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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

first teeth/brushing/bedtime bottle/decay - help!

4 replies

hodgepodge · 18/08/2009 20:42

DS is 9 months old - has just got his first two teeth - and only just started going to sleep on his own at bed/naptimes with a bottle. I thought this was a good thing until I read that the bottle is rotting his baby teeth and I shouldn't do it... is this true? he's only had them 2 weeks - does decay start immediately or can we go with the bedtime bottle for a bit longer? and is it just me or is this whole having a baby thing just far more stressful than you ever imagined? and does everyone else in the world pretend they're ok? i'm really struggling with it

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underpaidandoverworked · 18/08/2009 20:59

It's juice in a baby bottle that can cause decay in children's teeth, not baby milk - and it takes a few years for 'the rot' to set in.

Bsbies this age still take comfort from a bottle - don't believe everything you read. It'll probably change in a few months anyway.... I'm mum to 3 children aged 5-18yrs and none of mine had rotten milk teeth.

MultiTaskingMum · 18/08/2009 21:16

TBH I'd check with your dentist, the best thing in a bottle in bed is water. Well done for getting him in his own bed though, my DS was 8months before he slept through the night. Mine all had a bottle of milk before bed and a dummy to help them settle (but only in bed).

mumcah · 24/08/2009 22:30

Actually milk is not good for the teeth,particuarly in a bottle as it pools round the teeth when sucking.
However,lots of parents don't worry too much as we all know how much a bottle is comforting.
My DD is 17 months and a few months ago we started giving her a bottle before her bath and then cleaning her teeth afterwards.This was because we were trying to take away the suck/sleep association not because of teeth though!
I wouldn't worry too much at this stage.

Ellle · 25/08/2009 12:43

Agree with Mumcah, milk has lactose (a natural form of sugar) and going to sleep with milk in contact with the teeth can be harmful in the long term. Decay takes a while to form and progress, it is the habit the most worrying thing.
It's probably better to stablish a different habit-routine, still giving him a bottle at bed time but cleaning his teeth after it.

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