Nursing Bottle Syndrome: the Causes of Early Childhood Tooth Decay

Baby Bottle Syndrome is the rapid decay of baby teeth in infants and children from frequent, long exposure to liquids containing sugars. Most often, the upper four front teeth are affected.

This problem is caused by the baby or child falling asleep while drinking a bottle or while breast feeding. The sugary liquid from the milk or juice pools around the front teeth and reacts with the bacteria in the child's mouth causing tooth decay.

The prevalence of Early Childhood Caries is estimated to be as high as 90% in some Head Start populations.

A tooth can begin the process of decaying as soon as it has erupted. This means that a child as young as one year old can start having cavities. This is a severe problem and causes debilitating tooth destruction and even pain. It is the only severe dental disease common to children under the age of three.

The acids from the converted sugars that pool around the child's teeth destroy the enamel and dentin of the tooth. When the child is not sleeping, the flow of saliva in the mouth helps to rinse acids from the surface of the tooth. However, when the child is asleep, the flow of saliva is greatly reduced, and allows the sugars found in juices, milk or other soft drinks to pool, causing decay.

The first sign of Early Childhood Caries (ECC) appears as white chalky marks on the four upper front teeth. This is from the decalcification of the enamel by the acids. If these teeth are left untreated, unsightly and painful cavities will develop. These baby teeth are important for chewing and biting food, having a nice smile and speaking properly. The most important function of baby teeth, however, is that they hold space in the mouth for the upcoming permanent teeth.

A baby usually gets his or her first tooth around the age of 6 to 8 months. By the age of two, usually all 20 baby teeth are erupted. If these important baby teeth are lost to tooth decay, it can cause blocked eruption, drifting, crooking and crowding of the permanent teeth.

A child who loses baby teeth prematurely will have a very high chance of needing braces later. Abscesses and infections can occur around baby teeth with ECC and that can affect the development of the underlying permanent teeth.

Like most things, prevention is the best treatment for this condition, but early intervention and treatment of already affected teeth can be successful.

The following guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry should be followed to prevent baby-bottle tooth decay:

Clean your child's teeth daily.

DoNot allow your child to fall asleep with a bottle filled with juice, milk, or formula or other sweet liquids.

DoNot allow your child to sip on a bottle filled with juice, milk, or formula for long periods of time as a pacifier.

Give your child plain water when he or she is thirsty and if your child must have a bottle during naps, only give a bottle filled with cool water.

Make sure your child gets the fluoride needed to prevent decay.

Always make sure your child's pacifier is clean and never dip a pacifier in a sweet liquid.

Introduce children to a cup as they approach 1 year of age. Children should stop drinking from bottles soon after their first birthdays.

Make regular dental appointments for your child beginning when their first tooth erupts and see the dentist if any unusual red or swollen areas appear in a child's mouth, or any dark spot is seen on a child's tooth.

Remember, healthy adult teeth begin with healthy baby teeth. Be sure your child sees a dentist for the first check-up around the age of one.