Aussie Childcare Network Forum

Recommendations for oral health, including restricting bottles to meal times only
A: Does this question asking things like, washing hands before eating, wash your teeth before nap, and keep drinking bottles/cups clean?
I really don't know where to look for, the question is so broad and unclear.

B: Restricted to meal times? Is it to maintain the routine?

Regards,

Milk, apple juice, formula -- just about everything young children drink contains sugar. When a child drinks from a cup, the sugar moves past the teeth very quickly and does little harm. But when a child slowly sucks on a bottle, the sugar lingers in the mouth. Bacteria break down the sugar and turn it into acid. Over time, the acid can start eating away at the enamel on a child's teeth, most often the upper front teeth. This is called baby bottle tooth decay.
The best way to prevent baby bottle tooth decay is to limit your child's time with a bottle, especially at bedtime. Give him a bottle at mealtime, but don't let him suck on it throughout the day. If sucking is soothing to your child, give him a pacifier. Above all, don't put him to bed with a bottle (unless it contains nothing but water). Clamping down onto a bottle of juice or milk all night is the ideal way to start decay.