What can we put our son to bed with other than a bottle to help prevent tooth decay? our son has a really difficult time falling to sleep unless he has a bottle to suck on. i know this isn't good for his teeth, and would like to find something that might

A : A pacifier does not promote tooth decay. A bottle filled with water will give him what he wants without the risk of baby bottle syndrome. Feed him well before bedtime, wipe his teeth with a soft cloth, and he should be fine.

Bothell, If : Bothell, if you must use the bottle, then water is the only thing that should be in it. Otherwise, your son will have every single tooth rotting out in a fairly short amount of time. There may be some transition issues but it pails in comparison to what issues you will have if it is anything but water. I hope this is helpful, michael i. Wollock, dmd, agd fellow dentistry at suburban square 610-649-0313 www.Dentistryatsuburbansquare.Com.

Water: Anything with sugar will cause "bottle decay" of the front teeth. Only water, and start weaning him off of the bottle. You will have to at some point, so why not start now?

Baby bottle decay: A set of ear plugs.Yes it will be difficult to get him to sleep for a week or so, but if you don't give in to the crying and tantrums. He will adjust to the new routine. Getting put to sleep for dental work that could have been prevented is much harder on the child and parents than a few sleepless nights.

A pacifier?: You are absolutely, right that putting your son to sleep with a bottle is bad for his teeth. You can start with a bottle with only water and than move to a pacifier. Always make sure his teeth are cleaned before bed and be strong when you get resistance from your child. You really need to work on this with you child. You may even want to encourage him with a reward system that results in a prize!