Dental Articles

Here is some useful information about dental health and care.

Bottle Decay Children's Dentistry
Dental Articles - Children's Dentistry

Bottle decay is a condition of rampant decay in children that have bottle of milk or sugary fluid in bed at night. Baby teeth generally softer than adult teeth hence it will decay more easily.Having milk or sugary fluid at night will result coating their teeth with decay causing product all night and with reduce salivary flow at night will increase the risk of decay.

Characteristic of bottle decay

  • Bottle of milk or sugary fluid use in bed at night to get the baby to sleep.
  • Rampant decay at upper front teeth.
  • then later decay at upper and lower back teeth.
  • Usually the lower front teeth are not effected because the tounge cover them.

Management of bottle decay

  • If your baby needs to have the bottle to go to sleep then only use plain water.
  • Try to stop the habit by 1 year old.
  • Consult your dentist if you see any brown stain on the upper front teeth that can not be removed with the toothbrush.
  • Depend on the age and level of co-operation of you children, most dental treatment can be done at  your dentist chair.
  • For very young children and those who requires a lot of dental treatment needs to see a specialist and needs to put to sleep (general anaesthesia) and have all the work done in one go.

 

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