What is Early Childhood Caries (ECC)?
Early Childhood Caries is also known as Baby Bottle Tooth Decay. It is caused by using a baby bottle filled with milk or juice during naps or at night. It is also caused by continuous breastnursing while asleep. It is an aggressive form of caries. It begins soon after a tooth erupts and progresses very rapidly. We encourage weaning from bottle or breast feeding when children are 12-14 month old.
Early Childhood Caries (a.k.a. “nursing bottle caries”) is the most common preventable form of tooth decay. Other commonly used terms for this condition are “bottle rot, or baby bottle tooth decay”. This condition can occur when a child, who has the cavity causing bacteria in his saliva, is allowed to nurse continually from the breast and/or from a bottle with milk, formula, juice or other sugary substances during the night and even during naptime. As you begin to fall asleep your saliva glands slow down. Saliva helps fight the acid and toxins created by specific bacteria that cause tooth decay. Thus by allowing these liquids to pool around your child’s teeth during sleeping periods, the bacteria can attack healthy enamel which can result in serious dental decay such as early childhood caries. As soon as the first tooth erupts and every tooth thereafter the level of decay causing bacteria will increases if present. If your child must have a bottle at naptime or bedtime, it is recommend
