If you are a parent of a young child, especially an infant then this is something that you have to know. Have you ever heard of ECC- Early Childhood Caries or ‘Bottle Rot’? Did you know that it is one of the most common and serious disease affecting infants and children below three years of age? Your answer will most likely be ‘No’, which means you have to read this.
ECC, also commonly called bottle rot or baby bottle caries is a medical condition characterized by serious tooth decay in infants and young children. It is a very prevalent among children, caused by bacterial infection. It is a contagious disease which begins by transmission of the bacteria to the child, primarily by the mother.
The primary cause of ECC is said to be the frequent consumption of liquids containing sugar (like milk, juices, formula, etc.) by the child. Frequent bottle feeding, especially at night, and leaving the bottle in the child’s mouth for long durations, are the major reasons that set off tooth decay in children. The sugar in the drinks acts as food for the bacteria in the child’s mouth, which release acids in the process of decomposition of the sugar. These acids attack the child’s teeth and if proper care is not taken, the decay process is triggered. Repeated exposure to sweetened drinks and poor feeding practices can lead to serious damage of the teeth which is called Baby bottle tooth decay (BBTD), an early form of ECC.
Although this condition is so common, especially in the US- at times affecting around 70 percent of the children, the bright side is that it can be prevented. The most important way to prevent this disease is education- counseling parents on proper feeding habits and techniques. Parents should always make sure that the child is not left to sleep at night with a bottle in his mouth. Also, the child should be fed water in between feeding them milk or other sweetened drinks. This washes out the harmful acids that cause tooth decay. Other measures that are being adopted these days are Fluoride treatments like fluoridated water and fluoride varnish along with the use of toothpaste. Xylitol- the new sugar substitute- has also been found to be very effective in fighting tooth decay.
Apart from all these, it is very important for parents to maintain their dental health, because as mentioned earlier, they are the primary sources of the infectious bacteria. Follow the ‘twice daily’ brushing routine and tend to any dental condition that you have, immediately. Lastly, keep in mind that the experts recommend a child be taken to a pediatric dentist no later than three to six months from their teeth’s first emergence.
