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'Bottle
Syndrome' has Painful Consequences, is Easily Avoided
from the Valley
News, Friday March 8th 2002
I
am surprised to find how many cases of bottle decay I
still see nowadays. I would have thought that it was
better understood how so many little kids end up with
such big problems so early in life.
'Bottle Syndrome' as it is sometimes called, can occur
at a very young age. As soon as the first set of teeth
erupt they can become compromised by long-term
exposure to sweet liquids or even milk. Usually the
problem presents itself when the child is put to bed
with a bottle to help him or her sleep. The sucking
quiets the child and the fluid pools in the mouth
around the teeth. This could happen even while in the
parents arms or while breast feeding. Over a period of
time this causes the surface of the teeth to become
leached of their hard protective coatings and tooth
decay can develop rapidly. I am also finding that
older children are starting to suffer some of these
same effects by the misuse of 'sippy' cups filled with
fruit juice. They sip on the sweet fluids,
commonly during the day or as they fall asleep,
and the frequent contact with the teeth can cause long
term problems with tooth decay and or premature tooth
loss.
"Why are the baby teeth important? Aren't they
just supposed to fall out anyway?" The
problem is that the baby teeth have to be around long
enough to hold the space for the permanent successors
to come in. If the baby teeth are lost too early it
can cause some serious crowding that might not be
easily correctable, even by an orthodontist and years
of braces. The other obvious problem is that the tooth
decay can commonly cause an infection known as an
'abscess'. Anyone who has ever suffered one of these
toothaches will testify that there is little else as
uncomfortable. I have even had some ladies tell me
that they would rather go through labor again. These
can also be dangerous and can cause some health risks
if not handled appropriately.
The problems caused by baby bottle syndrome range from
sad to quite devastating in the most innocent of
people. It is so easily preventable however, and that
is the good news. People just need to hear about it
and understand that it is important, that it is
serious and that it is common, and can happen to them.
Here are some helpful tips on how to avoid baby bottle
syndrome:
1. Never put a child to bed with a bottle or sippy cup
with anything other than water in it.
2. Dilute fruit juices with water so they are not so
sweet and help to encourage children to drink out of a
cup at an early age.
3. Use fluoride toothpaste-sparingly but often, and
only as directed by a dentist or physician.
4. Make sure that children are receiving systemic
fluoride either in the water they drink or via a
supplement.
5. Early dental check-ups. By the age two or three,
children should be seen in a dental office to catch
any potential problems early.
Read more articles by Dr.
Schell here.
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