Prevent your baby from suffering from bottle tooth decay

The appearance of cavities at an early age is a health problem that occurs in many children, so it must be prevented from the appearance of the first tooth

Although baby teeth are temporary, children need strength in their jaw to chew food, speak fluently, and for their next teeth to be able to position themselves well. What's more, oral hygiene should be a habit learned from an early age.

Why does my child have cavities?

In most cases, cavities tend to appear on the upper front teeth, although if it is not treated in time, it will most likely spread to the rest of the teeth. Special caution must be taken with beverages and sweets high in sugar, since they usually result in the appearance of this disease. In the case of children who drink from a bottle, the constant bite of this is also one of the main causes for which this disease appears.

Children often have episodes of anxiety in which the bite is the first symptom, and many times they express it by nervously biting a bottle, so that the enamel of their milk teeth wears away and they are more susceptible to the appearance in them. cavities. Another common cause of the appearance of this disease is the transmission of bacteria from mother to child. This occurs when bacteria in the mother's saliva are transported through a spoon or bottle to the child's mouth. It must be remembered that the mouth is very exposed to the birth and proliferation of bacteria, due to the humidity and the residues of food or drinks that may remain in it, for that reason you have to be very careful.

Tooth decay and the bottle

When the child still uses a bottle it is necessary to sterilize it at least 2 times a day, since although they are of the best quality, they are usually a means of transport for bacteria and prolonged use of them can wear down tooth enamel., especially in baby teeth that are more delicate and fragile.

When reaching one year of age, it is best to start stimulating the child to drink in a cup and leave both the bottle and the pacifier, and thus prevent the appearance of bottle cavities. Remember to make an appointment with a dentist as soon as the first tooth appears.

How to prevent cavities in children and babies?

Cavities, in most cases, are a matter of prevention and the secret is in the fluoride. Fluoride is a natural mineral that acts as a protective barrier for tooth enamel. When the teeth do not receive enough fluoride, cavities appear and corrode the entire teeth.

Starting from the third year, you should start the routine of brushing your teeth with a special toothpaste for children and twice a day (at night and in the morning). However, tooth brushing must be supervised by an adult, since children usually do not do so well when they are alone.

The general measure of toothpaste for children is one no larger than the size of a grain of rice. If the baby still does not have his first tooth, it is necessary to clean his gums with a clean towel or moistened cotton..

Recommendations for the oral care of children

Brushing teeth and hygiene of a baby's gums are not the only measures to take into account when caring for a child's teeth..

• Baby bottles and pacifiers. Most mothers use these utensils to calm or put their baby to sleep, but when the child has already had its first tooth, a pacifier or a bottle exposes the child to sugars that remain in the children's teeth, therefore, children should never be left sleeping with any of these.
• The trips. If you have to give a baby a bottle, be it for a trip, or for some circumstance in which a cup cannot be given, it is best to offer only water.
• Water as a drink between meals.Juice, milk, yogurt or any other type of drink that contains sugar, it is necessary to ensure that children drink them only at meals. This is a habit not only of oral hygiene, but it will help the baby not to consume sugar between meals.
• Get your child used to eating healthy. Treats, cookies and candies are especially harmful to children's teeth and their health in general, so it is better not to get used to these types of foods. Instead, children must be taught, from an early age, to have healthy eating habits.