Does anybody know anything about breastmilk causing tooth decay?

[mo2]

I'm googling, but I'm coming up with conflicting results/data/opinions. Any help?

[Ellie]

Breastmilk doesn't cause tooth decay, for goodness' sake. My best guess is that people who think they've found "proof" about things like that are looking for "proof" that cow's milk is just as good as mother's milk for babies.

[ChristusG]

I don't believe that breastmilk causes tooth decay.

[mo2]

Breastmilk doesn't cause tooth decay, for goodness' sake. My best guess is that people who think they've found "proof" about things like that are looking for "proof" that cow's milk is just as good as mother's milk for babies.

 

I don't believe that breastmilk causes tooth decay.

 

 

Thank you. I don't believe so either. My almost 2yo has significant decay on her front teeth, and I am suffering guilty-mommy syndrome. I brush her teeth before she goes to bed, but she does a lot of nighttime nursing. The dentist thinks the nighttime nursing is causing her tooth decay.

[HiddenJewel]

Thank you. I don't believe so either. My almost 2yo has significant decay on her front teeth, and I am suffering guilty-mommy syndrome. I brush her teeth before she goes to bed, but she does a lot of nighttime nursing. The dentist thinks the nighttime nursing is causing her tooth decay.

 

Tooth decay can be from mineral deficiencies.

[Cindy in NY]

FWIW, my youngest had the same problem. He was breast-fed only, nursed at night and had horrible decay on his 2 front teeth. I still feel mom guilt when I look at pictures of him from that time period.

 

No answers, just commiserating with you.

[Capt_Uhura]

All 3 of my kids nursed at night and not a single one had tooth decay. They did take vits w/ fluoride.

[~Amanda~]

my 2 older ones had bad tooth decay. I blame it on the fact that I took antibiotics when I was pregnant.

[Dawn in OH]

Thank you. I don't believe so either. My almost 2yo has significant decay on her front teeth, and I am suffering guilty-mommy syndrome. I brush her teeth before she goes to bed, but she does a lot of nighttime nursing. The dentist thinks the nighttime nursing is causing her tooth decay.

 

Nursing doesn't cause cavities. Breast milk in a bottle over night, possibly could. There is still some sugar in the milk. It sounds like your dentist just isn't very knowledgeable about breast feeding so it's an easy finger to point. Some people are just more prone to cavities than others.

 

Dr. Sears does say that if the child has developed cavities, restricting or eliminating night time nursing can help prevent the cavities from getting worse, but the nursing, as documented in tons of articles on the net, does not cause cavities.

[Sevilla]

It depends on the situation. Here are risk factors for nursing causing tooth decay:

 

1. Poor enamel on the teeth (this means they don't have the 'shield' to protect them from decay that healthy teeth have - some children's enamel is damaged in utero and their teeth are vulnerable to decay from the start because of it).

 

2. Mixing breastmilk with solid foods. In and of itself, breastmilk shouldn't cause tooth decay - but if a child is eating solid foods mixed with breastmilk that can cause decay.

 

Usually this comes into play with night nursing, and experience seems to vary by person on whether night nursing contributed to decay or not.

[amey311]

http://www.brianpalmerdds.com/bfeed_oralcavity.htm

 

This is a reputable source.

[RoundAbout]

Google baby bottle mouth.

 

http://www.ehow.com/how_4556841_prevent-babybottle-mouth.html

 

I think its a bigger problem with people giving bottles in the crib, but I think night nursing can have a similar effect.

[mo2]

FWIW, my youngest had the same problem. He was breast-fed only, nursed at night and had horrible decay on his 2 front teeth. I still feel mom guilt when I look at pictures of him from that time period.

 

No answers, just commiserating with you.

 

my 2 older ones had bad tooth decay. I blame it on the fact that I took antibiotics when I was pregnant.

 

 

Can I ask what you did? I mean, obviously you got the cavities fixed, but then what? Just increased brushing, flossing, vigilence? How are their teeth now? Any further problems?

 

I hadn't heard of any possible connection to antibiotics before. Trying to remember if I took any while I was pregnant....

[~Amanda~]

After they got their adult teeth in, we've had no problems. I actually am having some problems with my son's teeth being yellow, but we did everything "right" until I got a little bit more information about fluride and all that. we use tooth soap now, so I'm hoping for improvement.

[Cindy in NY]

We just monitored his teeth until he lost them. His adult teeth are fine. he did take a rather lengthy course of antibiotics as a baby due to recurrent ear infections, I have always wondered if that may have contributed to it. The dentist dismissed my concerns when I mentioned it.

 

He does tend to have yellowish tint to his teeth that Amanda mentioned. I need to know what she knows about that!

[mommymilkies]

Antibiotics and bottle mouth, but not breastmilk are linked to decay. My oldest two were on formula after 8 and 2 months, respectively, and are my only two children to have ever had cavities. My other three were EBF and have zero. They also nursed all night (well, my youngest still is at 4 mo!) for over 2 years. We brush teeth after 1 year old and my youngest have never been big eaters until after age 3, so maybe that helped?

[mo2]

Antibiotics and bottle mouth, but not breastmilk are linked to decay. My oldest two were on formula after 8 and 2 months, respectively, and are my only two children to have ever had cavities. My other three were EBF and have zero. They also nursed all night (well, my youngest still is at 4 mo!) for over 2 years. We brush teeth after 1 year old and my youngest have never been big eaters until after age 3, so maybe that helped?

 

Thanks. I'm thinking there must be a genetic component, because all of my children have been breastfed (no formula, no bottles).

[ItsJustMe]

My third child had very weak teeth (baby teeth) that decayed very easily. A pediatric dentist that my regular dentist recommended said that it was due to breastfeeding him. I was concerned at first, but then realized it couldn't be that because my first two children (and my fourth child, too, for that matter) breastfed for just as long and didn't experience any problems with decay. None of them have ever had formulas or bottles.

 

(Note: I had to reregister because I think I may have registered from a different email address, so I'm trying to get my post count high enough under this new UserID to sell a lot of curriculum I have, so just ignore me...) :)

[Sue G in PA]

My almost 3yo has severe decay in his front 2 teeth...that we JUST noticed about a month ago. Talk about mommy guilt. He was breastfed until about a year and nursed at night. No cavities. It wasn't until he started having juice in a sippy cup that he got them. None of my other breastfed children got cavities. My 5yo dd was night-nursing until she was almost 4. No cavities. I have heard that some kids teeth are just "softer" than others. So sorry your little one is going through this. You are not to blame!

[Jennifer3141]

My children are 14 months apart and I tandem nursed/extended nursed them both until they weaned together at 4 1/2 and 3 1/2.

 

DD has fabulous teeth. She rarely gets cavities.

 

DS got cavities like crazy as an night nursing toddler. He had 8 that we discovered 3 months after his second dental checkup. He had oral surgery at two to remove a tooth that had decayed so badly that it needed to be removed and 7 cavities filled in the hospital under general anesthesia.

 

I did nothing different with them and they ate the same things. We are a medical family so anbx were almost never used and then DS never got them. DD did for a couple of awful ear infections.

 

I did slow night nursing down after DS' dental debacles and they stopped altogether soon after that. (It was time anyway!) I also started wiping DS' teeth down if he nursed at night.

 

DH has horrible enamel. I have strong teeth. My kids had a 50-50 shot.

 

Breastmilk does contain lactose which is a sugar. It doesn't seem so implausible for me to believe that sugar soaking into a mouth all night long might lead to cavities in weak enameled teeth.

 

DS lost a molar to it. I feel mama guilt every time he opens his mouth and I see his spacer. I get it, OP! But I still wouldn't trade the health benefits of extended nursing for DS' dental issues ever.

[maddykate]

I remember reading (but, unfortunately, can't remember the source) that there have been studies showing a link between a mother having a virus during the 7th-9th (I think that was the timeframe) week of her pregnancy and later teeth decay in that baby. I know that in my personal experience it is true. With my oldest dd, I had a terrible stomach virus during the early pregnancy and she does, in fact, have terrible cavity-prone teeth. So, maybe there is some link there.

[mo2]

Well, you all have made me feel better. I know that breast milk does contain sugar (obviously), which is (again, obviously) not good for teeth. But I do think the benefits of breastfeeding outweigh the risks of tooth decay.

 

My husband has horrible teeth. His mother tells me he had dental surgery when he was a toddler. And we have spent a ton of money on his teeth even since we've been married---root canals, fillings, extractions. My teeth are okay but not great. I have had some fillings. So I guess it's plausible that genetics are playing a role.

 

I still feel guilty though. I wish I had wiped down her teeth every time she nursed at night.

 

Thanks for sharing your stories.

[Mrs Mungo]

There are lots of things that can cause early tooth decay. What caused it is neither here nor there. Personally (as someone who nursed each of my kids 2 1/2 years)? If my toddler had tooth decay in the front teeth? And they were able to save them by fixing them? I would stop nighttime nursing (not nursing altogether) just to be on the safe side. I do know toddlers who had to have their front teeth removed. :(

[Embassy]

My little girl has tooth decay. From what I was able to find out nursing in general doesn't cause it. However, in some cases where little ones routinely nurse or keep the nipple in the mouth for a long periods of time tooth decay can occur. Of course you have other factors like diet or hygiene or genetics.

[Embassy]

Personally (as someone who nursed each of my kids 2 1/2 years)? If my toddler had tooth decay in the front teeth? And they were able to save them by fixing them? I would stop nighttime nursing (not nursing altogether) just to be on the safe side. I do know toddlers who had to have their front teeth removed. :(

 

I agree. I stopped nursing to sleep around 18 months. I didn't stop nursing though. I would still nurse in the middle of the night, but I would only put her to sleep with brushed teeth and water.

 

Dentists gave me the option to pull her teeth or fix them under sedation. If they fixed them she wouldn't be able to use them to bite things like an apple. I went a different route. We used ozone treatments to kill the bacteria as well as special toothpaste, special paste for her teeth at night, and special candy. It has kept her in a holding pattern for 1.5 years now. She loves apples and will eat several a day.

[Embassy]

My third child had very weak teeth (baby teeth) that decayed very easily. A pediatric dentist that my regular dentist recommended said that it was due to breastfeeding him. I was concerned at first, but then realized it couldn't be that because my first two children (and my fourth child, too, for that matter) breastfed for just as long and didn't experience any problems with decay. None of them have ever had formulas or bottles.

 

I had dentists say the same thing. They said my older kids were just lucky that they didn't have problems :tongue_smilie:

[mo2]

We used ozone treatments to kill the bacteria as well as special toothpaste, special paste for her teeth at night, and special candy.

 

I would like to learn more about these. Can you point me in the right direction?

[flobee76]

There ARE things you can do to remineralize and heal her caries. I have a 2 yo who has a cavity on her front tooth. I took her to a dentist and he said that he wouldn't do anything to it, except offer ozone. We tried, but she screamed and was sCARED.

 

After doing a LOT of research, I found people on other message boards who were actually able to get their own or their kids' caries healed. This was thru a good diet, supplements, etc. I did a google search "heal tooth decay" and there were some posts on Mothering.com

 

I am wanting to get my hands on Cure Tooth Decay.

[Embassy]

I would like to learn more about these. Can you point me in the right direction?

 

http://www.the-o-zone.cc and http://www.limeessentials.net will have a list of ozone providing dentists.

 

I use Squigle toothpaste, MI Paste at night, and xylitol mints.

 

I would check out the Yahoo Group veryyoungkidsteeth as well.

[ColoradoMom]

Breastmilk doesn't cause tooth decay, for goodness' sake. My best guess is that people who think they've found "proof" about things like that are looking for "proof" that cow's milk is just as good as mother's milk for babies.

 

Yes it does. It has sugar in it and I personally worked in a pediatric dentist office for three years and saw the results of parents who didn't understand this. It's called baby bottle rot, and YES it does happen to breast-fed babies too.

[melissel]

OK, just out of curiosity, by what mechanics does night nursing damage the front teeth? Breasts don't drip milk passively like baby bottles do, they need to be worked in a specific way for milk to eject. When that happens, the child swallows. Even if the child doesn't swallow, most women lay on their sides to nurse at night, as does the child. In addition, the mechanics of nursing mean the nipple is stretched pretty far into the back of the baby's throat. How is milk pooling at the front of the mouth to rot the front teeth? I have never understood this.

[flobee76]

Yes it does. It has sugar in it and I personally worked in a pediatric dentist office for three years and saw the results of parents who didn't understand this. It's called baby bottle rot, and YES it does happen to breast-fed babies too.

 

Unfortunately, this is what conventional dentists are taught. Yes, there is sugar in breastmilk, but there is actually antimicrobial and antibacterial properties IN breastmilk that were designed to fight bacteria and keep it from sticking to teeth.

 

Dental decay in infants and toddlers who are breastfeed is a result from genetics, poor nutrition from the mother during pregnancy, trauma to the mouth, and even antibiotics in mom or baby.

 

My convention dentist has even told me that breastfeeding at night does not cause tooth decay in babies. There is a lot of research done and even more results of dental healing and remineraliztion, something that most dentist do not tell their patients.

[Embassy]

OK, just out of curiosity, by what mechanics does night nursing damage the front teeth? Breasts don't drip milk passively like baby bottles do, they need to be worked in a specific way for milk to eject. When that happens, the child swallows. Even if the child doesn't swallow, most women lay on their sides to nurse at night, as does the child. In addition, the mechanics of nursing mean the nipple is stretched pretty far into the back of the baby's throat. How is milk pooling at the front of the mouth to rot the front teeth? I have never understood this.

 

When the child falls asleep nursing and the nipple is still in the mouth it can lay against the teeth. From what I have been able to discover if this happens often and for long periods of time decay can occur.

[melissel]

When the child falls asleep nursing and the nipple is still in the mouth it can lay against the teeth. From what I have been able to discover if this happens often and for long periods of time decay can occur.

 

See, this is what I don't get though. Milk drips from bottles unstopped. I can see that causing decay. But milk does not drip from a breast (except maybe at the beginning of a letdown)--it has to be MILKED from the breast. How is milk pooling against those front teeth?

 

I night nursed and coslept with with two babies for a total of 5 years. Even when they fell asleep latched on, their mouths were wide open. If they unlatched, my nipples were no longer in their mouths. I simply don't see how, mechanically, this decay could occur. I could see how a bottle left to drip in a baby's half closed mouth could continue to drip drip drip against their teeth.

 

(And I'm not asking you specifically for an answer, Wehomeschool! This is just something that has never made sense to me in these debates, which I have seen before. Thank you for your response :D)

[lailasmum]

My son had his two front teeth come through discoloured and they decayed really fast, I think with him it was malformed enamel and antibiotics. He has lost one tooth at the front and has discoloured patches on others, his front left canine is worn right down but stable, one of his molars has a huge hole in it. We get it filled but they don't last long, maybe 4 months at £80 a go.

 

We did find squigle toothpaste helped a lot. And just being really vigilant with sugar consumption. I breast fed my son till he was 2 1/4 and don't believe it was the cause of his problems. Ozone was also good for slowing down the progression in some teeth. hard to find round here though, a kind private dentist a couple of hours away did me a free treatment.

 

I have been told all kinds of things by dentists as to why his teeth are bad, 3 different names for enamel conditions and some say yes bf causes decay others no.

 

The dentist has praised us in the past for managing to harden the decay so it is stable. I think thats a result of the toothpaste. his teeth seem patchier at the moment and I worry that new decay is coming through, but generally I tend to imagine its worse than it is.

[mrs.m]

I don't think the problem is with the nipple (whether bottle or nipple) in the mouth. It's with falling asleep without brusing the bacteria off of the teeth. My kids sometimes would be a mess after nursing so I don't think that the milk just goes directly back into the throat. It does get all over their teeth. Adults don't brush their teeth at night just because there's food on them. We do it to remove the potential bacteria.

[melissel]

I don't think the problem is with the nipple (whether bottle or nipple) in the mouth. It's with falling asleep without brusing the bacteria off of the teeth. My kids sometimes would be a mess after nursing so I don't think that the milk just goes directly back into the throat. It does get all over their teeth. Adults don't brush their teeth at night just because there's food on them. We do it to remove the potential bacteria.

 

Thanks, I could see this more, although I haven't experienced the mess after nursing part (except when they were tiny infants).

[CanaryMelody]

Have read only a few replies but no... nursing does not cause cavities.

 

I went through this with my oldest when she was a baby. My ex-husband was accusing me of being an unfit mother and demanded I wean her instantly because she had many cavities in her mouth. She was exclusively breastfed: no bottles, no formula, etc.

 

I conducted extensive research at the time, personally contacting doctors who were conducting studies in this very issue. One sent me much material proving time and time again that breastfed babies do not get baby bottle mouth.

 

Main Causes:

- antibiotics (either mom especially during the time teeth are forming in the womb or by baby for ear infections, sickness, etc.)

- genetics

- juice, formula in sippies and bottles

 

I have had 4 nursed children, all nursed at night as well. DD1 was nursed until 4.5 years, DD2 until 3 years, DS1 weaned himself at 2 years, and DS2 is still going strong. My two daughters had cavities while I was still nursing them for very different reasons:

 

DD1 had many antibiotics as a baby. I think genetics may have a role in hers as well. DD2 had cavities due to an extremely high fever during the formation of her 2 top canine teeth. The dentist told me the high fever stunted the growth of these teeth causing them to more apt to decay. They never did come in completely either. Eventually we had to have them fixed.

 

If I can find my extensive notebook (which is probably packed away in our garage), I'll post the name of the doctor I talked with 12 years ago. He may have something online regarding his research findings.

 

I can understand the mommy guilt. Who wants to see their child go through extensive dental work. But please don't beat yourself up over the nursing aspect. As flobee76 said, there is antibacterial properties IN your breastmilk that is designed to fight bacteria. There is plenty of research to back this up. :grouphug:

[Embassy]

See, this is what I don't get though. Milk drips from bottles unstopped. I can see that causing decay. But milk does not drip from a breast (except maybe at the beginning of a letdown)--it has to be MILKED from the breast. How is milk pooling against those front teeth?

 

I've seen lots of milk dribbles when my babies fell asleep :) It doesn't drip from the breast, but the nipple can still be wet with milk against the baby's teeth.

[mo2]

Thanks again everybody for responding. Our family dentist referred us to a pediatric dentist in the city, so hopefully we can get in soon. I'm having a bit of an issue though in that they will not make appointments for new patients. We just have to keep calling every day and hope that one of their established patients has cancelled so there is an opening. They don't keep a waiting list either. I have never heard of this policy before. :confused: It is going to make it very difficult to get her to the dentist! We live 2 hrs away from said dentist, which means I'll have to take the whole day off work to get her there and back. And, seriously, my employers like a little notice before I take days off. :rant:

 

 

Anyway, I'm going to ask about the ozone, special toothpaste, etc while I'm there. I tried looking for a dentist that does ozone in our area, but the nearest one I could find was over 3 hrs away.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions and support.

[Ann]

My youngest son just had his teeth done today. We asked the dentist why he got the decay and he said it was probably genetics/soft teeth. The reason he believes it is genetics and not poor hygiene, nursing, etc is that the decay was not even. Some teeth were more decayed than others. Also the pattern of decay on the teeth was not uniform.

[Negin]

Dd got tooth decay from breast milk and breast milk alone - this was most likely not as a result of breast milk, but from night time feeding. She refused to drink water at night or to allow us to wipe her gums as a baby. We should have forced the issue more. She would protest and scream. Eventually, she got baby bottle teeth as a result and had to have all her front teeth extracted. It was an absolute nightmare.

We did not make the same mistake with ds. By that time, we were pros.

Part of it is genetic, however.

Dd got my dh's teeth. Not good.

Ds has my teeth. Much better.

[Joanne]

Dd got tooth decay from breast milk and breast milk alone - this was most likely not as a result of breast milk, but from night time feeding. She refused to drink water at night or to allow us to wipe her gums as a baby. We should have forced the issue more. She would protest and scream. Eventually, she got baby bottle teeth as a result and had to have all her front teeth extracted. It was an absolute nightmare.

We did not make the same mistake with ds. By that time, we were pros.

Part of it is genetic, however.

Dd got my dh's teeth. Not good.

Ds has my teeth. Much better.

 

To be honest, (and I know you are a researcher with an open mind on a wide variety of medical issues), it is more likely to be from kissing your baby than breastmilk.

 

Dental caries is basically caused by the waste products of a bacteria that feeds on sugars.

[Amy loves Bud]

See, this is what I don't get though. Milk drips from bottles unstopped. I can see that causing decay. But milk does not drip from a breast (except maybe at the beginning of a letdown)--it has to be MILKED from the breast. How is milk pooling against those front teeth?

 

I night nursed and coslept with with two babies for a total of 5 years. Even when they fell asleep latched on, their mouths were wide open. If they unlatched, my nipples were no longer in their mouths. I simply don't see how, mechanically, this decay could occur. I could see how a bottle left to drip in a baby's half closed mouth could continue to drip drip drip against their teeth.

 

(And I'm not asking you specifically for an answer, Wehomeschool! This is just something that has never made sense to me in these debates, which I have seen before. Thank you for your response :D)

 

My experience is that all three of my babies would fall asleep nursing, and milk would be drip out of the corner of their mouth at that point. I guess they just stopped swallowing. None of them have every had any cavities though. I agree with the previous poster that some people really are more prone to decay than others.

[Amy loves Bud]

To be honest, (and I know you are a researcher with an open mind on a wide variety of medical issues), it is more likely to be from kissing your baby than breastmilk.

 

Dental caries is basically caused by the waste products of a bacteria that feeds on sugars.

 

This is a very good point.

[mo2]

To be honest, (and I know you are a researcher with an open mind on a wide variety of medical issues), it is more likely to be from kissing your baby than breastmilk.

.

 

 

I have read this too. Or by moms sharing spoons, etc, with their baby.

 

I'm the OP, and after doing some reading on my own, I have decided that I do not think these caries are caused by breast milk. Her father has very, very bad teeth. And the milk does not pool in her mouth at night. When she night nurses, she finishes while she is still halfway awake and turns away from me, then settles herself back to sleep. She has 2 siblings----one has bad teeth, one has not had a cavity yet.

 

Regardless, I have become much more vigilent about brushing. :)

[Negin]

To be honest, (and I know you are a researcher with an open mind on a wide variety of medical issues), it is more likely to be from kissing your baby than breastmilk.

Dental caries is basically caused by the waste products of a bacteria that feeds on sugars.

Thank you for mentioning my open mind. You're sweet. I try ... don't always succeed. ;)

I never, ever kissed my kids on the mouth. In fact, it is one of my biggest pet peeves and grosses me out to the nth degree. I know a dad who kisses his 11-year-old daughter on the mouth. :glare:

I never shared spoons, etc. with either child.

Dd has always been more prone genetically to having problem teeth. Had we not allowed her to feed at night OR had we wiped her gums right after OR had her drink some water, we were told, and I fully believe, that she wouldn't have had baby bottle teeth.

Ds, not.

[Devotional Soul]

My ds6 has no cavities and night nursed until 2 1/2. My ds3 has a lot of tooth decay and is still night nursing.

 

I still think genetics is the cause because ds3's front teeth first appeared as if lacking enamel and started to decay right away, and his molars are so deep and hard to clean. I feel that extended night nursing was not the cause, but contributed to an already existing genetic situation.

 

My poor toothed guy loves licorice root, the ancient chew stick. It kills the bacteria that causes tooth decay. Swishing hydrogen peroxide works well to whiten teeth. I'm just so thankful that kids get a second chance with their teeth!

Edited March 25, 2011 by Devotional Soul

[Devotional Soul]

For all of the vigilant tooth brushers our there, here's some tooth brushing songs to sing:

 

(to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star")

 

Here's my toothpaste

Here's my brush

I won't hurry, I won't rush.

Working hard to keep teeth clean

Front and back and in between

When I brush for quite a while

I will have a happy smile.

 

(Sing this tooth brushing song to the tune of "Row, Row, Row your Boatâ€)

Brush, brush, brush your teeth

Brush them everyday.

We put toothpaste on our brush

To help stop tooth decay.

 

Floss, floss, floss your teeth.

Floss them every day!

Using the string to clean between

Keeps the plaque away!

 

Clean, clean, clean your teeth.

Clean them every day!

Your teeth will sparkle for years to come

In the most beautiful way!

 

Brush, brush, brush your teeth.

Brush them every day!

Happy, healthy teeth you'll have

If it's done this way.

[Lovedtodeath]

Where can I get squigle toothpaste? My son really fights toothpaste because the flavors are terrible.

Yes it does. It has sugar in it and I personally worked in a pediatric dentist office for three years and saw the results of parents who didn't understand this. It's called baby bottle rot, and YES it does happen to breast-fed babies too.

I think that there is misunderstanding on all sides.

Is Breastfeeding Linked to Tooth Decay?

By Kelly Bonyata, BS, IBCLC

 

It's often said that breastfeeding (particularly while lying down at night) will cause tooth decay, just like letting a baby sleep with a bottle of milk can cause "baby bottle mouth." Essentially, a valid link has not been made between nursing (nighttime or otherwise) and cavities.

Before the use of the baby bottle, dental decay in baby teeth was rare. Two 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. Of course these children were breastfed, probably for an extended length of time. Their research has led them to conclude that breastfeeding does not cause tooth decay.

 

One of the reasons for nighttime bottles 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). Breastmilk is not thought to pool in the baby's mouth in the same way as bottled milk because the milk doesn't flow unless the baby is actively sucking. Also, milk from the breast enters the baby's mouth behind the teeth. If the baby is actively sucking then he is also swallowing, so pooling breast milk in the baby's mouth appears not to be an issue.

 

A bacteria (present in plaque) called strep mutans is the cause of tooth decay. These bacteria use food sugars to produce acid - this acid directly causes the decay. Strep mutans thrives in a combination of sugars, low amounts of saliva and a low ph-level in the saliva. A portion of the population (around 20%) is thought to have increased levels of this high acid producing bacteria, putting them at higher risk for developing dental decay. After your baby gets teeth, he can get this bacteria through saliva to saliva contact from mother (or other caregiver) to baby. To help prevent transfer of this bacteria to baby, avoid any saliva to saliva contact such as sharing spoons & cups, wet kisses on the mouth, chewing food for baby, or putting baby's pacifier in your mouth. On the other hand, one study indicates that children of moms with high levels of strep mutans may actually have some protection (immunization) from decay through frequent saliva to saliva contact in the months before baby's teeth erupt.

 

Per Brian Palmer, "Human milk alone does not cause dental caries. Infants exclusively breastfed are not immune to decay due to other factors that impact the infant's risk for tooth decay. Decay causing bacteria (streptococcus mutans) is transmitted to the infant by way of parents, caregivers, and others" (Palmer 2002).

 

Up until recently, the only studies that had been done were on the effects of lactose (milk sugar, which breastmilk does contain) on teeth, not the effects of *complete* breastmilk with all its components. Breastmilk also contains lactoferrin, a component in breastmilk that actually kills strep mutans (the bacteria that causes tooth decay). According to a recent article in the March/April 1999 issue of Pediatric Dentistry, "It is concluded that human breast milk is not cariogenic." This study utilized extracted teeth to obtain most of its results and studied children only for determining the pH changes in dental plaque (Erickson 1999). A Finnish study could not find any correlation between caries and breastfeeding among children who were breastfed longer (up to 34 months) (Alaluusua 1990). Valaitis et al concluded, "In a systematic review of the research on early childhood caries, methodology, variables, definitions, and risk factors have not been consistently evaluated. There is not a constant or strong relationship between breastfeeding and the development of dental caries. There is no right time to stop breastfeeding, and mothers should be encouraged to breastfeed as long as they wish." (Valaitis 2000).

 

In a study done by Dr. Torney, no correlation was found between early onset (< 2 yrs) dental caries and breastfeeding patterns such as frequent night feeds, feeding to sleep, etc. He is convinced that under normal circumstances, the antibodies in breastmilk counteract the bacteria in the mouth that cause decay. However, if there are small defects in the enamel, the teeth become more vulnerable and the protective effect of breastmilk is not enough to counteract the combined effect of the bacteria and the sugars in the milk. Enamel defects occur when the first teeth are forming in utero. His explanation is based on quite a large study of long-term breastfed children with and without caries.

 

According to this research, a baby who is exclusively breastfed (no supplemental bottles, juice, or solids) will not have decay unless he is genetically predisposed, i.e.. soft or no enamel. In a baby who does have a genetic problem, weaning will not slow down the rate of decay and may speed it up due to lack of lactoferrin.

 

Much research indicates that it's the other foods in baby's diet (rather than breastmilk) that tend to be the main problem when it comes to tooth decay. The 1999 Erickson study (in which healthy teeth were immersed in different solutions) indicated that breastmilk alone was practically identical to water and did not cause tooth decay - another experiment even indicated that the teeth became stronger when immersed in breastmilk. However, when a small amount of sugar was added to the breastmilk, the mixture was worse than a sugar solution when it came to causing tooth decay. This study emphasizes the importance of tooth brushing and good dental hygiene.

 

A study by Dr. Norman Tinanoff showed that breastmilk in itself does not give rise to cavities as much as was previously thought. Dr. Tinanoff believes that the milk proteins in breastmilk protect the enamel on the teeth, and that the antibacterial qualities in breastmilk stop the bacteria from using the lactose in breastmilk in the same way as regular sugar. This dentist also showed that 5 minutes of breastfeeding lowered the pH-level only slightly more than rinsing the mouth with a little water.

Now for my real life experience... the dentist told me that my son actually had enamel missing on some teeth that showed no signs of decay. He only found this after dental surgery because a more thorough exam was possible with my 15 month old under anesthesia.

 

My best friend's daughter had to be on a nebulizer for asthma and that eats away the enamel... she had no tooth decay until she was weened, and then it was extensive.

Edited March 25, 2011 by Lovedtodeath