Nursing caries is a form of tooth decay caused in children sleeping with bottles. Also k/a BABY BOTTLE DECAY.
It is a form of rampant caries which is defined as " caries of rapid onset in areas which are not susceptible to caries like lower anterior/ front teeth, only the difference lies in the area which gets affected by the disease. Nursing bottle caries affects the labial portion of the upper front teeth.
CAUSE- When the child goes to bed with a bottle of milk/ juice/ sweetened drink. Even breast feeding , pacifiers dipped in honey also are a leading cause of nursing caries.
It affects children in the age group of 1-2 years mostly.
SIGN & SYMPTOMS-
Initial lesion is on the labial surface of upper front teeth close to the gingival margin which starts off as a whitish area of decalcification or pitting of enamel and progresses to a light yellow pigmented lesion on teeth.
Advanced lesion - Appears as a darkly pigmented lesion circumferencing the tooth.
PREVENTION-
- Do not allow your child to sleep with a bottle in his mouth. Schedule the feeding of the child in a timely manner well before the bedtime.
- Brush twice a day and the last thing before tucking the child in bed should be brushing his teeth.
- Start visiting a dentist as soon as first tooth appears in the child's mouth (6 months).
- Fluoride supplements/ sealant application in children with high caries risk or there is a family history of caries.
TREATMENT-
1. Diet assessment- Diet is an essential part of oral hygiene and the parent should be careful about the regulation of his child's diet. One should reduce the frequency of sucros eintake of their child which is the arch criminal of caries.
2. Restoration- Once the disease has initiated depending upon the extent,
- composite restorations
- GIC restorations
- pulpotomy
- pulpectomy (RCT)
- pedo strip crowns are provided to the child.
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