[the_lissa]

I'm writing this question for a friend. She has a two year old daughter who is still nursing. Her dd has had a lot of dental issues, had to have teeth pulled, etc. They have seen three dentists who say breastfeeding si causing "bottle rot" and she needs to wean. I seem to remember some threads on this issue, and how breastfeeding does not cause bottle rot. Does anyone have any knowledge in this area?

 

[Music-mommy]

"The mechanics of breastfeeding make it unlikely for human milk to stay in the baby's mouth for long. During breastfeeding, the nipple is drawn deep within the baby's mouth, and milk is literally squirted into the back of his mouth. The suckling process includes a swallow and the nursing child must swallow before he can go on to the next step. In contrast, baby bottles can drip milk, juice, or formula into the baby's mouth even if he is not actively sucking. If the baby does not swallow, the liquid can pool in the front of the mouth around the teeth. The artificial nipple is very short, so the liquid in the bottle is likely to pass over teeth before being swallowed. "

Here's a link:

http://www.lalecheleague.org/NB/NBSepOct02p164.html

 

[meemee]

try www.kelleymom.com for more info.

here is my personal experience. my dd had bottlemouth and got caps just before her second bday. they put caps in two of her teeth and cleaned out the decay in her other two teeth. well!!! i keep going back for checkups. i've been to 2 dentists and neither have said anything about bfeeding. i did not stop bfeeding at night and the decay has not come back in the past 10 months.

but i do think my dd has bad teeth. i do too. she has issues about brushing her teeth and fought and screamed all the time till maybe a month now she allows me to brush her teeth without screaming. till she got her caps i was not v.diligent about brushing her teeth every day. but after caps i was defintiely on top of making sure she brushed her teeth twice a day. i also made sure she at least drinks water after every meal. i have so enforced the rule that if u eat candy u have to brush ur teeth, that today she brushes on her own after sugar.

 

[mommytolittlelilly]

There are some good discussions about this under the dental forum (sorry I don't have time to post the links, but I've searched a few times under "caries" and come up w/ some good info in the past.) After reading about this subject (that is, any link betw BM and caries), I'm of the opinion that problem teeth in EBF babies/toddlers are the result of genetics and other factors (such as, too much juice, eating too much stuff that sticks to the teeth like raisins).

We still nurse on through the night, multiple times, and my 22-monther does not have any teeth problems as of our first check-up last month (ok, I'm knocking on wood here!!) We've also been brushing those little teeth before bed every night, and also every morning, shortly after they appeared.

 

[KirstenMary]

If a child has soft enamel and night nurses, it is really important to clean the teeth before going to bed. If not, the sugar in the milk will react with the carbohydrates left on the teeth from eating and cause decay.

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_lissa I'm writing this question for a friend. She has a two year old daughter who is still nursing. Her dd has had a lot of dental issues, had to have teeth pulled, etc. They have seen three dentists who say breastfeeding si causing "bottle rot" and she needs to wean. I seem to remember some threads on this issue, and how breastfeeding does not cause bottle rot. Does anyone have any knowledge in this area?

 

[KirstenMary]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mommytolittlelilly There are some good discussions about this under the dental forum (sorry I don't have time to post the links, but I've searched a few times under "caries" and come up w/ some good info in the past.) After reading about this subject (that is, any link betw BM and caries), I'm of the opinion that problem teeth in EBF babies/toddlers are the result of genetics and other factors (such as, too much juice, eating too much stuff that sticks to the teeth like raisins). We still nurse on through the night, multiple times, and my 22-monther does not have any teeth problems as of our first check-up last month (ok, I'm knocking on wood here!!) We've also been brushing those little teeth before bed every night, and also every morning, shortly after they appeared.

I cannot stress this enough.