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Many parents put their children to sleep with a bottle. This often helps the baby settle down and fall to sleep. Unfortunately, it’s a field day for bacteria as fluid from the bottle pools around their lower teeth.
Sugar present in the fluid nourishes these bacteria.. Using this constant source of sugar, bacteria multiply and create a steady stream of tooth damaging acid. Successive acid attacks result in cavity formation and extensive tooth decay.
It’s especially important to be vigilant against baby bottle tooth decay because baby teeth are more susceptible to decay than adult teeth.
Protecting Your Child
What can parents do to protect their child's teeth ? A good idea is to use a wet cloth or gauze pad to gently wipe the gums and teeth after every bottle feeding. This will help to remove any bacteria containing plaque and excess sugar that may have built up.
What liquids should you put in your baby's bedtime bottle? Milk contains a sugar called lactose which bacteria can also use to create acid. Juices such as apple juice or grape juice contain natural sugars which bacteria can also use to create acids.
If you give your child a bedtime bottle, the liquid of choice is water. Water contains no sugar and can not be used by bacteria to produce acid.
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