{"id":5386,"date":"2021-05-13T11:54:54","date_gmt":"2021-05-13T18:54:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carolinacompletedental.com\/?p=5386"},"modified":"2025-05-05T18:21:43","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T18:21:43","slug":"are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Baby Bottles Bad for Baby Teeth?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tooth decay in infants and very young children is often called baby bottle tooth decay. This happens when liquids with natural or artificial sugars remain in an infant\u2019s mouth for extended periods of time. Bacteria in the baby\u2019s mouth thrive on these sugars, using them to produce acids that attack the teeth and gums. Today, Drs.&nbsp;Bargainier, and Zuffi would like to share some information about baby bottle tooth decay and how to prevent it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>What Not to Do<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Children whose pacifiers are dipped in sugar, honey, or syrup and those who are given bottles of sugary concoctions for naptime or bedtime comfort are at increased risk of tooth decay due to the decrease in natural saliva flow during sleep. Even fruit juice, milk, and formula contain natural sugars that can wreak havoc on tiny teeth while your little one slumbers. Here are some helpful \u201cdon\u2019ts\u201d for avoiding baby bottle tooth decay:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t fill bottles with sugar water or soda. Bottles should only be for milk, water, formula, and pediatric electrolyte solutions.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t allow them to go to sleep without wiping or brushing their gums and teeth.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Never give your child pacifiers dipped in anything sweet.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reduce the sugar in your baby\u2019s diet, especially between meals.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Baby Teeth <\/b><b><i>Are<\/i><\/b><b> Important<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although baby bottle tooth decay usually affects the upper front teeth the most, other teeth can be affected as well. Some folks underestimate the importance of baby teeth, but they are actually <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">very<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> important for children\u2019s health and development. Not only are baby teeth necessary for chewing, speaking, and smiling, they serve as placeholders for permanent teeth that come later. Left untreated, baby bottle tooth decay can result in pain, infection, and premature tooth loss.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When children lose teeth prematurely because of baby bottle tooth decay, they may develop poor eating habits, speech problems, crooked teeth, and damaged permanent teeth. The chances that the permanent adult teeth will also be crooked and unhealthy are greatly increased by the presence of baby bottle tooth decay.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>What to Do<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Starting a good oral hygiene routine early can help keep baby bottle tooth decay at bay:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wipe your baby\u2019s gums with a clean, warm washcloth after each feeding.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Begin brushing your baby\u2019s teeth with a baby-sized toothbrush, without toothpaste as soon as they come in.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clean and massage the gums in areas of your child\u2019s mouth that do not have teeth.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once baby teeth have come in, begin flossing between them.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make sure your child is getting enough fluoride. You can begin using fluoridated toothpaste around age three. If your local water supply does not contain fluoride, ask your dentist or doctor if a supplement would be appropriate.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Start regular dental visits by your baby\u2019s first birthday. If it seems necessary, ask about sealants, which can help prevent tooth decay.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>How Do I Break Bad Habits?<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s never too late to change those bad habits. Start today by:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gradually diluting the contents of bottles with water over a period of 2-3 weeks.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After 2-3 weeks have passed, fill bottles with only water.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Switching from a bottle to a pacifier at night before bedtime.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Establishing a nightly oral hygiene routine so they never go to sleep with a sugary mouth.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember, the healthier your child\u2019s baby teeth are, the more likely their permanent teeth will be healthy, too. If you have any questions about baby bottle tooth decay or would like to schedule a visit for your little bundle of joy, contact Carolina Complete Dental today!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tooth decay in infants and very young children is often called baby bottle tooth decay. This happens when liquids with natural or artificial sugars remain in an infant\u2019s mouth for extended periods of time. Bacteria in the baby\u2019s mouth thrive on these sugars, using them to produce acids that attack the teeth and gums. Today, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5388,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,4],"tags":[77],"class_list":["post-5386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog","category-patient-care","tag-baby-bottle-tooth-decay"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Baby Bottle Tooth Decay in Goose Creek, SC \u2013 Carolina Complete Dental<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams of Carolina Complete Dental, your Goose Creek dentist, shares information about baby bottle tooth decay \u2013 how it is caused and how to prevent it.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Baby Bottle Tooth Decay in Goose Creek, SC \u2013 Carolina Complete Dental\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams of Carolina Complete Dental, your Goose Creek dentist, shares information about baby bottle tooth decay \u2013 how it is caused and how to prevent it.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Carolina Complete Dental Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-05-13T18:54:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-05T18:21:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"carolinacomplete\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"carolinacomplete\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\\\/blog\\\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\\\/blog\\\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"carolinacomplete\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/815c0f02c648eb720b112775fdc65675\"},\"headline\":\"Are Baby Bottles Bad for Baby Teeth?\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-05-13T18:54:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-05T18:21:43+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\\\/blog\\\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":639,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\\\/blog\\\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"\",\"keywords\":[\"baby bottle tooth decay\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Blog\",\"Patient Care\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\\\/blog\\\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\\\/blog\\\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\\\/\",\"name\":\"Baby Bottle Tooth Decay in Goose Creek, SC \u2013 Carolina Complete Dental\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\\\/blog\\\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\\\/blog\\\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-05-13T18:54:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-05T18:21:43+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/815c0f02c648eb720b112775fdc65675\"},\"description\":\"Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams of Carolina Complete Dental, your Goose Creek dentist, shares information about baby bottle tooth decay \u2013 how it is caused and how to prevent it.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\\\/blog\\\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\\\/blog\\\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\\\/blog\\\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"\",\"contentUrl\":\"\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\\\/blog\\\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Are Baby Bottles Bad for Baby Teeth?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Carolina Complete Dental Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/815c0f02c648eb720b112775fdc65675\",\"name\":\"carolinacomplete\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/8dc79fc195b4544c198a7f663bda50e9319d43ef6becbaca82a8a805f4a56e7b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/8dc79fc195b4544c198a7f663bda50e9319d43ef6becbaca82a8a805f4a56e7b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/8dc79fc195b4544c198a7f663bda50e9319d43ef6becbaca82a8a805f4a56e7b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"carolinacomplete\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/carolinacomplete\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Baby Bottle Tooth Decay in Goose Creek, SC \u2013 Carolina Complete Dental","description":"Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams of Carolina Complete Dental, your Goose Creek dentist, shares information about baby bottle tooth decay \u2013 how it is caused and how to prevent it.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Baby Bottle Tooth Decay in Goose Creek, SC \u2013 Carolina Complete Dental","og_description":"Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams of Carolina Complete Dental, your Goose Creek dentist, shares information about baby bottle tooth decay \u2013 how it is caused and how to prevent it.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\/","og_site_name":"Carolina Complete Dental Blog","article_published_time":"2021-05-13T18:54:54+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-05-05T18:21:43+00:00","author":"carolinacomplete","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"carolinacomplete","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\/"},"author":{"name":"carolinacomplete","@id":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/815c0f02c648eb720b112775fdc65675"},"headline":"Are Baby Bottles Bad for Baby Teeth?","datePublished":"2021-05-13T18:54:54+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-05T18:21:43+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\/"},"wordCount":639,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"","keywords":["baby bottle tooth decay"],"articleSection":["Blog","Patient Care"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\/","url":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\/","name":"Baby Bottle Tooth Decay in Goose Creek, SC \u2013 Carolina Complete Dental","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"","datePublished":"2021-05-13T18:54:54+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-05T18:21:43+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/815c0f02c648eb720b112775fdc65675"},"description":"Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams of Carolina Complete Dental, your Goose Creek dentist, shares information about baby bottle tooth decay \u2013 how it is caused and how to prevent it.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\/#primaryimage","url":"","contentUrl":""},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/are-baby-bottles-bad-for-baby-teeth\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Are Baby Bottles Bad for Baby Teeth?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/","name":"Carolina Complete Dental Blog","description":"","inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/815c0f02c648eb720b112775fdc65675","name":"carolinacomplete","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8dc79fc195b4544c198a7f663bda50e9319d43ef6becbaca82a8a805f4a56e7b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8dc79fc195b4544c198a7f663bda50e9319d43ef6becbaca82a8a805f4a56e7b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8dc79fc195b4544c198a7f663bda50e9319d43ef6becbaca82a8a805f4a56e7b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"carolinacomplete"},"url":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/author\/carolinacomplete\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5386","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5386"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5386\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6377,"href":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5386\/revisions\/6377"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}