Breastfeeding and Dental Issues
Often mothers are blamed for causing what is known as “bottle mouth syndrome” (cavities and decay in a very young child) with the assumption that nighttime breastfeeding is the reason for these dental caries in their nursing toddlers. Dentists who tell mothers this are ignorant of the mechanics of breastfeeding. Bottle mouth syndrome comes from a baby/toddler going to sleep with a bottle in their mouth. The bottle spontaneously drips, pooling sweet milk around the gums and teeth. (teeth don’t even have to have erupted yet for this to be problematic). This causes decay in a very young child’s teeth, which can be so severe that it requires oral surgery. When babies fall asleep with the breast in their mouth, however, this doesn’t happen. The breast doesn’t continuously drip like a bottle does. Babies have to suck to elicit the flow of milk from the breast. Babies have what’s called a suck/swallow reflexive cycle- which means if they suck, they will swallow. Therefore, they won’t have pooling milk in their mouths due to a dripping bottle nipple. They also draw the breast nipple all the way back to the juncture of the hard and soft palates, so when the milk is flowing more forcefully with letdown, it just sprays into the back of their mouths, nowhere near their gums or teeth. A bottle nipple sits more forward in the baby’s mouth, bathing their gums and teeth with milk. Despite this difference in mechanics, some nursing toddlers can still get tooth decay. This is in spite of breastfeeding, not because of it. So what would the cause be then? There are several reasons that toddlers can get cavities:
1) Sweet foods and juices. Kids who drink fruit juice from a sippy cup or a bottle can get decay from these sugary drinks. Fruit snacks, puffs, foods with carbohydrates that stick in the teeth can be a problem too. Toddlers are notorious for being carboholics and often eat lots of these less than ideal foods.
2) Bacteria. This is the known cause of most dental disease. Kids can get these decay causing germs from their caregivers. Mouth kissing (hard to resist those little lips- but not good for your baby!) and sharing cups and utensils can be the mode of transmission. Parents who have dental disease themselves can easily share their bacteria with their child this way.
3) Yeast. Candida, which is persistent in many adults can be transmitted to your baby as well. Taking a good probiotic can help to keep yeast at bay, and is good for both you and your baby’s gut health.
4) Hygiene. Once a baby starts to eat food, dental hygiene becomes important. Brushing with a soft toothbrush once teeth erupt is essential to good oral hygiene. Food particles around the gums and teeth are a significant cause of tooth decay, particularly overnight.
5) Lip ties. When a baby has a lip tie, pockets form in the upper gums where the labial frenulum restricts the movement of the upper lip. Food can get up in those pockets and can be next to impossible to brush in those tight spaces. (anyone who has ever tried to brush the teeth of a reluctant two year old can attest to this!) The trapped food particles can cause serious decay on the tops of the upper teeth.
6) Mouth Breathing. This is common in kids who have tongue ties that were not revised. Breathing through the mouth dries out the teeth which makes it more conducive to bacterial growth. This can not only affect their oral health, but their gut health as well.
All of these reasons can be the cause of dental caries in young children. Dentists who blame it on breastfeeding and label it “bottle mouth syndrome” are misinformed and mistakenly cause unnecessary weaning and often significant guilt for these kids’ mothers. If your baby/toddler is still nursing at night- lucky them! Just be sure to watch out for these other issues and know that nursing at night is not a risk for your child’s dental health.
On a positive note, babies who are breastfed have a reduced risk of needing orthodontia. The act of breastfeeding gives the baby a full jaw and facial workout with every feeding, and consequently, better spacing for teeth. The longer you breastfeed, the better this benefit will be.
Seek a dentist who is breastfeeding friendly and you will avoid some of these common misconceptions.
