Say no to baby bottles in bed

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Say no to baby bottles in bed
February 6, 2008
By Jomay Steen
Rapid City Journal

While they may not know it, parents who send their babies to bed with a bottle filled with anything other than water could be endangering their childrenÌs teeth. Baby bottle tooth decay, a condition when infants have several teeth with cavities, is a fairly common childhood dental condition in South Dakota.

The dental community wants that to change.

Jamie Holsworth, dental hygienist at Black Hills Pediatric Dentistry, routinely sees varying degrees of dental decay in childrenÌs primary or baby teeth on a daily basis.

ÏIt really is a problem. We take 80 to 100 children a month in for surgery because they have such extensive decay,Ó Holsworth said.

Many of the children diagnosed with mild to severe decay are 3 years old or younger, he said.

The majority of children will have baby teeth until ages 6 to 9 or older. It is important for parents to try to maintain those baby teeth for spacing in relation to their permanent teeth that will eventually erupt, Holsworth said.

Yet more and more pediatric dentists are seeing tooth decay at younger ages.

ÏLast week, we did surgery on a 14-month old girl who had two major cavities,Ó he said.

They have had to perform dental work on toddlers as young as 12 months, too.

Often parents give bottles filled with formula, milk, soft drinks or fruit juice to their children as a pacifier or a naptime snack without understanding what it can do to their childrenÌs teeth over long periods of time, he said.

Given to the child in a bottle before he or she goes to bed, the sugar will form into an acid and start attacking the teeth. Even breast milk, when left pooled in the mouth, will sit on the babyÌs teeth and begin to ferment, starting the decaying process, Holsworth said.

ÏWhen these kids go to sleep for a nap or bedtime, they should only have water in their bottle,Ó he said.

Holsworth said with education, parents easily can prevent baby bottle tooth decay.

Connie Halverson, public benefit coordinator of Delta Dental of South Dakota, agreed.

Dental personnel working with the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile have seen infant dental decay throughout the state in all social-economic levels and ethnicities.

ÏIt is a big problem,Ó Halverson said of the baby bottle dental decay.

Delta Dental of South Dakota operates and funds the program for 38 weeks, with half of the time in western South Dakota. The care mobile provides pediatric dental services to children who donÌt have an established dental provider.

Dentists have found baby bottle tooth decay in infants and children on both sides of the state, Halverson said.

ÏIf children develop a lot of cavities in their baby or primary teeth, they will likely have problems with their permanent teeth,Ó she said.

Julie Larson, Youth & Family Services health adviser, said many of the children seen by the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile have multiple dental caries and require several follow-up appointments for treatment.

ÏWe try to schedule appointments so that the treatment is completed during the care mobile site visit. If needed, the care mobile staff work with area dental providers to make referrals for extensive follow-up care,Ó she said.

Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com

Preenting baby cavities

The most important step in a babyÌs dental care is prevention. Here are some tips to help prevent the spread of cavity-causing germs and practices.

* After feeding, clean babyÌs gums with gauze or soft, wet wash cloth.

* Avoid coating a pacifier with honey or other sweets.

* Never put a baby to bed with a bottle.

* Never allow a child to fall asleep with a bottle of milk, formula, juice or sweet liquids.

* Never share a spoon after tasting baby food, which could transfer germs.

* Never ÏcleanÓ a babyÌs pacifier by putting it in parentÌs mouth.

* Never test the temperature of a babyÌs bottle by mouth.

* Avoid sharing cups or toothbrushes.

* Begin brushing a childÌs teeth daily beginning as soon as the first tooth appears.

* Lift the babyÌs lip to look for signs of cavities, swollen or bleeding gums.

* Do not allow a child to suck on a bottle or sippy cup all day.

* Use a sippy cup only as a temporary transition between bottle and cup.

* Never give babies soda pop.

* Keep your own mouth clean and healthy.

* Have your child see a dentist starting at age 12 months.