Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
Little angels
Babies are the sweetest thing on this planet. If there is anything which is almost as sweet, that is their smile. Toothless at first and, as the months go by, the smile becomes toothier.
I am a parent of a cute little 21-month angel. It has been one of the greatest pleasure of my life to see him grow up over the last 21 months. I have always endeavored to keep him safe, healthy and happy. I have largely been successful in this regard, largely being the operative word here. There have been few bumps on the way.
Small niggles
Into his first few weeks, he developed a sudden distaste for his mother’s milk. However hard she tried, it was all in vain. He would take a few sips whenever it fancied him then would refused to be nursed. With some advice and a few visits to doctors, we managed to overcome that.
Then, at around eight months, he pulled the laptop from the bed onto his head. He got his first nosebleed, cried a lot but, was back in his full elements in a couple of hours.
Every few months, he would also reduce his food intake. We would go to doctors. They usually said he was fine, even a little overweight (he is of the slim type with heavy bones).
These were small niggles which, a visit to the doctor, could rectify easily.
Scary issues
At around 10 months we observed that his teeth were stained and brownish. Feeling terrible and with prayers on our lips, we took him to a pediatrician. It turned out to be iron deposit on his teeth. Doctor gave some medicine and the staining became history and we were overjoyed to see the pearly white of our little champ.
Here, I must mention that previously we were in Delhi, where we have our own house. When he was at around 11 months, work brought us to Pune.
He is into his 22nd month (at the time of writing this piece) and we again noticed some staining on his upper teeth. On closer inspection, we found that his upper teeth were strangely decaying away.
We rushed him to a dentist. Till now whatever, had happened were all things which could be easily cured without any long-term effect. However, this time we were in for a shock. He was diagnosed with baby bottle tooth decay or early childhood caries. Simply put the milk he was drinking from the bottle at night while sleeping was getting deposited on his teeth which led to cavity-causing bacterial infestation.
Oddly, but fortunately, his lower teeth are all fine. The Doctor said that he ought to have root canals on his upper molars. However, as he was under two, doctor prescribed GC Recadent Tooth Mousse Plus to stop any further decay until he was ready for root canal. This is a fluorinated toothpaste to be used twice a week. He also advised us to use normal baby tooth paste like cheerio, Mee Mee or Pigeon for the remaining days.
Our day of revelations hadn’t ended though. As per the doctor, general pharmacies do not sell this mousse toothpaste. He advised us to go online. We did go to a nearby pharmacy just to see if the paste was available. It was a good thing that we did. When we asked the chemist for the paste for the baby, he narrated another case where a child had to undergo nine root canals for a similar problem (imagine that). He asked us if we drank filtered water. When in Delhi, we used to have normal tap water. In Pune though, the rented house we stay at, has aquaguard. He told us that fluorinated water is a must for babies and toddlers and most filters remove the fluorine from water. Boiled water, he recommended, was best for babies.
We came back home with terrible guilt and sadness in our heart. We have learnt our lesson though. Consequently, we’ve stopped drinking filtered water and brush our angel’s teeth, much to his annoyance, twice a day.
Preventing Baby Bottle Tooth Decay (American Dental Association)
Try not to share saliva with the baby through common use of feeding spoons or licking pacifiers. After each feeding, wipe your child’s gums with a clean, damp gauze pad or washcloth.
When your child’s teeth come in, brush them gently with a child-size toothbrush and a smear (or grain of rice sized amount) of fluoride toothpaste until the age of 3.
Brush the teeth with a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste from the ages of 3 to 6.
Supervise brushing until your child can be counted on to spit and not swallow toothpaste—usually not before he or she is 6 or 7.
Place only formula, milk or breast milk in bottles. Avoid filling the bottle with liquids such as sugar water, juice or soft drinks.
Infants should finish their bedtime and nap time bottles before going to bed.
If your child uses a pacifier, provide one that is clean—don’t dip it in sugar or honey.
Encourage your child to drink from a cup by his/her first birthday.
Encourage healthy eating habits.
Following these tips will ensure your child pearly whites stay that way until they get naturally replaced as he grows older. And most importantly, every time he smiles you won’t have a guilty feeling in your heart.
PS: It would be nice if other parents could leave their views or share their experience (in the comments below) as to how they manage their kids’ oral hygiene.
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