Bottle Rot: What it is and How You can Avoid it

There are any number of things, like food and drink choices, that can have a negative effect on children’s teeth. Unlike permanent, adult teeth, baby teeth are more pitted and porous – making it easier for debris and bacteria to stick and cause damage. One of the most common causes of tooth decay in children is something called bottle rot. Bottle rot contributes to a high rate of acid production on teeth, which causes decay, but it can be easily avoided.

But first, what is bottle rot exactly? Baby bottle tooth decay occurs when children are given bottles filled with sugary drinks (with added sugar or even naturally-occurring sugar) and then left to nurse those bottles for long periods of time. The sugary liquid then stays on their teeth and causes bacteria to grow and cavities to form.

While bottle rot is scary, you can prevent dental caries on your children’s teeth by taking the following precautions:

Cut Down on Sugary Drinks – Any drink with added sugar is dangerous for the health of your child’s teeth, but it’s important to also be mindful of drinks that contain natural sugar, like fruit juice and milk.  That is not to say that your child should never have these drinks, but moderation is a huge factor – make sure your child is not given sugary drinks multiple times throughout the day, for long stretches of time. You can always dilute the concentration of sugar in drinks by mixing it with some water.

Ensure They Don’t Take a Bottle to Bed – Leaving sugary liquid on your kids’ teeth helps bacteria and acid do their work. By giving your child a bottle during nap time or bed time, sugar is left on their teeth for hours, forming cavities at a high rate of speed. After a few trips to bed with a bottle, cavities may already have begun to form.

Keep Your Drinks Separate – In general terms, bottle rot is a bacterial infection and bacteria can be passed from one person to another. If you are presenting any signs of gum disease, or other oral health issues, and you share a drink with your child – you are passing on new bacteria that can harm your child’s teeth. Make sure to give your child their own cup/straw when they’re thirsty and looking for a drink.

Help Your Child Brush Their Teeth - If you can coach your child on good brushing and flossing habits, twice a day preferably, they are much less likely to develop dental caries. Thoroughly cleaning teeth removes build-up and debris that causes cavities, preventing instances of bottle rot and bacterial infections.

While bottle rot is a serious oral health problem, there are easy ways for your child to have a cavity-free smile. If you have questions about how to keep your child’s teeth clean, contact our Tulsa children’s dental office for assistance.

How to Pick a Children’s Dentist

Finding the right dentist to help your children have a healthy smile can be tough. Ideally, a children’s dentist should have experience with, and a unique understanding of, dental problems that affect children – as well as a caring and gentle approach to dentistry.

In your search for a dentist to help and treat your children, consider the following:

Education and Background – A commitment to children’s dentistry requires a unique perspective, coupled with training and expertise. At Kid’s Dental in Tulsa, our children’s dentists – Dr. Kenneth Garner and Dr. Sean Costello – have children of their own and understand what it takes to keep kids healthy. They have decades of experience in dentistry and use their personal understanding of kids’ dental care, as well as their professional knowledge, to ensure your child’s best oral health.

Treatment Approach – Corporate dental clinics are notorious for shuffling patients in and out as quickly as possible. But a good children’s dentist takes time with young patients, teaching them brushing techniques and filling them in on why it’s so important to take good care of their smiles. Our office uses a personalized approach to children’s dental care that is centered on one-on-one dental visits and patient education; we show parents and children what it takes to have healthy teeth and gums. We treat people like people, not just as numbers.

Flexibility – Caring for all young members of a family takes versatility and flexibility. Make sure your dentist offers a range of treatments for all common problems that affect children and can effectively care for patients of varying ages. We are proud to support your children’s oral health by offering preventive and restorative dentistry, like teeth cleanings, fillings, crowns, and root canals – we can even treat patients up to age 17. Most of all, we are proud to accept Soonercare insurance so that your children are able to access affordable dentistry with our office’s commitment to quality, one-at-a-time dentistry.

Your children should have dental care that is suited to their needs, at a place where they feel important and cared for. At Kids’ Dental, we are proud to be your home for gentle, affordable children’s dentistry in Tulsa, OK. We gladly accept Medicaid and private insurance. Contact our office to learn more about how we can help your children get healthy smiles!

Oral Hygiene Tips for Kids

Keeping children’s teeth clean can be challenging; young ones aren’t as diligent about their oral hygiene routines as adults and don’t understand why it’s so important to brush and floss twice a day. We know that setting up good health habits at a young age is vital to a lifetime of good oral health, so try these tips to help your kids get clean and healthy smiles:

Help them Keep Time – You’re supposed to brush your teeth for about two minutes, but this feels like an eternity for fidgety young ones. Help your kids get a sense of how long they should be brushing their teeth by playing a song while they do it, and encourage them to keep brushing the whole time the music is playing.

Teach Technique – Let your child know that the best way to brush teeth is with gentle circles, and that they shouldn’t be too hard on their gums. If they have questions, let them see how you brush and floss for an example of what to do – and let your kids see that this is a routine you practice each morning and every night.

Give Them a Helping Hand – For smaller children, the dexterity it takes to skillfully brush teeth might be hard to manage. If this is the case for your child, have them lie down with their head in your lap and take over the brushing duties for them.

Avoid Sticky, Sugary Foods – Any snack that has a sticky quality can more easily attach itself to your child’s teeth and contribute to tooth decay. Additionally, sugary drinks and foods also increase acid production that promotes decay. The best food and drink choices are fresh foods -- sliced fruit, veggies,and nuts. Drinks with added sugar, like soda and sports drinks, should be avoided when possible. By protecting your children from decay on baby teeth, you can ensure that their overall oral health gets a boost.

Bring them in to see the Dentist – Keeping up regular hygiene appointments for kids is just as important as it is for adults. By bringing your children into our dental office every 6 months, we can make sure that your children’s teeth and gums are healthy. If there does happen to be a problem, we’re able to take care of it as soon as possible, avoiding complications down the road.

We’re here to help your children have healthy teeth and beautiful smiles for life. If you have any questions about children’s dentistry, don’t hesitate to call our Tulsa kid’s dental office for a consultation. 

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Here's to your best oral health ever!