Nursing Bottle Syndrome

By Gerald Kreinces, DMD

"Nursing Bottle Syndrome" is a unique form of tooth decay caused by allowing a teething infant, or even a toddler to feed from a bottle of milk or juice, or the breast, for extended periods of time. This condition occurs most frequently when a child is put to bed with a bottle in its mouth. Some children consume the contents quickly and suffer no ill effects, but others will suck on the bottle, or breast for prolonged periods of time. These are the children most at risk.

Children suffer the effects of nursing bottle syndrome when the milk or juice sits on the surface of the tongue, and bathes the upper front teeth. Bacteria in the mouth ferment the sugars in the milk, and the resulting acid dissolves the new susceptible teeth. The damage caused is not reversible, but the progress of the disease will slow or even arrest if the feeding pattern is altered. Parents need to be aware that it is not the amount of food passing over the teeth that is the problem, but rather the amount of time that the tooth is in contact with food that is significant. Children that fall asleep with a mouth full of milk or juice could be destined for major dental problems.