Mami & Me : Weaning your toddler off the bottle is important for their teeth

If you're a toddler mom, then you've probably heard several times from your pediatrician that it’s time to say goodbye to the baby bottle for good. Not only have I heard it from a pediatrician but also from our dentist.

Many moms have told me that babies rarely give up their bottles easily, which is one reason why so many toddlers continue to use one for long past the recommended 12 months of age.

Pediatricians and pediatric dentists say that babies should break the bottle habit by the age of one, and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends complete weaning from the bottle by 15 months to 18 months.

My son, Levi, is almost 2.5 years old, and it has only been a couple of months since he stopped using the bottle throughout the day. The transition was easy, and of course I made it fun. I made sure to buy him sippy cups that would catch his attention. For example, anything that he likes, from dinosaurs to trucks to even one of his favorite cartoon characters like Bluey. But keeping him off the bottle at night has been the most challenging part of it all.

I recently spoke to Rosa Arzu, DDS, Senior Director of Medical and Dental Innovation at AltaMed Health Services, for some advice.

Born in Portsmouth, Virginia, Arzu moved to Guatemala City when she was six years old. She received a Doctorate in Dental Surgery in 2000 from Francisco Marroquin University. In 2003, Dr. Arzu moved to California. In the process of getting her certification to practice dentistry, she worked as a dental assistant in an HMO and in private practice. Dr. Arzu received her California Dental Board certification in 2007. 

In 2008, she was hired by AltaMed Health Services as a dental provider for Bell Clinic. In 2009, Dr. Arzu got promoted to Dental Director. In her current role, she oversees the dental operations of nine dental clinics and six oral health units located in Los Angeles and Orange County.

Early oral habits

According to Arzu, a parent should start the baby's dental hygiene by just cleaning the baby's gums. This is to prepare them for good oral habits and also to avoid any fungal infections from the milk, which is very common in children. Arzu also stated that when the teeth start to come out, the parents should start the habit of brushing the baby’s or toddler's teeth. She also recommends we take our child to the dentist every six months to address any concerns like white stains, which can be a sign of cavities.

Weaning them off the bottle can be difficult

After voicing my situation to Arzu, she said that the reason why it’s important that we wean our child off the bottle is because they want to make sure there are no issues with him having cavities. "Bottle feeding at night runs the risk of milk staying on the teeth, so there’s no opportunity for following a set schedule to make sure they brush their teeth before they go to bed,” she said.

Arzu also said that weaning them off the bottle gives the child an opportunity to develop the rest of their baby teeth in the right place, which will help them talk and chew. "Otherwise, there’s other risks to how the teeth are going to develop,” she said.

One of the challenging parts with my son is weaning him off the bottle at night. He always likes to drink a bottle when he goes to sleep, and he will wake up in the middle of the night and say "Mama, milk" or "Mama, juice" and that’s the only reason he will wake up. Arzu said that the night bottle is the most difficult one.

Tips and tricks from a dentist

Arzu said that there might be many reasons why a child wakes up at night. She said one of those reasons could be that the child is simply hungry. She recommends setting a schedule where the last meal might be a little more filling.

I have actually tried this technique. I kept my son fed all day with meals and snacks and made sure the last meal was a little more full, but for some reason he is still hungry at night. Some nights he will ask for one bottle, and there are nights where he’ll even ask for two bottles. As a parent, it can be exhausting to wake up almost every night.

Another tip that Arzu recommends is that we celebrate that our child is drinking from a cup with milk. And instead of giving our children milk at night, we give them a bottle with water. “This is kind of setting the transition,” she said. My son is smart, but I'm afraid he'll get upset and throw his bottle at me if I try this with him. I'll just have to give it a try.

Arzu also thinks that one of the reasons why my son may wake up at night is because of a comfort problem. She recommends that I use a blanket or stuffed animal for him to sleep with, as it may help him avoid waking up at night.

Eventually, we will figure out how to wean him off the bottle, even if it takes a few attempts. And that‘s just one of the many more milestones that our toddlers have to check off the list. I know this experience can be frustrating, but in the end, it's all worth it because we won't have to wake up at night anymore.

​​If there is anything I can help young mothers and fathers with, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at amairani@latinomedia.org. Follow my Mami & Me columns here.