Thousands of infants and toddlers suffer from a serious problem that many healthcare marketers have never even heard of. Yet it's a problem that can have devastating effects and should be targeted in maternal public health campaigns.
"Baby bottle tooth decay" afflicts an alarming 13 percent of preschool children ages 3 to 5 enrolled in either Head Start or the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) across the U.S., according to results of the SMILE survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and the Washington Dental Socity (WDS).
Baby bottle tooth decay derives from parents' habit of putting infants to bed with bottles filled with juice, formula, milk or other liquids containing sugar. The sugar feeds bacteria that literally eat away the teeth, causing severe pain and other problems that can last a lifetime. Frequent snacking on sweet or starchy foods like crackers, dry fruit and cookies can contribute to the development of early childhood tooth decay.
WDS Foundation is the one of the country's largest foundation dedicated exclusively to improving dental health.. (Washington Dental Service Foundation, 206-528-2331)