Frustrated with how fast bottle decay happens to kids' teeth

We went through something similar when my daughter was about 20 months old. Honestly, I didn't even realize how much the bedtime milk was affecting her sleep until we stopped. At first, it was pretty tough—she'd gotten so used to that comforting routine, and the first week or so was exhausting. But after that initial adjustment period, things got noticeably better. Her sleep became deeper, and she started waking up less frequently during the night. It was a relief, because before that, she'd often wake up restless or fussing, and I never really put two and two together until we cut out the nighttime bottle.

From a dental perspective, it made a huge difference too. Our dentist had warned us about bottle decay, and I figured he was just being overly cautious (you know how dentists can be sometimes...). But honestly, he was right. After we stopped the bedtime milk, her teeth looked healthier at every checkup. No more little spots or early signs of decay popping up, which had been a concern before.

I think it's probably a combo of factors—less sugar lingering in the mouth overnight, better sleep quality without digestion happening late at night, and maybe even just breaking that dependency on milk as a sleep aid. Whatever it is, I'm glad we made the switch when we did, even though it wasn't easy at first.

So yeah, I'd say your experience isn't just coincidence. A lot of parents I've talked to have noticed similar improvements once they cut out nighttime bottles or milk. It's one of those parenting hurdles that's tough in the moment but pays off big-time later on. Hang in there—it definitely gets easier!

"Our dentist had warned us about bottle decay, and I figured he was just being overly cautious (you know how dentists can be sometimes...)."

Haha, I totally get what you mean about dentists seeming overly cautious—but honestly, they're usually onto something. Did your dentist mention anything about brushing after the bedtime milk? Ours suggested at least wiping down teeth with a damp cloth if brushing wasn't practical. Curious if anyone tried that and noticed improvements, or if cutting milk altogether was the only real solution.

Haha, dentists definitely have a rep for being overly cautious, but honestly, bottle decay is one of those things that sneaks up on you fast. I've seen parents try the damp cloth trick, and it can help a bit—especially if brushing is a battle at bedtime. But cutting back on milk or juice right before sleep usually makes the biggest difference. It's tough though...kids love their bedtime bottles, and parents love their sanity, lol.

"It's tough though...kids love their bedtime bottles, and parents love their sanity, lol."

Haha, seriously, sanity is underrated. One trick I've seen work pretty well is gradually watering down the milk or juice each night—just a tiny bit more water each time. Eventually, kids lose interest because it doesn't taste as good anymore. Sneaky, I know, but hey...desperate times call for desperate measures. Plus, less sugar means happier teeth and fewer dentist visits—win-win if you ask me.

We tried the watering-down trick too, and it actually worked pretty well for us. Took a couple weeks, but eventually our little guy just lost interest. Definitely beats dealing with cavities later on...those dentist visits are no joke. Hang in there, it gets easier!