Preventing Decay of Primary Teeth

Excerpt from "Your Child's Teeth: Helpful Tips for Parents and Caregivers", by the American Dental Association:

As soon as teeth appear in the mouth, decay can occur. One of the risk factors for early childhood cavities (sometimes called baby bottle tooth decay) is frequent and prolonged exposure of a baby’s teeth to liquids containing sugar, including milk, breast milk, formula, and fruit juice. Tooth decay can occur when parents or caregivers put a baby to bed with a bottle that contains any beverage other than water – or use milk, formula or juice as a pacifier for a fussy baby.

Encourage children to drink from a cup by their first birthday, and discourage frequent or prolonged use of a training cup. If you give your child a pacifier, use a clean one. Never dip a pacifier in sugar or honey before giving it to a baby.

Encourage healthy eating habits. This would include a diet with plenty of vegetables and fruits and whole grains. Snacks should be nutritious. Limit sweets to mealtimes.