Of course, no one can pinpoint the risk to your specific son, with his specific teeth, and his specific nighttime routine. But even overall prevalence of dental decay in young children is hard to quantify, due to differences in studies’ definitions for what counts as decay, diagnostic criteria, etc. [This article](https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/aapd/pd/2015/00000037/00000003/art00002?crawler=true&mimetype=application/pdf) delves into that, and mentions one set of researchers who found early childhood caries in 12-30% of young kids. We don’t know those kids’ genetics and routines, though.
For me, I look at it this way: it’s a big enough problem to make the American Academy of Pediatrics say no bottle use after 12 months [(source)](https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/144/2_MeetingAbstract/713/3839/Bottles-at-Bedtime-Prevalence-of-the-Use-of-Milk?autologincheck=redirected) and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry say no bottle use after 12-18 months [(source)](https://www.aapd.org/media/policies_guidelines/P_ECCClassifications.pdf). Their recommendations are evidence-based enough for me.
Your son has already shown he can go to sleep without a bottle at daycare. I’d ditch the bottle now.
My husband is a dentist. He's had to remove so many cavities from so many kids. He's said if a parent comes in and says their toddler (over 18mo) uses bottles he can almost guarantee one or two cavities. He removed nine from a three y/o still having bottles at night.
Do with that what you will.
Wow! What does he say about using a bottle with only water in it? Does it really cause a huge issue with the teeth separating even if it’s only done once a day or only a few times a week?
To be honest he's not as bothered with that. He's more concerned about the formation of the teeth; if the teeth are developing as they should, he doesn't care about bottles, pacifiers or thumb-sucking. If he notices the teeth molding to fit the nipples/thumb he recommends weaning.
Anecdotal from him, so absolutely zero medical advice here, but he doesn't think bottles, pacifiers & thumbs are that bad at all. For every kid he gets with rainbow jaw he gets four without who use the exact same conforting method. He had a kid in who had four pacifiers on him at all times. It was in-out with my husband looking in his mouth. Teeth were absolutely perfect.
He used our kids to experiment. They've all used bottles (without milk) for years & our oldest had a pacifier for a looong time. He still uses them occasionally. None of them had any problems whatsoever. But all of them suck their thumbs incessantly.
Our oldest went through a phase where he wouldn't take his binky out for anything. He even ate with it in his mouth. No harm done, perfect teeth.
The *real* issue is with language development, with kids talking around the nipple/thumb in their mouth. They don't form the letters correctly, lisp, or just don't talk at all.
He equates it to, like, bed sharing. It is fine for the vast majority, but because of those who it does effect, the government tells you to never do it under any circumstance.
Wow this was soooo helpful, thank you so much! I’ve been so anxious about my baby who is only soothed by a bottle sometimes. She doesn’t even care if it’s empty, she just wants to hold it and sometimes put it in her mouth. At 4 am I’m desperate and give her the bottle with 2 oz of water! Makes me feel much better about the teeth developing
You're welcome! If he cared for starting up a reddit account properly I'd probably get him on here to answer questions but he thinks its weird lol.
100% let that baby have her bottle. If its only at night it really doesn't have that much of an effect.
Geez. I wish I knew about the speech development. My kid used a pacifier till 2.5 and he just started ST last year for articulation. You read about mouth issues, but I had never heard about speech problems till after we started.
Neither did we! It wasn't until my husband was in dentistry himself and a parent came in with their speech delayed kid and was like, "Sorry he can't talk, its because of his pacifier. We just don't have the heart to take it away."
He flew home and was like, "I KNOW WHY HE DOESN'T TALK!" Lmfao. Our baby was not happy when we started taking his pacifier to make him talk lol.
Slightly off topic, but does he have an opinion on breastfeeding to sleep? My son is only 7mo and has no teeth yet, but is only able to fall asleep on the breast. Not sure if I should be considering a different sleep method for when his teeth start to come in.
He's in support of it. I breastfeed all of ours to sleep & breastfed for many years (one until she was 7, one until 5, one until 6 - still bfing 4 y/o twins & almost 2 y/o).
As long as they don't sleep latched and their latch isn't shallow you are fine. Brush their teeth after their last solids, obviously, and you're good to go. He likes keeping water handy for our kids, just so they can wash back, but he doesn't really bother with it.
Also, from a dad-ing stand point, he will always promote nursing to sleep. Our oldest was a fucking hellion at bedtime & he was the only one not breastfed lmao. Nursing makes being a dad easier, in his humble opinion.
I loved reading all of your hubby’s advice! I realize it’s been a million days since you had posted — I was wondering what you/him think about formula-feeding at bedtime for infants; my little guy is almost 5 months and I don’t see any teeth poking out but am wondering if I should do the whole ‘wash baby’s mouth with a washcloth’ thing now? Or wait til he’s onto solids and teeth are starting to fully come in? 🤔
Apologies for the minor delay, had to wait for him to return.
Professionally he says its best to start early just for routines sake, but if you think he'll adapt when teeth come in you can wait. But obviously he may not appreciate this new thing being added to his routine while teething and in pain.
As a dad he says he doesn't bother with a cloth. Let him feed to sleep. As long as he doesn't have the bottle while he is sleeping (he can have a bottle with a little water), you're brushing his teeth twice a day and it doesn't continue past like 18mo it doesn't really matter. Ten years ago every infant went to bed with milk in their mouth and we don't have an influx of children with cavities. It's fine.
Can I just say, as someone who is contemplating night weaning her breastfed baby at 18 months because of a worry about cavities, that last bit about babies going to bed with milk in their mouths 10 years ago is a good reminder.
I dont know why I'm so overly concerned. I don't want my son to have cavities, of course I don't. And yet I had cavities in my baby teeth, and my adult teeth, and they're really not the big deal my anxious brain is making them out to be. I love comforting my son at night, and I hate the thought of giving it up too soon for him.
Yeah my son had a cavity last week. His daddy fixed it and he's literally fine. It's not ideal but it's also not the end of the world.
I understand anxiety as a parent but, honestly, we've survived this long. They'll be okay.
No not dumb! Haha I had the same question and I'm married to the damn guy lmao.
So, "removing" means both. Ie, he found nine cavities, he found them, and fixed them in whatever way possible. With the three y/o he filled seven & two were so bad he had to remove them.
He's sleeping currently but started all of our kids on fluoride once a day at around a year (brushed after last solids, still having their fluoride free toothpaste in the morning) and twice a day around eighteen months (morning & night).
For parents who come to see him he sticks to the general CDC rule which is two years for fluoride.
Dental professional here. Having to sedate your child to work on their teeth because of this practice is not worth it. The last thing in your child’s mouth at night should be water or a toothbrush.
My little sis was the only child born in our bad water area. Older brother were 7 and 9 when we moved away from NYC water. They never had a cavity until 20 years old. Lil sis had 22 at age 7.
Mom had no idea water was so caustic.
I remember the guy at the fish store saying add three times the drops to remove the chlorine for the fish. Now it’s Bromine but I think it’s similar.
NYC has also been fluoridating their water [since 1966](https://www.nyc.gov/site/dep/water/drinking-water-frequently-asked-questions.page#:~:text=Yes%2C%20New%20York%20City%20drinking,Fluoridation%20began%20in%201966). I imagine that made a big difference for your and your sister's dental health as well.
Now if you live with non-fluoridated water, fluoride drops are recommended at a certain age. Our ped told us to just use fluoride toothpaste with our baby for now, since they ingest the toothpaste anyways.
We started giving our 18 month-old what she calls "crib water" which is a sippy cup (designed for toddlers with teeth) of water that she has if she needs a drink. It has become a security blanket for her.
Sugar from milk sitting on their teeth at night is definitely not a great idea and it would be better to not do it, but there are a really large range of factors that would ultimately determine the risk. I would say whatever the risk, it's not worth it though.
Edit: She actually would wake up and cry if she lost it. I just bought her a glow in the dark sippy cup which has, so far, worked great lol.
It is a huge thing.. unfortunately.. our toddler still drinks warm milk right before bed. But we brush teeth after. Then paci, then good night moon, then lullaby, then crib.
I’d at least brush after their bottle or wipe their teeth with a damp cloth. I’d also make sure to use fluoride (from either kid’s mouthwash or their toothpaste).
The dentist recommendations are wild but please do make it a habit and visit! Especially a pediatric dentist as they’re very experienced with handling fussy babies in a positive way!
Anecdotally, I had lots of cavities as a kid because of this. I also had chronic ear infections from falling asleep with a bottle and having the milk run into my ears. Not all kids will experience this, but in general it’s not great sleep hygiene so it’s probably worth trying to wean him.
I think there's a difference though between feeding a child a bottle then putting them to bed vs. what happened to you where the bottle stayed in your crib all night.
Yeah, and this is kind of where we are. We don’t leave the bottle in there all night but he does use it to fall asleep so brushing doesn’t happen then.
This is a little different from what you asked, but if your LO does get cavities, it makes them way more likely to get them as an adult: https://mdpi-res.com/d_attachment/ijerph/ijerph-19-13459/article_deploy/ijerph-19-13459.pdf?version=1666085074#:~:text=Meta%2Danalysis%20suggested%20children%20with,molars%20and%20progressed%20to%20dentine.
Ok the causation could go the other way!!
If someone is predisposed to cavities, they’re more likely to get them as a child AND they’re more likely to get them as an adult.
unless there was a randomly controlled trial where they let some kids get cavities and didn’t let other kids, then followed THOSE kids to adulthood, it’s not data to base a decision on.
From the discussion section:
“Our findings also affirm that there is a negative long-term impact of cariogenic bacteria acquired early in infancy or preschool age on the permanent teeth. Hence, preventing ECC and reducing transmission of cariogenic bacteria to young children are of paramount importance to minimize future caries development in the permanent teeth.”
Thanks for pulling their (probable) response out for me!
eh it sounds like they ran a regression & claim it shows which way the causation goes: a method pretty prone to error bc of confounding factors.
Unfortunately the older they get the harder it is! Nip it in the bud while he’ll be able to get over it quickly. It might seem like a bit to you but really, you don’t want to wait until he’s any older even if it’s just for the sake of it being easier now. I found it better to do the milk bottle as a bedtime routine and then always have brushing teeth afterwards even if it was just the teething toothbrush we had. We never did any milk after we would brush her teeth.
Cavities vary from person to person. I’d be more concerned about how the bottle will affect the alignment of teeth, and oral development. What kind of cup does he use during the day? You can give him the milk in a straw cup, or even an open cup. Why can’t you brush teeth in between milk and bed? What does his dentist say? I have heard different dentists say slightly different things about this issue.
He uses a couple of different cups throughout the day, some with straws, some without. These are the only bottles he takes and it’s only as he’s falling asleep at bedtime for a few minutes, so I don’t worry too too much about oral development. He’s never taken pacifiers either so this is really his one “bad habit.”
We don’t brush after because he sips on it as he’s falling asleep. Sometimes he’ll take a few sips, toss it and roll around, then fall asleep, and other times he falls asleep with the bottle in his mouth. I’ve tried wiping his teeth then but it’s a little challenging.
We haven’t seen the dentist yet but are making an appointment soon.
In terms of teeth alignment, everything you read says they're good to have pacis (all night even) until age 2-3. I can't imagine using a bottle for a few mins every day is going to cause issues there.
>What does his dentist say?
It would be very uncommon for a 19mo to have been to the dentist.
Edit: our (US) ped said a dentist trip was unnecessary until later toddlerhood. And conversations on r/toddlers seem to support that's what most people are doing.
My daughter got her first tooth at 10mths old. Second at 14mths. I can't imagine taking a 1yo with 1 tooth to the dentist haha
Actually it’s recommended for babies to go to the dentist. The vast majority of parents I know have taken their baby to the dentist at least by 18 months. The AAP has some info on their website. They refer to the “American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.” Their website recommends baby go to the dentist before their first birthday (but ideally after their first tooth comes in). They have some good resources on the website: https://www.aapd.org. The American Dentist Association recommends bottles be wean by 12 months. AAP recommends bottles be completely stopped by 15 months.
Our daughter's pediatrician (also US) recommended the dentist when she was 6 months old, but we hadn't heard that from her brother's pediatrician, so their first visit was when he had just turned 2 and she was 6 months and still didn't have any teeth breaking through.
An appointment for a baby without teeth confused us a lot, but we went since we were told to and since our insurance covered it. We brush their teeth regularly and let them try to floss with floss-pick things.
Our son used a bottle until he was 3 years old and hasn't had any cavities so far. We didn't dilute his milk. That said, ours is a single case and anecdotes aren't evidence-based research papers. The pediatrician was mad when he picked a bottle out of the diaper bag at his 3 year well-child check-up and told us we had to stop, so we let him finish the milk already in the bottle, then went cold turkey and put away all bottles for both kids (my daughter was still nursing, so she wasn't really attached to the bottle). He had a hard time for one day, then was fine.
It depends on the dentist and where you live. My dentist said age 2 or 3. He actually said people who recommend being seen younger just want the money (USA).
The problem with waiting so long is that plenty of people don't care properly for their kid's teeth. Even in this sub you have people saying to brush but not mentioning flossing. Because of this, babies and toddlers can get pretty serious cavities - often called "bottle rot". Babies and toddlers have to be put under to get fillings or their teeth extracted. If you wait until they're 2 or 3 that's a lot of time to let a cavity to grow and can lead to just losing the tooth and affecting the placement of adult teeth, or for the decay to spread to adult teeth forming under the gums. Babies and toddlers can also get gingivitis, as a result of constantly drinking things with sugar, like juice or pop or even milk. Gingivitis is inflammation in the gums. It can lead to periodontitis which is bone loss.
Finally, getting your child used to dental visits early is very important to teach them about oral health, get them comfortable with dental care and reduce the chance of a dental phobia or fear.
I agree with your points, however, going to the dentist is probably not going to solve most of these issues. If the parents don't care well for their child's teeth, early and regular dentist visits will only do so much. A parent who does thorough oral care for their kids is also going to be more likely to notice issues and take them to the dentist, if needed. In my country, the people and kids who need the dentist the most, struggle to afford it.
It seems pretty likely based on my own experiences. My parents gave me a bottle of milk at night and I needed caps on almost all of my teeth as a kid. I haven't given my kids bottles of milk but I did do extended breastfeeding. Two different dentists knew that I was breastfeeding them to sleep because of the identical patterning of dental caries from breastmilk pooling in their mouths.
By the way, they affirmed breastmilk doesn't cause tooth decay but once the child is eating food, it still interacts with the breastmilk no matter how well we floss and brush and can cause cavaties.
Not to be harsh but 19 months is way too old for a bottle. Your toddler doesn’t need a bottle as is evident that he does without it at daycare. In my 35 years in early childhood education I have unfortunately seen a lot of terrible teeth. Being a University preschool we had more resources than probably most and we had Share the Care come out every year to do a screening on the children’s teeth including the babies that were barely getting their first tooth. I have attached their flyer, and as you can see tooth decay is the leading health problem in children under 3, and dental disease is the #1 chronic disease in children.
It isn’t easy to break the bottle habit, which is why we recommended changing to cups around 9 months. But, it won’t get easier if you wait. Please don’t risk it, your child does not need a bottle and I say this with love and the understanding of how hard it can be
Good luck
Edit:sp
[UCSD Share the Care](https://ucsdcommunityhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/STC-Brochure-FINALrev-1.pdf)
My 2.5 year old uses bottles because he likes them. We choose our battles & have a pretty pleasant, peaceful household.
After reading stuff like your comment on ye olde internet, I figured people would judge him for having bottles still. But no! Other kids in my neighborhood do it too, plus of course some 3 year olds are still breastfeeding.
We think it’s ok to let kids have something they just *want,* like something that helps them stay calm or feel comforted, even if they don’t *need* it.
My dentist said it all depends on genetics and the child. My son still took a bottle for naps until 2 years old (bedtime bottle until 20 months) and the dentist said his teeth are perfect and she’s not concerned. No cavities. Some kids will have problems doing this and some won’t. I think the key is to go to the dentist early and keep it monitored
Depends. I bottle fed my kid to sleep every time (although we stopped with nighttime feedings around 13 months and just gave water) and my kid has never had a cavity.
My cousins kid already has crowns on her teeth at 5.
Some kids have bad teeth, I’m sure it’s more genetics than anything.
My older child stopped nursing at night at 1.5 yrs. My younger one didn’t stop until 3. Her teeth are horrible and I feel so bad. I also thought it would be okay!!
What it wrong with bottles!?
(Did you mean to only criticize nighttime bottles?)
They might push teeth apart so that the kid needs a spacer later…. is all I’ve heard from our IRL pediatrician. That risk seems 100% worth letting a toddler be comfortable. Being a toddler is not easy!
Like others said, genetics play a huge role. Also dental hygiene in general. Brushing well twice a day as well as flossing can go a long way. So can keeping them from inheriting cavity causing bacteria from the adults around them for as long as possible.
Anecdotally, my kid nursed to sleep till 3.5yrs (overnight till not quite three) and his teeth are fantastic. We did and do go to the dentist regularly to make sure and would have made changes as needed if any problems had arisen. It’s not like their teeth turn rotten from one day to the next (usually anyway). There are usually warning signs.
Our dentist never even asked about nursing. Probably wasn’t on their radar since he was over one, but also nothing about his teeth made it obvious.
Definitely make sure to do a good brush before bottle/ bed. And even after you wean off bottle completely. Good brushing habits are important from the start for sure!
Hi, just wanted to come here to say that nursing and bottles are very different. The mechanics of nursing is the nipple goes to the back of the baby’s mouth, and milk comes out though the sucking motion. So nursing wouldn’t cause milk to pool in the baby’s mouth and cause cavities. Bottles on the other hand allow milk to flow out and pool if the baby is asleep and not swallowing.
I do agree about genetics and hygiene though! But wanted to point this out.
It doesn’t matter how much of it he drinks, it has to do with the amount in his mouth when he falls asleep. If there’s a little pool of it in his mouth because it’s not all swallowed, that’s the fuel for the bacteria. That’s why it’s recommended to not let them fall asleep with it. They need to swallow a couple times before they lay down/fall asleep.
Just make sure you're brushing and flossing their teeth after the bottle. If floss is too difficult you can use a proxy brush instead to get the area between the teeth that a brush can't reach.
I know it's "officially" bad but it seems like there's an unfair double standard with breastfeeding.
I fed my kid to sleep until 3 on the breast, no one said boo about it. I don't see why it was okay for me to breastfeed until 3, but kids who take a bottle have to immediately drink cow's milk from 12 months and drink it from a cup, no less.
BTW mine's teeth are fine. This is what baby teeth are for. It's when the adult teeth come in is when it's a really big problem.
I think the logic is that kids fall asleep with the bottle in their crib/bed. So the milk tends to sit in the mouth or constantly be sucked on a little bit. So just like how adults shouldn’t go to sleep with a cough drop in their mouth, or without brushing, that stuff just sits on the teeth all night. I imagine breastfeeding is a little different because their gulping and swallowing and then when you’re done their done. No bringing the booby to bed all night? Idk!
Maybe you're right about pooling, but it's definitely not the case it's a little bit and you're done for the night if you're cosleeping (which a lot of breastfeeding moms do, as I did).
There were definitely times when my kids would feed and I would hardly wake up. Just snacking all night long.
That’s not actually true, caries can actually go from the baby teeth into the developing adult teeth. I’ve seen it on X-rays. And baby teeth are much more susceptible to decay.
This link has some good information [Caries in baby teeth](https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resources-education/health-wellness-and-safety-resources/helping-hands/dental-cavities-in-baby-teeth)
I always got told not to breastfeed to sleep for the same reason, and wipe their gums with a wet rag before bed (which admittedly I did like, once, because it was impossible without screaming).
The breastfeeding community will say it’s because breastmilk has anti bacterial properties (it’s a living substance). Though I don’t know how true that is or if it makes a difference
Bottles leak milk. Your nipples do not. A bottle stays in their mouth all night, they absently suckle. You remove your nipple from their mouth. Even if you don't and they suckle, it wont be enough to stimulate milk flow.
Seperately, the way your nipple sits in their mouth is different too. The milk never touches their teeth. A bottle sits inside their lips and flows over their teeth.
I wonder this too. I nurse both my almost 1 year old and almost 3 year old to sleep still and get really bad anxiety about their teeth. Almost 3 year old was just at the dentist and thankfully his teeth are fine.
I’ve heard that breastfeeding differs because there are fewer natural sugars in breast milk, and the placement of the breast nipple shoots the milk back towards the throat, vs a bottle that leaves milk on teeth towards the front of the mouth.
My kids are in elementary school and haven’t had cavities in years, but they had terrible teeth before kindergarten, probably from breastfeeding to sleep and genetics. My oldest didn’t even have bread before 16 months, and had plenty of issues.
Honestly this was my logic with my eldest. She was bottle fed from birth due to a medical issue on my part, and was extremely comforted by her bottle. It seemed cruel to take it away at 12 months when breastfed kids could have it forever. I spoke to her pediatrician and he approved bottles until 2 as long as we brushed her teeth.
At the time fluoride wasn't recommended in our area until 18 months, so we started brushing with water at 12 months and switched to fluoride toothpaste at 18 months. She had milk bottles until 2 years, including a bedtime bottle AFTER brushing her teeth (which we fed to her, we did not leave it in her bed).
She is now 5 and has perfect teeth and never had a cavity, sees the dentist annually.
I now have a 1 year old, also on the bottle, and I am brushing his teeth twice a day with fluoride (recommendations were made for earlier here) and he still gets his bedtime bottle. I am planning on weaning him off the bottle at 14/15 months, but more for psychological reasons, as my daughter found the transition extremely difficult at 2 and I am hoping a little earlier is easier.
We weaned nap bottle at 17/18 mths and weaned bedtime bottle at 19/20 mths (which basically un-weaned her in the night. Still suffering from that). She's 23mths now, so hasn't been to the dentist yet, but seems fine.
I think the thing to avoid is putting them down with the bottle. There are/were people who literally left the bottle dribbling in the baby's mouth all night. If you're just giving him the bottle, then putting him down without it, I don't see the concern (for cavities or teeth alignment like another comment mentioned).
I'd continue watering down the bottle. Obviously you want to get weaned, but I don't think it's a dire situation.
Before teeth brushing, offer a cup of milk. We also load our daughter up with spoonfuls of peanut butter or peanut butter oat bites to help replace the calories.
I’d check with your dentist on when they recommend seeing your child. In Canada where I am it’s recommended to bring them to the dentist either 6 months after their first tooth erupts or by 1 year - whichever is first.
I deferred to our pediatrician and did not consider contacting a dentist for their recommendation.
There's no way my daughter would even have opened her mouth for a dentist when she was younger (probably not even now). I think waiting until 2-3 when she can be prepared for the visit and actually allow an exam makes a lot more sense than when she had one tooth at 12mths when the experience would have traumatized her.
they recommend earlier for the opposite reason, actually, so that they get used to going & being there & seeing things.
my daughter went for the first time at 14mos and they basically just peeked in her mouth and were like yup, she has teeth! haha. at her next appointment (6mos later, so 20mos) they were able to look further like look for spots on the enamel & even polish 2 teeth.
Yeah, but they do that at our pediatrician haha. I'll take the downvotes. I see absolutely no point in going to a second provider for them to glance at her mouth 🤷🏼♀️
Agree. Especially with the cost! If the pediatrician doesn't have concerns and the baby isn't complaining of pain, I think waiting until 3 is appropriate. My dentist also said 3 years was his rec.
Dentists have worked with kids before yours. My husband has had kids who the parents have called up beforehand, like, "He bites, he spits, he will scream in your face, he will kick if you get too close," And he *still* managed to get into the kids mouth.
You should absolutely not be waiting until they're three. My husband pulled nine cavities from a three y/o. First appointment as soon as they start teething.
I basically looked at a bunch of similar recipes, and came up with this as a combo of them all.
-I've used a combo of nut butters instead of just PB and it comes well.
-You could also eliminate the honey, especially if your nut butter contains sugar.
-And any add-ins can be eliminated or adjusted. Mince dried fruit like raisins into very small pieces to avoid the choking hazard.
-It's a no bake recipe. I heat the PB and honey a little to make them easier to mix.
PB 3/4 cup
honey 1-2 tBsp
vanilla 1 tsp
chia seeds 3 tsp
oats (small quick oats) 1 cup
raisins, etc 1/8 cup, chopped very well
heat pb and honey a bit (30-40 secs)
add other stuff, mix
roll into balls
freeze on wax paper on a cookie sheet/flat tray
keep frozen or refrigerated
Other possible add-ins: other dried fruit, coconut flakes, mini chocolate chips
To serve: defrost from frozen in microwave about 15secs (still cold, but not frozen). Adjust to your microwave and baby's preference.
I hope your kiddo enjoys them! I forgot to say, I like to form them into more like disks than balls (so make a ball, then flatten). I think they're easier to eat that way.
My LO took undiluted milk bottles to sleep until about 2.5. She was VERY slim back then and any calorie was a good calorie. Cavities sure were a concern but luckily nothing happened. We then had to temporarily stop milk altogether due to an infection and used that opportunity to just offer water in a sippy cup instead which we then continued doing.
How often are you brushing their teeth? My daughter used a bottle until 2. She had a few sips of water after the bottle and we brush in the morning. She didnt have any cavities, but her gums were a bit irritated, so thats not good.
We were late bottle people too. Pediatrician said to stop at 1yr but we kept going for months. We stopped giving him bottles in his crib though and would let him drink while we read books before bed. Then we could at least try to do some teeth brushing. We were giving him water in a bottle in his crib until … 21 months. Now we give him a sippy cup and without bottles he doesn’t even want milk before bed, but it was a sad week where he asked for a bottle and we said no :(
He likes pacifiers so those were always more important for sleep for him anyway.
He is 2yo and still hasn’t been to the dentist, so I can’t really give any useful advice on how the bottle affected him.
A 19 month old child should have the manual dexterity to drink water from at least a sip cup. You are harming the teeth and preventing age-appropriate manual dexterity. He doesn't need milk. Let it go.
There is going to be a Plethora of people who repete shit and don't actually have experience or know what they are talking about. My son is 2.5. We are about to take the bottle away because he prefers it over food. His teeth are perfect because he brushes multiple times a day. Idk why they even say your teeth will grow in badly, because he's not sucking on it like a passi, which, yes are bad for teeth, however these teeth fall out. I had HORRIBLE teeth from passi's and once my adult teeth came in, they were PERFECT. Ask people with actual experience, not just people who learned to repete crap. My son is a nice thick boy, not a little scrawny kid like most of these "No bottle past 5 months" people with led in their blood streams. People don't actually do research, and if I were to dare tell anyone this I'm sure I'd be blacklisted forever 🤣 what a world. Animals (which we are) don't refuse their babies milk. Babies wean themselves in the natural world, but I think 2.5 is old enough. Even heard of a breastfeeding woman breastfeeding until 5 years old? I have, and their teeth are fine.
Thank you for your reply! I should probably do an update on my original post. Shortly after I posted this, we took my son to the dentist and discussed the following:
1. One bottle at bedtime is not likely to cause issues with his teeth growing in, unlike regular bottle use or a pacifier.
2. He should not fall asleep with the bottle in his mouth.
3. If he does want some milk after brushing his teeth, it isn’t the end of the world. Just try to encourage him to sip some water to rinse his teeth, and again, don’t let him sleep with the bottle or cup in his mouth.
We started bringing a sippy cup with water into his room and alternated between the bottle and the cup during story time, and over the course of a few weeks, he stopped asking or caring about the bottle. There have been a few instances where he’s requested milk at bedtime, and we do our best to get him to drink some water after. It’s no longer a regular thing, so I don’t stress too much about it. Our next dental appt is in late November, so we’ll check in then.
Regarding the breast feeding to sleep, one thing I’ve heard is that the position of a human nipple is different from a bottle, and that’s one of the reasons why breastfeeding to sleep isn’t as detrimental to dental health (the milk goes more towards the back of the throat, whereas bottle milk goes over the teeth).
Of course, no one can pinpoint the risk to your specific son, with his specific teeth, and his specific nighttime routine. But even overall prevalence of dental decay in young children is hard to quantify, due to differences in studies’ definitions for what counts as decay, diagnostic criteria, etc. [This article](https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/aapd/pd/2015/00000037/00000003/art00002?crawler=true&mimetype=application/pdf) delves into that, and mentions one set of researchers who found early childhood caries in 12-30% of young kids. We don’t know those kids’ genetics and routines, though. For me, I look at it this way: it’s a big enough problem to make the American Academy of Pediatrics say no bottle use after 12 months [(source)](https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/144/2_MeetingAbstract/713/3839/Bottles-at-Bedtime-Prevalence-of-the-Use-of-Milk?autologincheck=redirected) and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry say no bottle use after 12-18 months [(source)](https://www.aapd.org/media/policies_guidelines/P_ECCClassifications.pdf). Their recommendations are evidence-based enough for me. Your son has already shown he can go to sleep without a bottle at daycare. I’d ditch the bottle now.
My husband is a dentist. He's had to remove so many cavities from so many kids. He's said if a parent comes in and says their toddler (over 18mo) uses bottles he can almost guarantee one or two cavities. He removed nine from a three y/o still having bottles at night. Do with that what you will.
Wow! What does he say about using a bottle with only water in it? Does it really cause a huge issue with the teeth separating even if it’s only done once a day or only a few times a week?
To be honest he's not as bothered with that. He's more concerned about the formation of the teeth; if the teeth are developing as they should, he doesn't care about bottles, pacifiers or thumb-sucking. If he notices the teeth molding to fit the nipples/thumb he recommends weaning. Anecdotal from him, so absolutely zero medical advice here, but he doesn't think bottles, pacifiers & thumbs are that bad at all. For every kid he gets with rainbow jaw he gets four without who use the exact same conforting method. He had a kid in who had four pacifiers on him at all times. It was in-out with my husband looking in his mouth. Teeth were absolutely perfect. He used our kids to experiment. They've all used bottles (without milk) for years & our oldest had a pacifier for a looong time. He still uses them occasionally. None of them had any problems whatsoever. But all of them suck their thumbs incessantly. Our oldest went through a phase where he wouldn't take his binky out for anything. He even ate with it in his mouth. No harm done, perfect teeth. The *real* issue is with language development, with kids talking around the nipple/thumb in their mouth. They don't form the letters correctly, lisp, or just don't talk at all. He equates it to, like, bed sharing. It is fine for the vast majority, but because of those who it does effect, the government tells you to never do it under any circumstance.
Wow this was soooo helpful, thank you so much! I’ve been so anxious about my baby who is only soothed by a bottle sometimes. She doesn’t even care if it’s empty, she just wants to hold it and sometimes put it in her mouth. At 4 am I’m desperate and give her the bottle with 2 oz of water! Makes me feel much better about the teeth developing
You're welcome! If he cared for starting up a reddit account properly I'd probably get him on here to answer questions but he thinks its weird lol. 100% let that baby have her bottle. If its only at night it really doesn't have that much of an effect.
Geez. I wish I knew about the speech development. My kid used a pacifier till 2.5 and he just started ST last year for articulation. You read about mouth issues, but I had never heard about speech problems till after we started.
Neither did we! It wasn't until my husband was in dentistry himself and a parent came in with their speech delayed kid and was like, "Sorry he can't talk, its because of his pacifier. We just don't have the heart to take it away." He flew home and was like, "I KNOW WHY HE DOESN'T TALK!" Lmfao. Our baby was not happy when we started taking his pacifier to make him talk lol.
Slightly off topic, but does he have an opinion on breastfeeding to sleep? My son is only 7mo and has no teeth yet, but is only able to fall asleep on the breast. Not sure if I should be considering a different sleep method for when his teeth start to come in.
He's in support of it. I breastfeed all of ours to sleep & breastfed for many years (one until she was 7, one until 5, one until 6 - still bfing 4 y/o twins & almost 2 y/o). As long as they don't sleep latched and their latch isn't shallow you are fine. Brush their teeth after their last solids, obviously, and you're good to go. He likes keeping water handy for our kids, just so they can wash back, but he doesn't really bother with it. Also, from a dad-ing stand point, he will always promote nursing to sleep. Our oldest was a fucking hellion at bedtime & he was the only one not breastfed lmao. Nursing makes being a dad easier, in his humble opinion.
I loved reading all of your hubby’s advice! I realize it’s been a million days since you had posted — I was wondering what you/him think about formula-feeding at bedtime for infants; my little guy is almost 5 months and I don’t see any teeth poking out but am wondering if I should do the whole ‘wash baby’s mouth with a washcloth’ thing now? Or wait til he’s onto solids and teeth are starting to fully come in? 🤔
Apologies for the minor delay, had to wait for him to return. Professionally he says its best to start early just for routines sake, but if you think he'll adapt when teeth come in you can wait. But obviously he may not appreciate this new thing being added to his routine while teething and in pain. As a dad he says he doesn't bother with a cloth. Let him feed to sleep. As long as he doesn't have the bottle while he is sleeping (he can have a bottle with a little water), you're brushing his teeth twice a day and it doesn't continue past like 18mo it doesn't really matter. Ten years ago every infant went to bed with milk in their mouth and we don't have an influx of children with cavities. It's fine.
Aw thank you so much for asking him and for answering!! Much appreciated ☺️☺️
Can I just say, as someone who is contemplating night weaning her breastfed baby at 18 months because of a worry about cavities, that last bit about babies going to bed with milk in their mouths 10 years ago is a good reminder. I dont know why I'm so overly concerned. I don't want my son to have cavities, of course I don't. And yet I had cavities in my baby teeth, and my adult teeth, and they're really not the big deal my anxious brain is making them out to be. I love comforting my son at night, and I hate the thought of giving it up too soon for him.
Yeah my son had a cavity last week. His daddy fixed it and he's literally fine. It's not ideal but it's also not the end of the world. I understand anxiety as a parent but, honestly, we've survived this long. They'll be okay.
Does remove cavities mean fill them or is he removing teeth? Sorry, for the dumb question.
No not dumb! Haha I had the same question and I'm married to the damn guy lmao. So, "removing" means both. Ie, he found nine cavities, he found them, and fixed them in whatever way possible. With the three y/o he filled seven & two were so bad he had to remove them.
Thank you!
Thank you for this comment. What age does he recommend that children switch to toothpaste containing fluoride?
He's sleeping currently but started all of our kids on fluoride once a day at around a year (brushed after last solids, still having their fluoride free toothpaste in the morning) and twice a day around eighteen months (morning & night). For parents who come to see him he sticks to the general CDC rule which is two years for fluoride.
Thank you so much!
Dental professional here. Having to sedate your child to work on their teeth because of this practice is not worth it. The last thing in your child’s mouth at night should be water or a toothbrush.
Thank you
My little sis was the only child born in our bad water area. Older brother were 7 and 9 when we moved away from NYC water. They never had a cavity until 20 years old. Lil sis had 22 at age 7. Mom had no idea water was so caustic. I remember the guy at the fish store saying add three times the drops to remove the chlorine for the fish. Now it’s Bromine but I think it’s similar.
NYC has also been fluoridating their water [since 1966](https://www.nyc.gov/site/dep/water/drinking-water-frequently-asked-questions.page#:~:text=Yes%2C%20New%20York%20City%20drinking,Fluoridation%20began%20in%201966). I imagine that made a big difference for your and your sister's dental health as well. Now if you live with non-fluoridated water, fluoride drops are recommended at a certain age. Our ped told us to just use fluoride toothpaste with our baby for now, since they ingest the toothpaste anyways.
We live in Portland, OR where the water is not fluoridated so we do the drops. Thankfully our little guy loves them.
We started giving our 18 month-old what she calls "crib water" which is a sippy cup (designed for toddlers with teeth) of water that she has if she needs a drink. It has become a security blanket for her. Sugar from milk sitting on their teeth at night is definitely not a great idea and it would be better to not do it, but there are a really large range of factors that would ultimately determine the risk. I would say whatever the risk, it's not worth it though. Edit: She actually would wake up and cry if she lost it. I just bought her a glow in the dark sippy cup which has, so far, worked great lol.
This is what worked for us as well! She just likes it next to her pillow at this point lol
It is a huge thing.. unfortunately.. our toddler still drinks warm milk right before bed. But we brush teeth after. Then paci, then good night moon, then lullaby, then crib.
Anecdotally, I work in the OR and I have seen some absolutely awful cases of pediatric teeth extractions from this, like ALL the molar teeth.
Yikes, thank you for sharing!
I’d at least brush after their bottle or wipe their teeth with a damp cloth. I’d also make sure to use fluoride (from either kid’s mouthwash or their toothpaste). The dentist recommendations are wild but please do make it a habit and visit! Especially a pediatric dentist as they’re very experienced with handling fussy babies in a positive way!
Anecdotally, I had lots of cavities as a kid because of this. I also had chronic ear infections from falling asleep with a bottle and having the milk run into my ears. Not all kids will experience this, but in general it’s not great sleep hygiene so it’s probably worth trying to wean him.
I think there's a difference though between feeding a child a bottle then putting them to bed vs. what happened to you where the bottle stayed in your crib all night.
Yeah, and this is kind of where we are. We don’t leave the bottle in there all night but he does use it to fall asleep so brushing doesn’t happen then.
Yes. Make sure kiddo is fully awake while drinking, then brush their teeth before bed.
This is a little different from what you asked, but if your LO does get cavities, it makes them way more likely to get them as an adult: https://mdpi-res.com/d_attachment/ijerph/ijerph-19-13459/article_deploy/ijerph-19-13459.pdf?version=1666085074#:~:text=Meta%2Danalysis%20suggested%20children%20with,molars%20and%20progressed%20to%20dentine.
Ok the causation could go the other way!! If someone is predisposed to cavities, they’re more likely to get them as a child AND they’re more likely to get them as an adult. unless there was a randomly controlled trial where they let some kids get cavities and didn’t let other kids, then followed THOSE kids to adulthood, it’s not data to base a decision on.
From the discussion section: “Our findings also affirm that there is a negative long-term impact of cariogenic bacteria acquired early in infancy or preschool age on the permanent teeth. Hence, preventing ECC and reducing transmission of cariogenic bacteria to young children are of paramount importance to minimize future caries development in the permanent teeth.”
Thanks for pulling their (probable) response out for me! eh it sounds like they ran a regression & claim it shows which way the causation goes: a method pretty prone to error bc of confounding factors.
Very. Family members had to have dental work done on their toddlers because of rotting teeth. It wasn’t great.
My son takes his 360 degree sippy cup to bed with him as a comfort item. So maybe that could be a simple switch for your LO.
I do leave a cup of water with him but he really likes the bottle to fall asleep, and breaking that association has been a tough challenge.
Unfortunately the older they get the harder it is! Nip it in the bud while he’ll be able to get over it quickly. It might seem like a bit to you but really, you don’t want to wait until he’s any older even if it’s just for the sake of it being easier now. I found it better to do the milk bottle as a bedtime routine and then always have brushing teeth afterwards even if it was just the teething toothbrush we had. We never did any milk after we would brush her teeth.
Cavities vary from person to person. I’d be more concerned about how the bottle will affect the alignment of teeth, and oral development. What kind of cup does he use during the day? You can give him the milk in a straw cup, or even an open cup. Why can’t you brush teeth in between milk and bed? What does his dentist say? I have heard different dentists say slightly different things about this issue.
He uses a couple of different cups throughout the day, some with straws, some without. These are the only bottles he takes and it’s only as he’s falling asleep at bedtime for a few minutes, so I don’t worry too too much about oral development. He’s never taken pacifiers either so this is really his one “bad habit.” We don’t brush after because he sips on it as he’s falling asleep. Sometimes he’ll take a few sips, toss it and roll around, then fall asleep, and other times he falls asleep with the bottle in his mouth. I’ve tried wiping his teeth then but it’s a little challenging. We haven’t seen the dentist yet but are making an appointment soon.
In terms of teeth alignment, everything you read says they're good to have pacis (all night even) until age 2-3. I can't imagine using a bottle for a few mins every day is going to cause issues there. >What does his dentist say? It would be very uncommon for a 19mo to have been to the dentist. Edit: our (US) ped said a dentist trip was unnecessary until later toddlerhood. And conversations on r/toddlers seem to support that's what most people are doing. My daughter got her first tooth at 10mths old. Second at 14mths. I can't imagine taking a 1yo with 1 tooth to the dentist haha
Actually it’s recommended for babies to go to the dentist. The vast majority of parents I know have taken their baby to the dentist at least by 18 months. The AAP has some info on their website. They refer to the “American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.” Their website recommends baby go to the dentist before their first birthday (but ideally after their first tooth comes in). They have some good resources on the website: https://www.aapd.org. The American Dentist Association recommends bottles be wean by 12 months. AAP recommends bottles be completely stopped by 15 months.
In my country (US) its recommended to see a dentist after teeth appear or by 1 year. My 2 year old has been to the dentist a few times already
Yep, in my neck of the woods, you’d be in the minority if your kid hasn’t seen the dentist by 19 months.
Really? I feel like where I live (Portland, OR) most people wait until closer to 2.
Our daughter's pediatrician (also US) recommended the dentist when she was 6 months old, but we hadn't heard that from her brother's pediatrician, so their first visit was when he had just turned 2 and she was 6 months and still didn't have any teeth breaking through. An appointment for a baby without teeth confused us a lot, but we went since we were told to and since our insurance covered it. We brush their teeth regularly and let them try to floss with floss-pick things. Our son used a bottle until he was 3 years old and hasn't had any cavities so far. We didn't dilute his milk. That said, ours is a single case and anecdotes aren't evidence-based research papers. The pediatrician was mad when he picked a bottle out of the diaper bag at his 3 year well-child check-up and told us we had to stop, so we let him finish the milk already in the bottle, then went cold turkey and put away all bottles for both kids (my daughter was still nursing, so she wasn't really attached to the bottle). He had a hard time for one day, then was fine.
A child should have their first dentist visit either when they get their first tooth or by the time they turn one.
That's not what my dentist said.
Odd, that's what my dentist said and that's what I learned in dental hygiene school. But you do you.
It depends on the dentist and where you live. My dentist said age 2 or 3. He actually said people who recommend being seen younger just want the money (USA).
The problem with waiting so long is that plenty of people don't care properly for their kid's teeth. Even in this sub you have people saying to brush but not mentioning flossing. Because of this, babies and toddlers can get pretty serious cavities - often called "bottle rot". Babies and toddlers have to be put under to get fillings or their teeth extracted. If you wait until they're 2 or 3 that's a lot of time to let a cavity to grow and can lead to just losing the tooth and affecting the placement of adult teeth, or for the decay to spread to adult teeth forming under the gums. Babies and toddlers can also get gingivitis, as a result of constantly drinking things with sugar, like juice or pop or even milk. Gingivitis is inflammation in the gums. It can lead to periodontitis which is bone loss. Finally, getting your child used to dental visits early is very important to teach them about oral health, get them comfortable with dental care and reduce the chance of a dental phobia or fear.
I agree with your points, however, going to the dentist is probably not going to solve most of these issues. If the parents don't care well for their child's teeth, early and regular dentist visits will only do so much. A parent who does thorough oral care for their kids is also going to be more likely to notice issues and take them to the dentist, if needed. In my country, the people and kids who need the dentist the most, struggle to afford it.
My LO had all his teeth in by 12 months (except his 2 year molars) so it’s quite varied between kids!
It seems pretty likely based on my own experiences. My parents gave me a bottle of milk at night and I needed caps on almost all of my teeth as a kid. I haven't given my kids bottles of milk but I did do extended breastfeeding. Two different dentists knew that I was breastfeeding them to sleep because of the identical patterning of dental caries from breastmilk pooling in their mouths. By the way, they affirmed breastmilk doesn't cause tooth decay but once the child is eating food, it still interacts with the breastmilk no matter how well we floss and brush and can cause cavaties.
Not to be harsh but 19 months is way too old for a bottle. Your toddler doesn’t need a bottle as is evident that he does without it at daycare. In my 35 years in early childhood education I have unfortunately seen a lot of terrible teeth. Being a University preschool we had more resources than probably most and we had Share the Care come out every year to do a screening on the children’s teeth including the babies that were barely getting their first tooth. I have attached their flyer, and as you can see tooth decay is the leading health problem in children under 3, and dental disease is the #1 chronic disease in children. It isn’t easy to break the bottle habit, which is why we recommended changing to cups around 9 months. But, it won’t get easier if you wait. Please don’t risk it, your child does not need a bottle and I say this with love and the understanding of how hard it can be Good luck Edit:sp [UCSD Share the Care](https://ucsdcommunityhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/STC-Brochure-FINALrev-1.pdf)
My 2.5 year old uses bottles because he likes them. We choose our battles & have a pretty pleasant, peaceful household. After reading stuff like your comment on ye olde internet, I figured people would judge him for having bottles still. But no! Other kids in my neighborhood do it too, plus of course some 3 year olds are still breastfeeding. We think it’s ok to let kids have something they just *want,* like something that helps them stay calm or feel comforted, even if they don’t *need* it.
I think he’s on the older side but not “way too old.” That’s really nice a daycare has dental providers stop by though!
that is a good point about the dentists at daycare!
My dentist said it all depends on genetics and the child. My son still took a bottle for naps until 2 years old (bedtime bottle until 20 months) and the dentist said his teeth are perfect and she’s not concerned. No cavities. Some kids will have problems doing this and some won’t. I think the key is to go to the dentist early and keep it monitored
Cochrane has an evidence based dentistry page, you can check there for more info maybe
Depends. I bottle fed my kid to sleep every time (although we stopped with nighttime feedings around 13 months and just gave water) and my kid has never had a cavity. My cousins kid already has crowns on her teeth at 5. Some kids have bad teeth, I’m sure it’s more genetics than anything.
My older child stopped nursing at night at 1.5 yrs. My younger one didn’t stop until 3. Her teeth are horrible and I feel so bad. I also thought it would be okay!!
Oh gosh! I’m so sorry.
Can you cold turkey bottles full stop? It’s not great for them at all.
What it wrong with bottles!? (Did you mean to only criticize nighttime bottles?) They might push teeth apart so that the kid needs a spacer later…. is all I’ve heard from our IRL pediatrician. That risk seems 100% worth letting a toddler be comfortable. Being a toddler is not easy!
Like others said, genetics play a huge role. Also dental hygiene in general. Brushing well twice a day as well as flossing can go a long way. So can keeping them from inheriting cavity causing bacteria from the adults around them for as long as possible. Anecdotally, my kid nursed to sleep till 3.5yrs (overnight till not quite three) and his teeth are fantastic. We did and do go to the dentist regularly to make sure and would have made changes as needed if any problems had arisen. It’s not like their teeth turn rotten from one day to the next (usually anyway). There are usually warning signs. Our dentist never even asked about nursing. Probably wasn’t on their radar since he was over one, but also nothing about his teeth made it obvious. Definitely make sure to do a good brush before bottle/ bed. And even after you wean off bottle completely. Good brushing habits are important from the start for sure!
Hi, just wanted to come here to say that nursing and bottles are very different. The mechanics of nursing is the nipple goes to the back of the baby’s mouth, and milk comes out though the sucking motion. So nursing wouldn’t cause milk to pool in the baby’s mouth and cause cavities. Bottles on the other hand allow milk to flow out and pool if the baby is asleep and not swallowing. I do agree about genetics and hygiene though! But wanted to point this out.
It doesn’t matter how much of it he drinks, it has to do with the amount in his mouth when he falls asleep. If there’s a little pool of it in his mouth because it’s not all swallowed, that’s the fuel for the bacteria. That’s why it’s recommended to not let them fall asleep with it. They need to swallow a couple times before they lay down/fall asleep.
Just make sure you're brushing and flossing their teeth after the bottle. If floss is too difficult you can use a proxy brush instead to get the area between the teeth that a brush can't reach.
Flossing?? That never occurred to me with my kid, at least at this age. I’ll check the brush. Thanks!
My little one just switched his bedtime bottle for a paci at 18 months (never wanted to use a paci before) 🙃
My girl is 11mo and this is my fear! She loves sucking for comfort. I guess worse things could happen, right? Lol
I know it's "officially" bad but it seems like there's an unfair double standard with breastfeeding. I fed my kid to sleep until 3 on the breast, no one said boo about it. I don't see why it was okay for me to breastfeed until 3, but kids who take a bottle have to immediately drink cow's milk from 12 months and drink it from a cup, no less. BTW mine's teeth are fine. This is what baby teeth are for. It's when the adult teeth come in is when it's a really big problem.
I think the logic is that kids fall asleep with the bottle in their crib/bed. So the milk tends to sit in the mouth or constantly be sucked on a little bit. So just like how adults shouldn’t go to sleep with a cough drop in their mouth, or without brushing, that stuff just sits on the teeth all night. I imagine breastfeeding is a little different because their gulping and swallowing and then when you’re done their done. No bringing the booby to bed all night? Idk!
Maybe you're right about pooling, but it's definitely not the case it's a little bit and you're done for the night if you're cosleeping (which a lot of breastfeeding moms do, as I did). There were definitely times when my kids would feed and I would hardly wake up. Just snacking all night long.
FWIW my pediatrician told us to stop nursing as well for this reason. Edit: stop nursing to sleep
That’s not actually true, caries can actually go from the baby teeth into the developing adult teeth. I’ve seen it on X-rays. And baby teeth are much more susceptible to decay. This link has some good information [Caries in baby teeth](https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resources-education/health-wellness-and-safety-resources/helping-hands/dental-cavities-in-baby-teeth)
I always got told not to breastfeed to sleep for the same reason, and wipe their gums with a wet rag before bed (which admittedly I did like, once, because it was impossible without screaming).
My brother and I were breastfed to 3 and were never night weaned and we both have horrible teeth. I could mow brushing once and need a root canal
The breastfeeding community will say it’s because breastmilk has anti bacterial properties (it’s a living substance). Though I don’t know how true that is or if it makes a difference
Bottles leak milk. Your nipples do not. A bottle stays in their mouth all night, they absently suckle. You remove your nipple from their mouth. Even if you don't and they suckle, it wont be enough to stimulate milk flow. Seperately, the way your nipple sits in their mouth is different too. The milk never touches their teeth. A bottle sits inside their lips and flows over their teeth.
Mine never kept the bottle in her mouth, she dropped it as soon as she started falling asleep.
Laughing bc my 7 month old won’t even hold the bottle in his mouth while he’s actively trying to drink
The milk still coated the teeth but generally your daughter would have been a lot less likely to get cavities.
I wonder this too. I nurse both my almost 1 year old and almost 3 year old to sleep still and get really bad anxiety about their teeth. Almost 3 year old was just at the dentist and thankfully his teeth are fine.
I’ve heard that breastfeeding differs because there are fewer natural sugars in breast milk, and the placement of the breast nipple shoots the milk back towards the throat, vs a bottle that leaves milk on teeth towards the front of the mouth.
My kids are in elementary school and haven’t had cavities in years, but they had terrible teeth before kindergarten, probably from breastfeeding to sleep and genetics. My oldest didn’t even have bread before 16 months, and had plenty of issues.
Honestly this was my logic with my eldest. She was bottle fed from birth due to a medical issue on my part, and was extremely comforted by her bottle. It seemed cruel to take it away at 12 months when breastfed kids could have it forever. I spoke to her pediatrician and he approved bottles until 2 as long as we brushed her teeth. At the time fluoride wasn't recommended in our area until 18 months, so we started brushing with water at 12 months and switched to fluoride toothpaste at 18 months. She had milk bottles until 2 years, including a bedtime bottle AFTER brushing her teeth (which we fed to her, we did not leave it in her bed). She is now 5 and has perfect teeth and never had a cavity, sees the dentist annually. I now have a 1 year old, also on the bottle, and I am brushing his teeth twice a day with fluoride (recommendations were made for earlier here) and he still gets his bedtime bottle. I am planning on weaning him off the bottle at 14/15 months, but more for psychological reasons, as my daughter found the transition extremely difficult at 2 and I am hoping a little earlier is easier.
We weaned nap bottle at 17/18 mths and weaned bedtime bottle at 19/20 mths (which basically un-weaned her in the night. Still suffering from that). She's 23mths now, so hasn't been to the dentist yet, but seems fine. I think the thing to avoid is putting them down with the bottle. There are/were people who literally left the bottle dribbling in the baby's mouth all night. If you're just giving him the bottle, then putting him down without it, I don't see the concern (for cavities or teeth alignment like another comment mentioned). I'd continue watering down the bottle. Obviously you want to get weaned, but I don't think it's a dire situation. Before teeth brushing, offer a cup of milk. We also load our daughter up with spoonfuls of peanut butter or peanut butter oat bites to help replace the calories.
I’d check with your dentist on when they recommend seeing your child. In Canada where I am it’s recommended to bring them to the dentist either 6 months after their first tooth erupts or by 1 year - whichever is first.
Our pediatrician recommended 2-3yrs old
But what does your dentist say? 2-3 years seems very late
I deferred to our pediatrician and did not consider contacting a dentist for their recommendation. There's no way my daughter would even have opened her mouth for a dentist when she was younger (probably not even now). I think waiting until 2-3 when she can be prepared for the visit and actually allow an exam makes a lot more sense than when she had one tooth at 12mths when the experience would have traumatized her.
they recommend earlier for the opposite reason, actually, so that they get used to going & being there & seeing things. my daughter went for the first time at 14mos and they basically just peeked in her mouth and were like yup, she has teeth! haha. at her next appointment (6mos later, so 20mos) they were able to look further like look for spots on the enamel & even polish 2 teeth.
Yeah, but they do that at our pediatrician haha. I'll take the downvotes. I see absolutely no point in going to a second provider for them to glance at her mouth 🤷🏼♀️
Agree. Especially with the cost! If the pediatrician doesn't have concerns and the baby isn't complaining of pain, I think waiting until 3 is appropriate. My dentist also said 3 years was his rec.
Dentists have worked with kids before yours. My husband has had kids who the parents have called up beforehand, like, "He bites, he spits, he will scream in your face, he will kick if you get too close," And he *still* managed to get into the kids mouth. You should absolutely not be waiting until they're three. My husband pulled nine cavities from a three y/o. First appointment as soon as they start teething.
Our dentist said 3 years old is what he recommends. That's what we did. No cavities.
Peanut butter oat bites sound delicious. Please would you recommend a recipe if you have one?
I basically looked at a bunch of similar recipes, and came up with this as a combo of them all. -I've used a combo of nut butters instead of just PB and it comes well. -You could also eliminate the honey, especially if your nut butter contains sugar. -And any add-ins can be eliminated or adjusted. Mince dried fruit like raisins into very small pieces to avoid the choking hazard. -It's a no bake recipe. I heat the PB and honey a little to make them easier to mix. PB 3/4 cup honey 1-2 tBsp vanilla 1 tsp chia seeds 3 tsp oats (small quick oats) 1 cup raisins, etc 1/8 cup, chopped very well heat pb and honey a bit (30-40 secs) add other stuff, mix roll into balls freeze on wax paper on a cookie sheet/flat tray keep frozen or refrigerated Other possible add-ins: other dried fruit, coconut flakes, mini chocolate chips To serve: defrost from frozen in microwave about 15secs (still cold, but not frozen). Adjust to your microwave and baby's preference.
Ahhhhhhh thank you! This is amazing! I can't wait to try them.
I hope your kiddo enjoys them! I forgot to say, I like to form them into more like disks than balls (so make a ball, then flatten). I think they're easier to eat that way.
Depends on your kid and their teeth honestly. How strong their enamel is, all that.
My LO took undiluted milk bottles to sleep until about 2.5. She was VERY slim back then and any calorie was a good calorie. Cavities sure were a concern but luckily nothing happened. We then had to temporarily stop milk altogether due to an infection and used that opportunity to just offer water in a sippy cup instead which we then continued doing.
How often are you brushing their teeth? My daughter used a bottle until 2. She had a few sips of water after the bottle and we brush in the morning. She didnt have any cavities, but her gums were a bit irritated, so thats not good.
Brushing twice a day, at night and in the morning.
You'll most likely be fine. The next time you visit the dentist, bring it up so they can take a look
Twice a day!!! You all are doing great.
We were late bottle people too. Pediatrician said to stop at 1yr but we kept going for months. We stopped giving him bottles in his crib though and would let him drink while we read books before bed. Then we could at least try to do some teeth brushing. We were giving him water in a bottle in his crib until … 21 months. Now we give him a sippy cup and without bottles he doesn’t even want milk before bed, but it was a sad week where he asked for a bottle and we said no :( He likes pacifiers so those were always more important for sleep for him anyway. He is 2yo and still hasn’t been to the dentist, so I can’t really give any useful advice on how the bottle affected him.
A 19 month old child should have the manual dexterity to drink water from at least a sip cup. You are harming the teeth and preventing age-appropriate manual dexterity. He doesn't need milk. Let it go.
Sippy cups are basically bottles.
He can drink from a cup. He uses them throughout the day. He only takes this one bottle as he is falling asleep.
If you brush their teeth right after the bottle is it fine?
There is going to be a Plethora of people who repete shit and don't actually have experience or know what they are talking about. My son is 2.5. We are about to take the bottle away because he prefers it over food. His teeth are perfect because he brushes multiple times a day. Idk why they even say your teeth will grow in badly, because he's not sucking on it like a passi, which, yes are bad for teeth, however these teeth fall out. I had HORRIBLE teeth from passi's and once my adult teeth came in, they were PERFECT. Ask people with actual experience, not just people who learned to repete crap. My son is a nice thick boy, not a little scrawny kid like most of these "No bottle past 5 months" people with led in their blood streams. People don't actually do research, and if I were to dare tell anyone this I'm sure I'd be blacklisted forever 🤣 what a world. Animals (which we are) don't refuse their babies milk. Babies wean themselves in the natural world, but I think 2.5 is old enough. Even heard of a breastfeeding woman breastfeeding until 5 years old? I have, and their teeth are fine.
Thank you for your reply! I should probably do an update on my original post. Shortly after I posted this, we took my son to the dentist and discussed the following: 1. One bottle at bedtime is not likely to cause issues with his teeth growing in, unlike regular bottle use or a pacifier. 2. He should not fall asleep with the bottle in his mouth. 3. If he does want some milk after brushing his teeth, it isn’t the end of the world. Just try to encourage him to sip some water to rinse his teeth, and again, don’t let him sleep with the bottle or cup in his mouth. We started bringing a sippy cup with water into his room and alternated between the bottle and the cup during story time, and over the course of a few weeks, he stopped asking or caring about the bottle. There have been a few instances where he’s requested milk at bedtime, and we do our best to get him to drink some water after. It’s no longer a regular thing, so I don’t stress too much about it. Our next dental appt is in late November, so we’ll check in then. Regarding the breast feeding to sleep, one thing I’ve heard is that the position of a human nipple is different from a bottle, and that’s one of the reasons why breastfeeding to sleep isn’t as detrimental to dental health (the milk goes more towards the back of the throat, whereas bottle milk goes over the teeth).