Baby Bottle tooth decay?!
Question: My friend's daughter, age 4, has really bad baby bottle tooth decay on 3 of her front teeth to where they look to be completely rotten and disappearing. My friend is reluctant to take her daughter to the dentist because she says that those are just her baby teeth and they are going to fall out anyways. Does she have a valid point? What would the dentist do if she took her daughter to see him? Would he pull the teeth out? And can they do that on such a young child? Anyone been in this situation before with baby bottle tooth decay in young children? I started taking my son at age 3 and we haven't had any kinds of problems like this so I really don't know what to tell her but I really think she should take her daughter in and would just like a second opinion.
Answers: My friend's daughter, age 4, has really bad baby bottle tooth decay on 3 of her front teeth to where they look to be completely rotten and disappearing. My friend is reluctant to take her daughter to the dentist because she says that those are just her baby teeth and they are going to fall out anyways. Does she have a valid point? What would the dentist do if she took her daughter to see him? Would he pull the teeth out? And can they do that on such a young child? Anyone been in this situation before with baby bottle tooth decay in young children? I started taking my son at age 3 and we haven't had any kinds of problems like this so I really don't know what to tell her but I really think she should take her daughter in and would just like a second opinion.
Yes, she really should take the child to a pediatric dentist. The first teeth to show up are the front teeth, but it may be another 2 years before that happens. The position of the front teeth sets the stage for the correct position of all the other teeth that will follow as well. I imagine if the teeth are that far gone, the dentist will likely remove them. It can be done, I have seen it done before when it was necessary. Although they are baby teeth, the bacteria that cause decay is the same that can cause gum disease in everyone. That in turn could affect teeth that will stay in the mouth for much longer, like that first molar. If the teeth have to be removed, since she is so young, they would likely do it with the child sedated and asleep. Fortunately that is a safe procedure, even for the very young child, and more traumatizing for the parents than the child. They just go to sleep and wake up fine. I am not sure what good it will do encouraging your friend with a second opinion though. Likely she wants to avoid seeing the dentist because she feels a certain shame knowing she didn't do proper dental care for her daughter, and is embarassed to have a dentist see the evidence. Or she just doesn't want the lecture she's bound to hear. And unfortunately, most folks do view the baby teeth as throw away teeth that are not worth the investment precisely because they will eventually fall out. Just emphasize that although the teeth themselves will come out, they lay the groundwork for the permanent ones that follow. A repair now will be a lot cheaper than the braces will be later on. Or the ER visit for antibiotics and dental work if the girl develops an abscess.
my friends daughter was like that also ..but she was only breast feed (for almost 2yrs)...but her teeth came in at a very young age like she had a mouth full by one yr...so since her teeth cam in so early they were weaker ..but they had them covered with that silver type of filling ..and she's 6 now and loosing her baby teeth including those that are covered..they should at least look into having them covered if they are bad enough..because it could eventually cause their child pain if they don't do anything
I doubt the dentist would pull them, unless they're causing infections or pain; they will fall out when adult teeth grow in.
I HIGHLY doubt that the decay is caused by a baby bottl, unless that bottle is full of soda and other refined sugar containing liquids.
Who's calling it 'bottle tooth decay' anyway? Odd.
She is correct, they are the baby teeth and they will come out.
I took my daughter to the dentist with it and all he said was they will come out and her permanent teeth will not be affected. He was right, they came out and new teeth came in just fine.
Yes my cousin's children all suffered from such problems and each of them has had thousands of dollars in dental work done. And all of it was done to baby teeth. Having healthy baby teeth is important to make sure the big teeth that come in their place grow in healthy as well. Her children range in ages from 11 to less than 1 year. A dentist and a pediatrician will both tell you that as soon as that first baby tooth appears they should be taken to a dentist. It is very important to go to a dentist even if they're just baby teeth. Find a way to get the child there even if have to take her yourself. Baby bottle tooth decay is an actual term. And it is not caused by juice or soda. Most frequently it is caused by parents putting their children to bed with a bottle of milk. The child drinks the milk until they fall asleep, usually with a full or semi-full mouth. This causes their teeth to decay. Drinking juice and soda will only increase the effect.
Your friend could be charged with child neglect if she does not take her to a dentist. Please let her know that, just because she is dealing with baby teeth that will eventually be replaced by permanent teeth, doesn't mean that the child may not be in pain from all the decay in her mouth, not to mention the infection that all the decay could be causing that can affect the child's overall health if not treated. Baby bottle decay, also known as nursing bottle caries, is brought about by putting your child or infant to bed with a bottle with anything in it other than water. This includes milk, juice, and anything else that has sugar in it. If your friend took her daughter to see a dentist, he would most likely refer her to a pedodontist, which is children's dentist, for treatment of these decayed teeth. And, yes, from what you are describing, it sounds like those teeth are so badly decayed that they would have to be removed. In the event that the pedodontist does decide to remove the teeth, they would do so in a manner that does not cause the child to have a negative experience. Chances are, the reason your child has not suffered from the same problem as your friend's little girl is that you have been taking your child to the dentist from a young age and have maintained PREVENTATIVE dental health, which is to be commended. People often think that if nothing in their mouth hurts they don't need to see a dentist. However, just because there may not be any pain does not mean that there aren't any problems that need to be addressed by a dentist. How will we know if we do not keep regular visits with the dentist in order to prevent problems from occurring and getting out of hand like your friend's little girl. Again, what your friend is doing, or better yet not doing, is a form of child neglect. I think that if you tell her nothing else, you should definitely tell her that. Good luck.
She definatly needs to be seen by a denist. It could make the child hurt in the future. Just get a opinion.