28/06/2025
Many parents give their babies a bottle of milk at bedtime to help them fall asleep. While this may seem harmless, it can quietly harm your child’s teeth. When a baby falls asleep with milk in their mouth, the natural sugars in milk stay on the teeth for long periods. During sleep, saliva flow reduces, making it harder for the mouth to wash away these sugars.
This creates a perfect environment for bacteria to grow. The bacteria feed on the sugars and produce acid that attacks the tooth enamel. Over time, this leads to early tooth decay — especially in the upper front teeth — even if your child is very young or still has only baby teeth.
This kind of decay is known as nursing bottle caries. It can cause pain, infection, and even problems with speech or eating later on. That’s why it's important to avoid putting your child to bed with a bottle, and to clean their teeth or gums before sleep, even if they only have a few teeth. Early prevention protects their smile for life.
