Totally agree on the water-only bottles. We learned that the hard way with my oldest—he had a bedtime milk habit, and we ended up dealing with cavities before he even turned three. After switching to water at night, my younger one hasn't had any issues so far (knock on wood...). Like you said:
"switching to water-only bottles at night made a bigger difference for us than any extra treatments."
Honestly, prevention was way easier (and cheaper!) than trying to fix things later.
Switching to water-only bottles is definitely a smart move. I've seen some pretty severe cases of bottle decay, and it's surprising how quickly it can escalate. One thing I've wondered about though—has anyone noticed if the type of bottle or sippy cup makes a difference? Like, does using a straw cup or open cup earlier help reduce decay risks even more? Curious if anyone's dentist has weighed in on that...
I've wondered about this too. My dentist actually mentioned something similar when I brought up my concerns about tooth decay (I'm always paranoid about dental issues because of my own orthodontic history). She said that straw cups can help because they direct liquids more towards the back of the mouth, so there's less contact with the front teeth. But she also emphasized that even with straw cups, if the drink isn't water, there's still a risk. So, switching to water-only bottles or cups is definitely key, like you said.
Personally, I started transitioning my daughter to an open cup pretty early, around 12 months, because I was anxious about cavities developing quickly. It was messy at first, but honestly, she adapted quicker than I expected. I'm not sure if it made a huge difference yet—she's only two—but so far, no signs of decay. Fingers crossed it stays that way...
I think you're right to be cautious though, because I've heard some horror stories from friends about how fast bottle decay can sneak up. It seems like once it starts, it escalates rapidly, and then you're dealing with fillings or worse. It's stressful just thinking about it, honestly.
Have you tried asking your dentist directly about the cup types? They might have specific recommendations based on your kid's age or dental situation. Mine was pretty helpful when I brought it up, and it eased my mind a bit. Good luck—I totally get the anxiety around this stuff.
I've been stressing about this exact thing lately. My little guy is 18 months and still pretty attached to his straw cup, but he's mostly drinking water now. Still, every time we have juice or milk, I get paranoid about decay creeping in. I've heard mixed things about straw cups—like they're better than bottles but still not foolproof. My dentist was kinda vague when I asked, just said to limit sugary drinks as much as possible.
Honestly, reading your experience with open cups makes me think maybe I'm being overly cautious about the mess factor. But did your dentist say anything specifically about nighttime drinks? My son still wakes up once or twice a night and wants milk...and I'm worried even that small amount could cause issues over time. Maybe it's time to bite the bullet and switch to water overnight too...ugh, parenting never stops being stressful does it?
I totally get the nighttime milk struggle—it's a common worry. Straw cups are definitely better than bottles since the liquid bypasses the front teeth more, but yeah, they're not perfect. Even small amounts of milk overnight can increase decay risk because saliva flow drops significantly during sleep, leaving sugars sitting longer on teeth. Maybe gradually watering down the milk could help ease the transition to just water? Parenting really is a never-ending balancing act...hang in there!
