This is a very common problem, especially in the front lower incisors. If the teeth are loose, they may come out own their own within a few weeks. If the baby teeth are not loose, your dentist may need to extract the baby teeth. In either case, it is best to make an appointment with your dentist so that the situation can be analyzed and the best course of action taken for your child.

If the baby teeth are moderately to very loose, there is no immediate treatment. Patience is recommended. This is a normal process. The tongue will push the permanent lower front teeth forward. If the teeth are not very loose, your child should be seen to take an x-ray and evaluate the situation. Most children stop sucking their fingers between the ages of three to five. Sucking of a finger can have a significant effect on the bite.

It is often tempting to nurse an infant to sleep or let the child take a bottle to bed. These habits can lead to massive tooth decay as the sugars in the milk, formula, or juice are left on the teeth during the night. We recommend brushing your child's teeth before bedtime and providing only water at night. This condition is also known as Early Childhood Carries (ECC).

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No, it is completely safe if swallowed. It is made with natural fruit flavors. It contains no fluoride or saccharin.

Baby bottle tooth decay is caused by the frequent and long-term exposure of a child's teeth to liquids containing sugars. Among these liquids are milk, formula, fruit juice, sodas and other sweetened drinks. The sugars in these liquids pool around the infant's teeth and gums, feeding the bacteria in plaque. Every time a child consumes a sugary liquid, acid produced by these bacteria attack the teeth and gums. After numerous attacks, tooth decay can begin.

We know of people who have had very good results by simply shinning the light on the outside of the jaw in the area of the tooth. This is something you will have to experiment with for yourself. Normally people report relief within a day or two. As every situation differs with each person it is most useful for the user to try several different things and find the one that works the best for them. Back to Top | Back to FAQ

Baby bottle tooth decay is the creation of many cavities on your baby's teeth so that only the "stumps" of the teeth can be seen. This condition can occur after only a few weeks of putting your baby to sleep with milk or juice in his or her baby bottle. Because your baby's tooth enamel (the hard outer "shell" of a tooth) is fairly soft, your baby is very vulnerable to tooth decay. Often, there is so much tooth decay that your baby's teeth cannot be restored.

Baby bottle tooth decay is a pattern of rapid decay associated with prolonged nursing. It happens when a child goes to sleep while breast-feeding and/or bottle-feeding. During sleep, the flow of saliva is reduced and the natural self-cleansing action of the mouth is diminished. Avoid nursing children to sleep or putting anything other than water in their bedtime bottle. Encourage your child to drink from a cup as they approach their first birthday.

Primary, or "baby," teeth are important for many reasons. Not only do they help children speak clearly and chew naturally, they also aid in forming a path that permanent teeth can follow when they are ready to erupt. Some of them are necessary until a child is 12 years old or longer. Pain, infection of the gums and jaws, impairment of general health and premature loss of teeth are just a few of the problems that can happen when baby teeth are neglected.

Children usually keep their front baby teeth until the ages of six to twelve and their back baby teeth until the ages of nine to twelve. Baby teeth are very important to the child's self-esteem, speech, smile and they also hold a space for the adult teeth to erupt into. Early removal of a baby tooth may lead to serious orthodontic problems. Baby teeth should only be extracted when it is time to do so or when they cannot be restored.

Giving an infant a sugary drink at nap or nighttime is harmful because during sleep, the flow of saliva decreases, allowing the sugary liquids to linger on the child's teeth for an extended period of time. If left untreated, decay can result, which can cause pain and infection. Severely decayed teeth may need to be extracted. If teeth are infected or lost too early due to baby bottle tooth decay, your child may develop poor eating habits, speech problems, crooked teeth and damaged adult teeth.

Never allow a child to fall asleep with a bottle containing milk, formula, juice or other sweetened liquids. Clean and massage the baby's gums to help establish healthy teeth and to aid in teething. Wrap a moistened gauze square or washcloth around the finger and gently massage the gums and gingival tissues. This should be done after every feeding. Plaque removal activities should begin upon eruption of the first baby tooth. When brushing a child's teeth, use a soft toothbrush and water.

If this happens outside normal opening hours, your dentist will have emergency cover. Phone the surgery anyway to found out who to call.

Contact your pediatric dentist as soon as possible. Baby teeth are usually not put back but the child should be seen by the dentist to check if any roots remain or other teeth have been injured.