Night time bottle feeding linked to decay amongst young children
Dental professionals are urging parents to stop bottle feeding babies and young children at bed time.
Professor Richard Widmer, from the Children’s Hospital in Westmead, Sydney, said that bottle feeding is contributing to a rise in tooth decay amongst young children because lactose in milk combines with the plaque in the baby’s mouth and causes the enamel to become weakened. Professor Widmer said that ideally babies should go straight from breastfeeding to using a cup, cutting out bottles altogether.
Professor Widmer, along with specialists all over the world, said that there has been a significant increase in the number of young children requiring extractions and dental procedures under general anaesthetic; children as young as twelve months old are being admitted for emergency dental treatment and this is alarming.
In order to combat tooth decay, dentists are advising parents to consider using cups instead of bottles and to teach their children how to look after their teeth and gums from a very early age; even before the teeth have fully erupted, it is beneficial to use a soft brush to cleanse the gums and remove plaque from the gum line and the existing teeth. Dentists are also encouraging parents to introduce their children to the dentist from the age of twelve months; regular visits will help to prevent dental health problems and will also get children used to going to the dentist, which will decrease the likelihood of them becoming anxious about visiting the dentist in the future.
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