Bottle rot blues—did you know?

"Even milk can cause tooth decay if a kiddo falls asleep with the bottle regularly."

You're right—milk isn't as harmless as many people assume. While it's nutritious, milk contains lactose, a natural sugar that bacteria in the mouth can convert into acids, leading to tooth decay over time. I've seen cases where parents were genuinely surprised because they thought milk was completely safe. Makes me wonder... has anyone noticed if switching to water at bedtime helped reduce dental issues for their kids?

We switched our youngest to water around bedtime after our dentist mentioned something similar. Honestly, I was skeptical at first because milk seemed so harmless—plus, it's comforting for little ones. But after a few months, we did notice a difference. Not only did his teeth seem healthier at the next checkup, but it also helped break that habit of needing milk to fall asleep. It wasn't an overnight miracle or anything, but definitely worth the switch.

One thing that helped us was gradually diluting the milk with water over a week or two until it was just water. He barely noticed the change, and it saved us from bedtime battles. Plus, as a bonus, we ended up saving a little money on milk each week, which is always nice when you're watching your budget. Might be worth a shot if you're thinking about trying it out...

We went through something similar with our daughter. I remember thinking milk was harmless too, until our dentist explained how sugars—even natural ones—can linger overnight and cause issues. We didn't dilute gradually like you did (wish I'd thought of that!), but we switched to water cold turkey. The first few nights were rough, but after a week or so she adjusted fine. And yeah, her teeth definitely looked better at the next checkup.

"Plus, as a bonus, we ended up saving a little money on milk each week..."

Haha, totally relate to this. Milk costs add up surprisingly fast!