BOTTLE ROT

In infants with an excessive bottle-feeding habit, milk that is often drunk during the day leads to Baby Bottle Tooth Decay. Milk, the most important nutrient of babies, contains sugar in its natural content. The amount of milk they often drink during the day can usually remain in the mouth of babies, causing the formation of bacteria. These bacteria rot teeth over time. In addition, neglect of oral care in infants is one of the most important causes of bottle decay. As with all infectious diseases, tooth decays are caused by microbes. Recently, these microbes can pass from mother to child after birth, and if proper nutrition and proper care are not provided, it is inevitable to see early childhood decays or, as they are commonly known, bottle caries.

How do baby bottle bruises occur?

By the 6th month, babies who need solid feeding are given milk from a bottle. In particular, nutrients such as honey, molasses or sugar are added to milk to increase the nutritional value of milk. In addition, before going to sleep, the baby is given milk from a bottle. The milk given in a bottle accumulates on the teeth after going to sleep, and since the saliva secretion decreases, the teeth cannot be cleaned and triggers the formation of caries.

Is there a treatment for bottle rot?

The treatment of milk tooth decay is made according to the severity of the disease. If there are mild bruises, filling can be performed, and if there are advanced bruises, extraction can be performed. Some cases of bottle rot can be very serious and inflammatory. In this case, there may be procedures such as drying the inflammation with medication first and then performing a bottle decay surgery by giving general anesthesia.

How to prevent bottle rot?

• Make sure that the milk you have given is not added sugar or honey,
• Pay attention that after drinking night milk, your baby’s mouth is rinsed
• Cleaning food residues from the tooth with gauze in the morning and evening, even if there are 1 tooth in the mouth,
• Finally, instead of carbohydrate foods given to the child to linger (bread, etc.), we recommend that foods such as carrots or cucumbers be given to increase saliva secretion and allow it to clean teeth.