Boy, 4, gets 18 teeth extracted after he develops habit of leaving milk bottle in mouth

A dentist took to Facebook on Tuesday (April 9) to warn parents about the importance of kids' dental health. 

Sathian Ken Suravisankul, a dentist from Phuket-based Smile Station clinic, shared a case where he had to extract 18 teeth from a four-year-old boy who refused to brush his teeth after drinking milk. 

The post has already been shared 35,000 times at the time of writing. 

In the post, the dentist wrote that he felt bad for the boy who was left with only two teeth after the extraction. This meant the child only had a tooth on either side of his jaw, which affected the way he ate for the time being. 

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/ken.suravisankul/posts/10157160456046798[/embed]

It was also revealed that the boy often fell asleep with the milk bottle in his mouth after he was done drinking. Since he did not brush his teeth after his meals, they started to decay.

Ken did not fault the boy's parents for this incident as he understands that parents want the best for their children. He stressed that tooth decay was not solely caused by the milk but many other factors such as the rate of salivation.

The dentist also advised parents against letting their children use milk bottles and pacifiers for an extended period of time, and encouraged them to teach their kids the importance of brushing their teeth regularly.

kimberlyfoo@asiaone.com