Effect of a preventive approach for the treatment of nursing bottle caries

Seventeen children with nursing bottle caries and their caretakers were studied to assess whether a preventive program would arrest the progression of the caries. Prior to the study the caretakers were asked questions regarding their child's oral hygiene practices and nursing habits, as well as the caretaker's demographic characteristics. All caretakers were given instructions on how to control the use of their child's nursing bottle and how to brush their child's teeth twice daily with 0.4 percent stannous fluoride gel. After the instruction the children and caretakers were placed on 3-month recalls. Compliance was determined through a self-evaluation questionnaire assessing preventive behaviors. In general, the caretakers were unmarried 20- to 30-year-old women subsisting on welfare with one child. The majority of the caretakers were aware of the potential dangers of the child sleeping with milk or sweet liquids in the bottle. The study was discontinued after three month because caries noticeably progressed in all but two of the children, and only two caretakers complied fully with the prevention program.