Baby bottle tooth decay is a condition that occurs when a child’s tooth enamel is gradually damaged by overexposure to sweetened liquids in a baby bottle. Most often, the child’s upper front teeth are damaged. However, other teeth also can be affected. Children who drink liquids regularly from a sippy cup or who eat excessive amounts of sugary foods are also said to have baby bottle tooth decay if they develop early cavities. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 17 percent of children aged 2 to 4 years have experienced tooth decay.

About six months after children are born, the primary teeth begin to come in. These teeth are only temporary, and over the years they will fall out and make way for the child’s permanent, adult teeth. Nonetheless, some baby teeth may remain well into a child’s teen years.

Baby teeth serve a couple of important purposes. They help children to chew food and they fill a space in the jaw until adult teeth come in. If these teeth are lost prematurely, other adjacent teeth may begin to drift into the space. This can prevent permanent teeth from coming in straight later on, or may prevent them from erupting altogether (impaction).

Tooth decay is caused by a combination of sugar exposure, mouth bacteria and lack of tooth strength. Prolonged sucking on a baby bottle that contains any liquid other than water exposes children to sugars that can damage the teeth. Children are born with an instinct to suck, making them naturally prone to sucking on a bottle for excessively long periods of time.

Once decay develops in one or more teeth, it tends to spread rapidly. Children with early tooth decay are at risk for pain and infection, and may have lifelong problems with their teeth. In addition, children may develop associated long-term disorders such as speech impediments, psychological damage, and crooked or crowded teeth.