It is very important to keep the teeth of our child healthy to promote our kid’s overall health. Baby bottle tooth decay (BBTD) or childhood caries can occur due to a fact that our kid’s teeth are constantly contacted with sugars from formula, fruit juice, milk, other drinks or even breast milk. In the mouth, the liquids break down and then form into simple sugars. During the process, the bacteria start to feed on the sugars and finally cause tooth decay. Because of that reason, it is important to prevent tooth decay because such problem will not only be uncomfortable for our children but according to further researches, can also cause health problems in the future. Preventing tooth decay will also pave the way for healthy teeth.
What We Must Do as Parents
• According to experienced dentists and researchers, there are some simple ways we can do to prevent dental caries in children; here are the tips:
• Give bottle during meals. It is suggested not to use bottle as a pacifier or give it to quiet our baby. Pacifier and bottle must be replaced with glasses when the time comes because it only promotes the development of bacteria that can lead tooth decay.
• Make sweets and sugars only an occasional treat in our house. If we give too many sweets and sugar foods, it leads to tooth decay.
• Limit the number of meals and snacks that we serve to our child. Do not let our child graze all day long on foods because it will harm his teeth, as the food will stay on the teeth, makes bacteria live on it and cause tooth decay.
• We have to give our child enough water to drink every day. There is a fact about water; it leads the production of saliva in the mouth that will help washing sugars left on the teeth away. Water with fluoride will also help protecting our child’s teeth from over acid production.
• When we eat out with him or are on the go, it is suggested to use dental wipes on his teeth. Dental wipes help prevent tooth decay especially that is caused by plaque formation. It can be bought easily in local drugstores.
• We have to take our child to the dentist on a regular basis. We need to ask the dentist about fluoride sealant, especially if we live in an area where there is no fluoridated water or if our child’s teeth are prone to cavities.
• As parents, we have responsibility to make sure that children are brushing their teeth every night before bedtime. Night is the best time to brush because it will help remove all foods and sugars from the day.
