A leading dental surgeon at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin has issued a warning to parents calling on them not to leave a milk-filled bottle with their child in the cot at night, but instead only give them water.
According to Dr Kirsten FitzGerald, a consultant paediatric dental surgeon at the hospital, parents who give their young child milk at night are causing serious damage to their infants dental health as the product contributes to decaying teeth.
Dr Fitzgerald said: “Babies should be fed and put to bed, not put to bed and then fed.”
The leading surgeon who recently wrote an article in the Journal of the Irish Dental Association, also said infants should not use soothers after 18 months, and they should only be given orthodontic soothers before that age as it also has a major impact on a Childs tooth development.
Dr Fitzgerald is also urging parents not to use fluoridated toothpaste to clean the teeth of children under the age of two as their enamel is not mature enough to deal with the fluoride.
The leading dental surgeon has issued a plea to the Department of Health to introduce free dental checks for babies in their first year as regular checkups could prevent dental problems in the future.