Dental Care at Home
What Every Dentist Would Like You to Know about Your Infant's Teeth
Bottle syndrome is a "dental disaster" for babies, said pediatric dentist Greg Psaltis. The condition is caused by repeated, prolonged exposure of a baby's teeth to liquids that contain sugars. What most parents don't realize is that all liquids other than water contain various forms of sugar; this includes milk, formula and breast milk. When these sugar-laden liquids are allowed to pool around an infant's teeth, they cause bacteria to thrive and produce acids which literally eat away at the protective enamel that covers the teeth, causing decay. Left untreated, this decay can lead to painful abscesses and loss of teeth.
Psaltis and his partner, Kerry Tramontanas, DDS, offer the following tips for keeping your infant's teeth (or teeth-to-be!) healthy and free from harmful decay:
Dilute, minimize or eliminate juices in your child's bottle. Prolonged contact with juices will promote cavities due to their high sugar contact and acidity. Limit bedtime bottles to water only. Better yet, don't allow the bedtime-bottle habit to begin at all. When your child falls asleep with a bottle (or breast), the liquid pools around the base of her gums and can cause decay (as explained above). Water is the only liquid that won't put your child's teeth at risk.Avoid giving your child sugar-enhanced liquid (Gatorade and other "sports drinks," Kool-aid, fruit drinks, soda). The sugars can react with small amounts of plaque that has built up on your child's teeth. This reaction creates an acidic solution that can lead to cavities. Use a product called "The Tender Terrycloth" to gently wipe the baby's teeth and gums after each feeding. It slips over your index finger and enables you to easily wipe your child's gums clean. A soft, damp terrycloth will also do the job, but it's not quite as easy to use as the Tender Terrycloth. As your infant's teeth begin erupting, begin using an infant-sized toothbrush in addition to the terry cloth wipe. (make sure the bristles are very soft!) Breastfeeding your child to sleep can have the same ill effect as a bottle, as breast milk will also pool around the base of your child's gums. Wipe her gums after each breastfeeding. Bring your child to the dentist after her first tooth has grown in - usually at about six months of age. This visit will allow you to ask any questions you may have about your baby's dental hygiene, and it will enable you to receive expert assistance on proper brushing techniques and dietary influences on oral health.