What causes baby bottle tooth decay?

Baby bottle tooth decay, also called bottle syndrome, is a serious condition that can destroy your child's primary (baby) teeth. It occurs when teeth are frequently exposed to liquids that contain sugar such as milk, formula or fruit juice. Harmful bacteria feed on sugars. The liquid from the bottle pools around your child's teeth, providing food for decay-causing bacteria. The bacteria form acids that dissolve tooth enamel, causing decay. Any liquid that contains sugar even breast milk can cause decay.

How to prevent baby bottle tooth decay

• Clean your child teeth after each feeding
• Never give a bottle in bed, unless it contains only water
• Begin flossing your child's teeth daily once all primary teeth have erupted.
• Bring your child in to see us as soon as the first tooth erupts.

 Sealants protect your child's teeth from decay.

What are sealants?

A sealant is a thin plastic coating that fills in the grooves of molars and premolars. These grooves collect plaque, a film of food and bacteria. Toothbrush bristles usually cant reach the plaque that accumulates within the grooves, and this can cause decay.

When should your child get sealants?

We recommend applying sealants to teeth as soon as the permanent molars come out, usually between the ages of 5-7 for the first molars, and between ages 11-14 for the second set of molars and the premolars. As the wear out, they should be replaced.

How are sealants applied?

After we clean and dry the teeth, we apply a special solution that slightly roughens their surface. This increases the bonds strength. We pain the sealant on and harden it with a harmless high intensity light, forming a protective shield against decay.