{"id":28,"date":"2020-10-13T20:34:00","date_gmt":"2020-10-13T20:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.villagepediatricdentistry.com\/blog\/?p=28"},"modified":"2020-11-09T20:38:06","modified_gmt":"2020-11-09T20:38:06","slug":"what-is-baby-bottle-tooth-decay-how-prevent-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.villagepediatricdentistry.com\/blog\/what-is-baby-bottle-tooth-decay-how-prevent-it\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Baby Bottle Tooth Decay and How Can I Prevent It?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Cavities are incredibly common among children. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease. Unfortunately, there are several factors that make children more prone to cavities than adults, such as thin enamel, lacking dental hygiene habits, and sugary children\u2019s snacks. However, you may be increasing your son\u2019s or daughter\u2019s risk of tooth decay even more every day without realizing it! Here\u2019s everything you need to know about baby bottle tooth decay and how you can protect your little one\u2019s smile!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Is Baby Bottle Tooth Decay?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Baby bottle tooth decay occurs when baby teeth are exposed to sugary liquids for a prolonged period of time. This happens most frequently when a baby is put to bed with a bottle or when a bottle is used to pacify a fussy baby. If the bottle contains anything besides water, even if it\u2019s a \u201chealthy\u201d drink like milk, juice, or formula, their risk of cavities dramatically increases. As your child sips on their bottle, the sugars in these drinks pool around their teeth and gums, which fuels cavity-causing bacteria. The longer they drink from their bottle, the more sugars, plaque, and bacteria accumulate. This can quickly cause tooth decay in the upper front teeth as well as all their other teeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Are Baby Teeth Important?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a common misconception that baby teeth don\u2019t need to be taken seriously since they eventually fall out. However, that\u2019s simply not true! Baby teeth play a key role in your child\u2019s oral development and quality of life. Leaving tooth decay untreated in a baby tooth can cause issues such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n