Understand bottle caries, tooth holes due to food scraps on your little one

Cavities or caries are the most common dental problems of all ages. The age group of children who are usually the most susceptible to dental caries. Of the various types of caries that often appear in children, bottle caries is one of them.

What is bottle caries?

Nursing bottle caries is a cavity problem that occurs when leftover drinks are still attached to a child's teeth for a long time. The buildup of leftover drinks that contain lots of sugar will trigger the growth of bacteria. Gradually, the bacteria will eat away at the plaque left over from food or drink on the teeth.

Bacteria also produce acids that can erode the outer layer of teeth (tooth enamel), causing the appearance of small holes in teeth that become larger over time.

The cause of this type of caries is generally due to the habit of the child falling asleep while breastfeeding. Either using a bottle, sippy cup, or breast milk. Most cases of bottle caries occur in the upper front teeth because these rows of teeth are most exposed to fluids during breastfeeding.

Meanwhile, the lower teeth tend to be better protected because they are often moistened by the child's saliva and blocked by the tongue.

Source: Dental Hub

What are the signs when a child has bottle caries?

Cavities that appear due to the decay of the remaining drink can occur in one or several teeth at once. It depends on how much the remaining drink has accumulated on the teeth.

Typical symptoms that appear are usually brown spots on the teeth that are expanding over time. If the holes in the teeth are classified as severe, the child can experience pain and even swollen teeth.

Can this condition be prevented?

Don't worry, before the caries bottle attacks your little one, you should first prevent it in the following ways:

• Do not let the child fall asleep while drinking milk, juice, or other sugary drinks through the bottle.
• Immediately clean the child's mouth, gums and teeth using a clean cloth immediately after eating and drinking.
• If the child's teeth have grown, teach them to be diligent in brushing their teeth in the right way
• Start teaching children to drink milk using small glasses, before they are two years old
• Make sure your child regularly checks their teeth, even from the age of one