What is Early Childhood Caries (ECC) or Bottle caries Syndrome?
Dental caries is a disease of the teeth caused by bacteria, suger and tooth. Certain types of bacteria will produce acid if the bacteria is feeding on sugars or fermentable carbohydrates. This acid will break down the mineral structure of the teeth, and the result is a cavity. ECC is defined as the presence of a cavity in a tooth in a child under six years of age. The most common cause of ECC is by taking a bottle with anything liquid such as Milk, formula, and juice before napping or sleeping( water is fine). When the baby is sleeping, its saliva is not washing across the teeth to protect them from decay acid. Nearly 100% of tooth decay in infants and toddlers is caused by the nighttime bottle, and ECC is the largest cause of dental procedures for children between 12 and 36 months.
