Bottles & Nursing at Bedtime

It is important to know that nursing a baby to sleep or putting a baby to sleep with a bottle of milk or juice can be very bad for her teeth. When a baby sleeps, her saliva production is lessened, so the natural cleaning mechanism for the teeth is not at work. Without this saliva, your baby’s teeth become covered in the sugars from the milk or juice. These sugars feed the bad bacteria that are in the mouth, creating an acid environment that “melts away” the enamel minerals and encourages tooth decay. For this reason, we recommend cleaning your baby’s teeth with water and a soft bristled brush or washcloth before putting her down to sleep and after night feedings. If you must give something in a bottle to help her go to sleep, use plain water or a sugar-free liquid.  Diluting a sugary liquid with water does little to reduce the risk of Baby Bottle Decay.