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COMMON CAUSES OF TOOTH DECAY IN BABY
What is baby tooth decay?
Tooth decay in baby teeth is also known as baby bottle tooth decay or early childhood caries or nursing bottle caries, which is basically the medical word for cavities or holes in teeth. Dr Garima Yaday, Head of Dental Department at Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, says children of any age can get cavities, but they form faster in baby teeth than in adult tooth (permanent teeth). They can start to develop as soon as baby teeth appear which is usually between 6 months to one year of age.
What causes baby tooth decay?
Many mothers send their babies to bed with a bottle of milk. It’s not a good habit as it can lead to tooth decay. Here are some reasons for tooth decay:
1. Sugar
Cavities are caused by sugar and a bacteria that lives in the mouth. Bacteria turns sugar (which is found in food, drinks and breast milk) into an acid that can damage or eat the outer layer of the teeth called enamel, explains the expert.
2. Thin enamel
Enamel of baby teeth happens to be way thinner than what adults have. So, it is easy for bacteria to cause cavities.
3. Less saliva
Saliva helps wash away the acid that gets formed by bacteria. But if there is less saliva, there are more chances of getting cavities, the expert tells Health Shots.
