question about cavities in baby teeth?
so i have heard that some babies get bad teeth (many cavities) from sleeping with bottles. im just wondering about babies who nurse all the time? my daughter has slowed down a lot now, but for the first couple months she was on my boob non stop, even when sleeping. so im wondering if its the same for bf babies?
Mrs. Evans
Good question. Coming back for the answer, thanks =)
kk & kyky’s mom
i’ve always thought they meant sugary juices in bottles at bed time would cause cavity’s, not milk. or at least that’s what i’ve been told.
threenorns
NOT.
AT.
ALL.
so-called “bottle rot” is caused by a strep infection of vulnerable teeth – about 80% of baby cavities is gotten by the vulnerable 20% of the preschool population (bad genetics and/or non-flouridated water and/or not enough calcium in the diet). leaving a bottle to drip… drip…. drip…. all night, constantly washing the teeth with formula, milk, or juice, provides the bacteria with a rich and steady food supply (sugar). if the bottle was nothing but water, there’d be no problem.
breastfeeding is totally and completely not the same.
first off, the nipple is not at the front of the mouth like the bottle’s – it’s right at the back.
second, there is no constant leak of milk – if the baby is not actually drawing it out, then it stays in the boob. the amount “washing down” over the teeth is absolutely minimal because baby has to swallow in order to release the nipple and sleep.
thirdly, breast milk contains lactoferrin, which is an antimicrobial – it kills bacteria.
the AAP’s official position is that breastfeeding and night nursing have no relation to ECC (“early childhood cavities”, aka “bottle rot”).
i, too, nursed my daughter – she’s 2yrs old and i still do. she does have one single cavity. i was wracked with guilt because i thought it was the night nursing and i demanded to know if this was the case. the dentist eyed me warily and said carefully “she’s a kid. kids get cavities.”
and that was it (it’s being fixed this thursday).
Jenny Alice
There are good articles on this on mothering.com. I’m linking to one in the sources. Especially for the first few months, I don’t think this is a problem. Many dentists will say so, but they have so little experience with mothers who nurse at length that their knee-jerk reaction is to disapprove.
Doula Valerie
It’s different. Babies cavities are caused by sugary formulas that sit in the baby’s mouth in pools when the baby is put to bed with a bottle. Breastfeeding babies tend to always be sucking a little to keep the nipple in the mouth, and the milk doesn’t pool as much. When you remove them from the breast, they tend to swallow and don’t sleep in that position for milk to pool for hours. Plus, breast milk isn’t as sugary as formula.
For the most part, this whole issue is about children that have already cut teeth, usually affecting kids at 8 months to one year old, and older. A nursing newborn who is at the breast constantly isn’t at risk for baby bottle tooth decay.
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