Child Health A-Z

Nursing Bottle Caries

What are nursing caries?

Nursing caries, or tooth decay, can be caused by children sleeping with bottles. This is also called baby bottle tooth decay. It is caused when a child goes to bed with a bottle filled with milk or juice - anything except water. It usually affects children between the ages of 1 and 2 years. Breastfed infants who fall asleep while breastfeeding are also at risk.

What are the symptoms of nursing caries?

The following are the most common symptoms of nursing caries. However, each child may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:

white spots on the teeth
early development of cavities (brown areas on the tooth that lead to tooth destruction)

How can I prevent nursing caries?

The following are suggestions you can follow to help prevent nursing caries:

Do not allow your child to go to bed with a bottle filled with anything but water.
Wean your child from the bottle in a timely manner.
Begin good early mouth care of the gums and teeth.
Give fluoride supplementation, as recommended by your child's physician.
Have early dental visits for your child.

Last Update
February 3, 2008

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