You have got to be kidding!!!

[MrsTwith3]

I was talking to my mum earlier and my niece who lives with her was talking to her mother. Her mother who breastfed both her youngest 2 past 12months tried to tell my niece that both my boys will end up having rotten teeth because I breastfeed/fed them to sleep. She was supposedly told by a dentist that is the reason my 7yo nieces teeth are rotting and having to be pulled out. WTF?????
So those of you who have b/f your kids to sleep who has now got a child with dental problems? Bet you not many if not none.

[stellarella]

There has been research done into this and its kinda inconclusive. I think the 'conclusion' was that its more a combination of the acid in food and then the sugar in BM which might contribute to rotting teeth. Mind you this applies to formula, juice and anything else with sugar in it too, not just BM, and BM is not a bigger culprit.

Ideally our kids would brush their teeth twice a day and only drink water before bed and not have their teeth sitting in anything sugary all night long. If you are able to, tilt bubs head to the side once finished feeding to let the milk dribble out the side or if you can wipe their teeth with a soft cloth. Its also good once they have teeth to remove your nipple as soon as they are asleep.

It is something to consider but it doesnt mean your kids will definately have rotten teeth if BF to sleep. Its a combination of factors and everyday eating and dental health are more important.

[Ange&Seth]

Are you sure it was that you breast feed them to sleep? Or just that they have milk and go to sleep without brushing their teeth?

My boy isn't breast fed but if he has something to eat or drink after we brush his teeth of a night, then they're brushed again. I think anything left on teeth or in the mouth overnight isn't going to help the state of the teeth - no matter the age of the child/person or if it's breast milk or anything else.

Perhaps your neice got mixed up?

[MrsTwith3]

Nope no mix up. She said the dentist said it was the natural sugars in the breastmilk.

[Ange&Seth]

She said the dentist said it was the natural sugars in the breastmilk.

I'd say it wasn't meant as a statement against breast feeding, but rather that the sugary residue is left in the mouth - as opposed to having a feed and then brushing/wiping the teeth. The same thing would happen with normal milk I would think.

[RedPanda]

I think drinking anything before bed (apart from water) would rot the teeth. Teeth should be brushed twice a day.

[punkbaby]

dd9 was breastfed to sleep till she was hmm 18 months old, she had had two cavities at the age of 5 which i thinks pretty good really :)

[meme]

i think that there is more to it than breastfeeding to sleep.
our western diets are very high in sugar.

while breastmilk does contain milk sugar, it also contains lactoferrin which actually helps prevent teeth against plaque causing bacteria.

added to this the method of delivery of breastmik straight from the breast a process that usually means the child has to be actively suckling and swallowing to draw the milk out and that the nipple is usually positioned further back in the mouth than where the teeth are.

also genetic factors play a part in how strong your teeth are. some teeth are more susceptible than others.

so yes, breastmilk could be part of rotten teeth, but it is one of the less risky things your child could be having in regards to teeth health.

personally i have breastfed 3 children and my last one has worse teeth than the other two. there hasn't been a significat difference in their upbringing they have all been breastfed on demand. including night feeds.

[mummylovesyou]

dd9 was breastfed to sleep till she was hmm 18 months old, she had had two cavities at the age of 5 which i thinks pretty good really :)
My twin girls were bf till 12 months, just had a checkup at school dental van and there teeth are perfect! My son bf till 13months, had a dental visit not so long ago and his teeth are great also:) Lets just hope my youngest DD, whos still bf will follow the same pattern:D

[Bron]

The Australian Dental Association have recently issued advice on this very matter. They encourage breastfeeding, but discourage constant on demand feeding during the night after 12 months of age. They discourage co sleeping for this reason, because the baby's mouth is likely to be "constantly bathed in milk".

It can lead to cavities called nursing caries, in exactly the same way that sending a baby to sleep at night with a bottle in their cot can.

So, rule of thumb, breastfeed all you like, but brush your baby's teeth twice a day and try not to feed a lot during the night once they are 12 months.

[meme]

It can lead to cavities called nursing caries, in exactly the same way that sending a baby to sleep at night with a bottle in their cot can.

actually most information i have read points out that because a bottle constantly drips milk whenheld upside down, and doesn't deliver milk as far back in the mouth as a breast. breastfeeding is less likely to cause 'nursing caries' than bottlefeeding.

just another way mother nature is looking out for our babies best interests.:thumbsup:

the kellymom site has a good page on breastfeeding and dental health for babies.

[Little Chookie]

Before the baby bottle, dental carries in baby's teeth were rare. The following dentists, Dr. Brian Palmer and Dr. Harold Torney, have done extensive research on human skulls (from 500-1000 years ago) in their study of tooth decay in children. These children were all breastfed, probably for an extended length of time. These dental anthropologist's have concluded from this research that breastfeeding does not cause tooth decay.

One reason night time bottles are thought to be causing tooth decay is the pooling of the liquid in baby's mouth (where the milk/juice bathes baby's teeth for long periods of time). Breast milk does not pool in the baby's mouth in the same way as bottled milk. Milk from the breast goes into the baby's mouth behind the teeth. If the baby is actively sucking then he is also swallowing, so not an issue.

Bacteria that's present in plaque (strep mutans)is the cause of tooth decay. These bacteria use food sugars and produce acid - this acid causes the decay. Strep mutans thrives in sugars, low amounts of saliva and a low ph-level in the saliva. After your baby gets teeth, this bacteria can be passed from caregiver to baby via saliva. To minimise transfer of this bacteria, avoid any saliva to saliva contact ie putting baby's pacifier in your mouth.


Lactoferrin actually kills this bacteria on contact, and guess what substance has heaps of lactoferrin?