Wait...what? Ped office...

[AFWife]

I knew that something might be up when I walked in the lobby and saw every parent had a bottle or a can of formula...

So, we haven't taken DS in to see a dentist. Bad us blah blah blah. Well, the ped mentions it, pulls out this photo of a child with HORRIBLE tooth decay, and then says, "They used to say that breastfeeding for at least 2 years was best, but now the health dept is saying it's as bad on a child's teeth as a bottle of formula." Wait, what???

I had to wean DS because nursing through pregnancy was too much...but we want to wait longer between the next kids so I hope to nurse this baby to 2 years.


Where is he getting his info? (No, we won't be going back BTW...for a variety of reasons)

[jeanine123]

The formula company rep? Because as you know, what he's saying is complete and utter rubbish. Breastmilk has properties in it to PROTECT teeth, not rot them away.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/older-baby/tooth-decay.html

Also check out Dr. Brian Palmer's website, he has done a ton of research on this topic. At the bottom of the article I linked to above are links to a couple of his studies, among many, many others.

[PatioGardener]

My question is, so what? What if breastmilk was found to be hard on teeth? (Not that it has been, but if it somehow was found not to be protective.) Would it make a difference? The answer to me seems to be Brush their Teeth and Keep on Breastfeeding!

And "they" still say that breastfeeding for at least 2 years is recommended.

Any chance you're looking for a new ped?

[AFWife]

Originally Posted by PatioGardener

Any chance you're looking for a new ped?

Do you have to ask? For one English wasn't the guy's first language so I couldn't understand half of what he said and then with the bad BFing advice? (There are other things but those were the big ones for me)

We have a $50 deductible so we can't just go "ped shopping"...but you can bet in a few months we WON'T go back to that practice.

[accountclosed2]

He lies. It is the other way around. It was believed that breastmilk is as bad as formula, but that isn't so.

These studies are showing that breastfeeding does not cause caries:

Association Between Infant Breastfeeding and Early Childhood Caries

http://pediatrics.aappublications.or...ull/120/4/e944

The Effect of Prolonged and Exclusive Breast-Feeding on Dental Caries in Early School-Age Children

http://content.karger.com/produktedb...file=000108596


And this, a lab study done at the dental school at Umea University, finds properties in breastmilk that protect against tooth caries!

Host ligands and oral bacterial adhesion: studies on phosphorylated polypeptides and gp-340 in saliva and milk
http://umu.diva-portal.org/smash/rec...d=diva2:306593

[AFWife]

Should I send the studies if I'm not planning on going back?


Something else I thought of: He prefaced THAT comment by saying that they recommend stopping the bottle at a year because of tooth decay. So, you could say that he was implying to stop BFing at a year as well...


I should send a bunch of info shouldn't I? Should I send it directly to his office AND the hospital?

[Ellien C]

I do think you should send it, even if you aren't going back. It may help someone else.

Also, regarding your deductible, would a potential Ped be willing to meet with you to discuss their practice? I was able to at least phone interview Pediatricians before I chose one. It didn't cost me anything. However, this was not the case at all when I needed a new OB. Just thought I'd put that out there.

[allisonrose]

Originally Posted by Ellien C

Also, regarding your deductible, would a potential Ped be willing to meet with you to discuss their practice? I was able to at least phone interview Pediatricians before I chose one. It didn't cost me anything. However, this was not the case at all when I needed a new OB. Just thought I'd put that out there.

Yup. I did "meet and greet" appointments with the peds I was interested in for zero charge. Just call up the office and ask. I think it's pretty common for parents to want to chat with a ped before committing.

[AFWife]

Originally Posted by allisonrose

Yup. I did "meet and greet" appointments with the peds I was interested in for zero charge. Just call up the office and ask. I think it's pretty common for parents to want to chat with a ped before committing.

I can call and see...I specified with this doc and it didn't work out that way.

[RomanGoddess]

Night time breastfeeding can damage teeth if your family is predisposed to early tooth decay but this is rare and really is dependent on genetics. (yes, i know the breastmilk normally goes directly to the throat when you breastfeed but when baby is sleeping at the same time, milk can stay at the back of the mouth). If neither side of the family has a history of bad teeth, then you don't need to worry.

I have read about moms whose first child had had major tooth problems apparently from breastfeeding at night. With the second child, they made a point of wiping the child's teeth with a cloth after each feed (even at night) and the problem did not happen again. You can read up on this more in The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (the LLL book).