Nursing-bottle caries: the importance of a development perspective.

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.