My kiddo's teeth are already having issues with cavities and decay... dentist mentioned "bottle decay," and I'm feeling kinda guilty now. Like, no one warned me clearly enough about this. Anyone else dealing with this frustration?
"I'm feeling kinda guilty now. Like, no one warned me clearly enough about this."
Hey, please don't beat yourself up over this... honestly, bottle decay catches so many parents off guard because it's rarely explained clearly enough. Dentists sometimes assume we all know these things instinctively, but we really don't. My little one had similar issues, and I felt awful too. But once we started brushing gently after bottle feedings and transitioned to water at bedtime, things improved quickly. You're doing your best—hang in there.
"Dentists sometimes assume we all know these things instinctively, but we really don't."
True, but honestly, is it just dentists? Pediatricians and parenting books gloss over it too. I remember reading tons of baby guides that barely mentioned dental care beyond "brush twice a day." Maybe the issue isn't just unclear warnings—it's that dental health is treated as an afterthought until there's a problem. Wish there was more emphasis early on about nighttime bottles and sugars... could save parents (and kids) a lot of stress later.
Yeah, totally get what you're saying. When my oldest was little, I thought I was doing everything right—brushing twice a day, limiting sweets—but still ended up with cavities at age three. Felt awful about it, like I'd missed some secret parenting memo or something. And honestly, the pediatrician never mentioned nighttime bottles being an issue either. It wasn't until we saw a pediatric dentist that we learned how quickly milk sugars can cause decay overnight.
I think part of the problem is that dental care gets lumped into general health advice and ends up overlooked. Doctors probably assume dentists cover it, dentists assume parents already know... and we're left scrambling when there's an issue. You're definitely not alone in feeling frustrated by this. Wish there was clearer guidance from the start—it'd save a lot of anxiety down the road for sure.
Had a similar experience with my youngest. We were pretty careful about brushing and sweets, but the nighttime bottle habit slipped under our radar too. Felt guilty at first, but honestly, it's way more common than you'd think. Our dentist explained that even milk has sugars that sit on teeth overnight, causing decay faster than daytime drinks. Wish pediatricians or parenting books made a bigger deal about it early on—would've saved us some stress and dental visits. Good news is, once we stopped the nighttime bottles and got into a solid brushing routine, things improved pretty quickly. You're definitely not alone in this frustration.
