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Article: Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
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- Nutrition and Well-Being A to Z
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 The Gale Group, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
Baby bottle tooth decay occurs in young children when their teeth or gums are exposed to infant formula, milk, juice, or other sweet drinks for long
periods of time. This often happens when infants or toddlers fall asleep while sucking on a bottle. Breastfed infants are usually not at risk, unless they feed for extended periods. The
carbohydrates
in the drink (lactose in milk, or fructose in fruit drinks) mix with the normal
bacteria
in the mouth. This bacteria is found in the
plaque
on teeth and gums. When plaque mixes with carbohydrates, acids are formed that dissolve tooth enamel, causing tooth decay and dental
caries
. To prevent baby bottle tooth ...