Baby's teeth are more sensitive and prone to debris clogging up than adult teeth. If not properly taken care of and cleaned, this build-up can lead to serious cavities and infections that will negatively affect the baby's future oral health. Tooth decay is common in early childhood and often difficult to spot in the beginning. One of its causes is something almost every baby uses, a bottle.

Bottle Rot is the decaying of your child's baby teeth caused by sugary drinks given in a bottle. Drinks like juice stay on the teeth causing bacteria to grow which leads to cavities forming. This is very unhealthy because, as previously mentioned, children's teeth are more prone to food build-up and bacteria sticking. However, bottle rot is easily preventable.

1. Avoid sugary drinks, especially those with added sugar as they are the most harmful for your child's teeth. Remember to also limit the amount of naturally sugary drinks you give your baby such as milk. Moderation is key when it comes to these drinks.
2. Avoid giving your child a bottle with sugary liquid, especially when they will end up having it for a prolonged period of time, like during their nap or bed time. Sucking on a bottle for a prolonged time period causes the sugar to stick to their teeth for hours making way for bacteria and cavities to grow.
3. Thoroughly clean your baby's bottles, and if possible use completely separate bottles for sugar and non-sugary drinks.
4. Brush your baby's teeth or guide them on how to brush their own teeth to form good dental hygiene habits early. Proper cleaning will help remove sugary build-up that causes bottle rot. For babies under 12 months, keep their mouth clean by wiping their gums with a washcloth.

Making sure your child's teeth are healthy and well looked after is very important because they help them chew solid food and learn to speak properly. Good dental habits practiced from a young age will help them take care of their permanent teeth later on. Talk to us about more oral hygiene tips to ensure you and your children's teeth are healthy.