Contents:
- Medical Video: 2nd Trimester Q&A with Belly to Baby
- What is bottle caries?
- What are the signs when a child has bottle caries?
- Can this condition be prevented?
Medical Video: 2nd Trimester Q&A with Belly to Baby
Cavity or caries is a dental problem that is most often complained of of all ages. The age group of children who are usually 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?
Caries nursing bottle or bottle caries is a cavities problem that occurs when the rest of the drink is still attached to the child's teeth for a long time. The accumulation of the remaining drinks that contain a lot of sugar, will trigger the growth of bacteria. Gradually, the bacteria will eat away the remaining food or drink plaque on the teeth.
Bacteria also produce acids that can erode the outermost layer of teeth (tooth enamel), causing a small hole in the teeth to grow.
The cause of this type of caries is generally due to the habit of the child who falls asleep during breastfeeding. Either use bottles, sippy cups, or ASI. Most cases of bottle caries occur in the upper front teeth because the rows of teeth are most susceptible to fluids during breastfeeding children.
While the lower teeth tend to be more protected because they are often moistened by a child's saliva and blocked by the tongue.
What are the signs when a child has bottle caries?
Cavities that appear due to decay of the rest of the drink can occur on one or several teeth at a time. It depends on how much the rest of the drink builds up on the tooth.
Typical symptoms that appear are usually in the form of brownish spots on the teeth which are increasingly widespread. If the hole in the tooth is classified as severe, the child can experience pain and even swollen teeth.
Can this condition be prevented?
Don't worry, before the carious bottle attacks your child, you should first prevent it in the following way:
- Do not let children fall asleep while drinking milk, juice, or sweet drinks containing other sugars through bottles.
- Immediately clean the mouth, gums, and teeth of the child using a clean cloth just after eating and drinking.
- When the child's teeth have grown, teach the child to diligently brush their teeth in the right way
- Start teaching children to drink milk using a small glass, before they are two years old
- Make sure children regularly check their teeth, even from the age of one
