How can I slow the onset of baby bottle tooth decay?

Yes, I admit I gave my son a bottle (only one at bedtime) up till just about a month ago. He is now 1 1/2 and he has a very tiny spot on his front tooth, which I'm assuming is the onset of the tooth decay. We have a visit to the dentist this week, but was wondering if anyone had any ideas in the meantime as to how to prevent it from getting worse? He is no longer on the bottle at all and I have even limited the amount of juice he gets. He almost always drinks from regular cup (hardly any sippies) and we are healthy eaters, so a lot of sugar isn't really an issue although I'm cutting it down to almost none now. I brush his teeth after breakfast in the morning and right before bed every night. Any other suggestions?

How can I slow the onset of baby bottle tooth decay?
use a face towel , wet it and hand clean his teeth after every meals (in between brushing). Look into water with flouride. Check with your pediatrician and dentist first.
Reply:Yes - stop worrying. Even if it is decay, its a baby tooth that will be falling out. Unless your son is in pain, let the dentist work it out next week. Good luck and stop beating yourself up!
Reply:sometimes a tooth will get a cavity in it ,no matter what we may do to prevent it
Reply:Gosh! you seem to have done everything I could think of. As long as you keep this routine, tooth decay will not become worse. Make sure you keep the good work and have his teeth checked regularly.
Reply:Putting a baby to bed with a bottle of milk is one of the worst things you can do for tooth care. For future reference, feed the baby at bed time and when he gets to the point he sleeps through the night, after you feed him, give him a bottle of water to get him through the night.





Do not assume that problems with baby teeth will just fall out. Some children have baby teeth so bad they have to under go a procedure called dental rehabilitation where they get put to sleep under a general anesthetic and the dentist then can take hours to clean up the teeth, fix cavities, etc. It is a procedure done due to neglect of the child by the parent.





You are doing a good job with brushing. One way to make it more "fun" is if you, your husband and your child all do it together. Your child needs to learn how to do it and doing it like "big people" will help him develop a good habit. Start at age 2, giving him a very soft short brush made for kids. Also remember the toothpaste has to be one that to him, does not taste bad.





Your child should see the dentist every six months. Even if the dentist does nothing but look, it will get the child use to the trip and when something needs to be done in the future, he will not be so scared.





Make sure your kid does not get hooked on candy. Sweet fruits, such as bananas should be given rather than candy.


Cotton candy is one of the worst as it is pure sugar undiluted by any liquid. It sticks really well to teeth.





Lastly, get in the habit of smelling your kid's breathe. It should smell good. If it has any kind of foul Oder, it is a clear indication something is wrong. There may be a bad tooth, an infection or tonsillitis.
Reply:You have made some changes which are all in the right direction...but one last thing. Make sure you brush their teeth before bedtime, and do not offer them anything to eat or drink (with exception of water) after you bruth their teeth.





Believe it or not, that juice, milk, whatever is consumed...will sit on their teeth over night, permitting an open door for decay (even at a gradual pace).