Nursing bottle caries Nursing caries, or tooth decay, can be
caused when your child sleeps with a bottle. This condition is
also called baby bottle tooth decay. It is caused when a child
goes to bed with a bottle filled with milk or juice — anything
except water. Why baby bottles need to used with caution Man Wai
Ng, MD, dentist-in chief, at Boston Children's Hospital, says:
"Bottles and sippy cups containing juice or any fermentable
carbohydrate allow frequent or prolonged consumption, which
increases tooth decay risk. Sleeping with a bottle containing
anything other than water should be discouraged."