{"id":113,"date":"2022-11-07T20:05:51","date_gmt":"2022-11-07T20:05:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.simplypedoorthonashua.com\/blog\/?p=113"},"modified":"2022-11-15T20:10:09","modified_gmt":"2022-11-15T20:10:09","slug":"nashua-pediatric-dentist-baby-bottle-tooth-decay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.simplypedoorthonashua.com\/blog\/2022\/11\/07\/nashua-pediatric-dentist-baby-bottle-tooth-decay\/","title":{"rendered":"Baby Bottle Tooth Decay: What Is It & How Can You Prevent It?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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What do you think is the most common chronic childhood illness? It\u2019s not diabetes… It\u2019s not asthma\u2026 it\u2019s tooth decay<\/a>! Over half of American children between the ages of six and eight have had a cavity in at least one primary tooth. Not only does the thin enamel of baby teeth put them at a higher risk of decay, but parents often accidentally increase their children\u2019s risk of cavities without realizing it! This is due to an increasingly common issue called baby bottle tooth decay. Read on to learn more about it and what you can do to keep that precious smile healthy and cavity-free!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Basics of Baby Bottle Tooth Decay<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When a baby sucks on a bottle full of formula, juice, or any other beverage besides water, sugars naturally pool around their teeth and gums. These sugars fuel cavity-causing bacteria in the mouth, and the longer they stay on the teeth and gums, the more damage they can cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a baby drinks from their bottle for reasonably short periods of time, their saliva has a chance to wash away the sugars and mitigate the acids that cause cavities. However, if your child sucks on a baby bottle all day, or you put them down to sleep with their bottle, they\u2019ll have prolonged contact with these sugary particles. Even healthy options like fruit juice will increase the risk of developing cavities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cavities In Small Teeth Are A Big Problem<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since baby teeth are designed to fall out eventually anyways, many parents assume that it\u2019s not very important to prevent or treat cavities in these little pearly whites. However, this is pretty far from the truth! Allowing tooth decay to develop and leaving it untreated can cause issues like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n