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Sad? Yes. Preventable? Not always, genetics plays a huge role. Although, I don't recommend giving bottles of formula, juice and such at night.

My daughter had a bottle every night. Of course it only had water in it. She always woke up thirsty for water and to this day she still takes water to bed. Of course she was weened off of the bottle at 14 months and took a sippy to bed with water in it. She is now 4 1/2. We buy bottled water and just refil that bottle every AM so it is cold at night. My husband is the same way he also has to have water on the nightstand. I never ever sent her to bed with juice or milk only water. But I have seen and heard of stories like this. All the milk or juice does at night is sit on the teeth. So it is a horrible thing.

well I dont' know if this could have been prevented but my cousins little girl had horrible teeth..like brownish,yellowish I can't remember really good I haven't seen her for like 5 years. she also had them all kind of screwed up..My sister told me it was b/c they gave her the bottle until she was like 6 with milk and juice..so maybe there is some truth to it.

Even with a genetic history of 'bad' teeth, tooth decay is still preventable. I actually just got home from my son's dental appointment. He has been going every three months since he was 9 months old (he's 2 now). He gets fluoride treatments every visit, and the dentist and I discuss his drinking habits. My son went to bed with a bottle for a long time (gave it up around 20 months) and he HAD to have milk, he just wouldn't have it any other way. The dentist suggested giving him watered down milk, and to just check in on him after he's fallen asleep to make sure it's not still in his mouth. Also, brush their teeth as much as possible. Even if you use a damp cloth, it's still something and it still works. Watering down the juice they drink during the day helps alot too. The dentist also pointed out milk at bedtime is no where near as bad as juice is. Plus, if your tooth ever gets knocked out, they say to keep it alive in a gla__s of milk right? At a year and a half, there should be no reason to have dental work done. At that age they've only had teeth like what, a year? There is so much you can do to prevent it. My god daughter who is two and a half has two teeth that came in partially fused together, which creates alot of oppertunity for decay, but with proper care and regular dental visits, she hasn't had a single problem and her teeth look great.

I think the bottle is the issue...a bottle lets milk or juice pool in the mouth, and a cup doesn't. That's why they say you should switch to a cup by the time baby's a year old. Sharing horror stories...My brother-in-law's nephew got big red in his baby bottle all the time, and when they were in town for my sister's wedding, the kid actually had no teeth, at age four.

My mouth droppesd reading the last post,no teeth at age 4. Unbelievalbe but I have to believe it happens.

Well my mom always said giving your baby sweet bottles will make milk teeth. Our family is from the deep south and has many myths. Now I finally understand what she meant....LOL....Soda, juice, and sugar water will probably give your baby rotten teeth and huge dental bills for you. So yes, I think the heartache and pain that little girl endured could have been easily prevented. Take care