title: Nursing-bottle caries: the importance of a development perspective.
abstract: Early diagnosis of nursing-bottle caries is so difficult because its first stage is difficult to detect, and occurs at an age the child does not visit a dentist regularly. Also, the first stage does not appear alarming. If for the parent serious complaints from the child arise, irreversible defects already have developed. The developmental stages of nursing-bottle caries are clearly linked to the eruption pattern of the primary teeth. The maxillary primary incisors are affected first, followed by the maxillary first molars. In all stages, a stabilized condition, arrested caries, can occur, if circumstances change. A correct diagnosis of the etiology of caries in toddlers and preschoolers is mandatory as a basis for introducing proper preventive measures. Further study is mandatory to clarify the cause and effect of the disease-pattern.
authors.affiliation: Pedodontic Department of the Academic Centre for Dentistry (ACTA), Amsterdam.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Veerkamp
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Weerheijm
mesh_terms: D001903:Bottle Feeding / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000473:pathology; D007223:Infant; D008963:Molar / Q000473:pathology; D017001:Tooth Demineralization / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D014075:Tooth Discoloration / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D014082:Tooth Fractures / Q000209:etiology; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000473:pathology*; D014098:Toothache / Q000209:etiology