under one roof. If you’re concerned about baby bottle tooth decay, you can request an appointment on the website or by calling (972) 298-7560.