I noticed my son’s teeth look a tad weird and took him to the dentist. I was shocked to find he had decay. He’s only a 19 months old. The dentist said it’s because of sleeping with a bottle. Is that true? How do you get them to not use the bottle at night?
Mary
Dear Mary,
Yes, sleeping with a bottle is never recommended. The formula or juice in the bottle pools in the child’s mouth. This leads to decay. That’s likely what your son is facing. If you get the decay taken care of right away, he should be fine.
If you put it off, it can turn into an infection and he’ll end up needing either a pulpotomy, which is a child’s verion of a root canal treatment or an extraction.
We want to avoid that at all costs. The least invasive a treatment the better. Especially in the cases of children, we want them to have positive experiences with the dentist.
The further the decay goes, the more it can turn into a dental infection. These can turn into dental emergencies quickly.
When Should Children See a Pediatric Dentist?
Generally, you’d want them to see a pediatric dentist after their first birthday. If there is a history of dental probems in the family, that can be genetic and you’ll want to see the dentist when teeth first start erupting.
Too many parents assume there is no need to take children until they’re five or so. More often than not, they end up with decay before then. Instead of having a fun cleaning appointment, their first experience with the dentist is a scary painful one.
It’s much better to take them before there’s a problem where they can have fun visits and grow to love the dentist.
This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.