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Tooth Decay - personal replay from Aha Parenting/Dr. Markham
ReeceFamily
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So, I e-mailed Aha Parenting on my confusion with her statement about breastfeeding and tooth decay, and here's what she replied. I'll have to read up further:
Sara,
I'm sorry, it is just not true that "numerous studies" show that, while bottle feedings at night may result in tooth decay, breastfeeding will not. We just don't have enough good studies on breastfeeding to know. The one cited by Jack Newman in the article you sent casts doubt on the studies that claim night nursing causes cavities. But it does NOT prove, or cite ANY studies that claim to prove, that night nursing does not cause cavities. We don't have those studies yet. I am betting we never will.
First, I want to be clear that I am not with the dentists who assume that breastmilk pools in the mouth the way bottle milk does. Of course it does not. So breastmilk is not nearly as likely to cause cavities as bottle milk is.
But breastmilk DOES cause cavities in some babies. In fact, it did in both of mine, which is why I researched this.
If you read the article you cited from Kelly Mom, she quotes 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).
So far so good. But note that once a baby is 12 months old, they are getting other food than breastmilk. They are no longer exclusively breastfed. It is the introduction of other foods into the diet that changes the bacteria in the mouth and leaves the baby vulnerable to cavities.
AND it is generally thought (as cited in the Ribeiro article that Jack Newman mentions in the link you sent) that S. mutans becomes present in the baby's oral cavity at the moment of tooth eruption. So sure, a parent can transmit the bacteria by sharing a spoon with the baby (as Palmer implies), but in fact once the baby has teeth, they almost certainly have S. mutans in their mouth, and they can get cavities. At that point, any food in the mouth while there is reduced saliva (as during sleep) can cause cavities. That includes breast milk, sad as that is.
So it is true that if a child ONLY has breast milk and no teeth they will not get cavities, regardless of age. But once you introduce solid food, the bacteria in the mouth will change. And once teeth erupt, the bacteria in the mouth will change. At that point, breast milk can indeed cause cavities, just like any other food.
I realize this is what most dentists say, and I would usually align myself with the Attachment Parenting advocates, not the dentists. But I think they are wrong on this one. Sorry. You'll have to make the call for your own family. I am, after all, neither a dentist nor a pediatrician, since my training is in psychology, so your assessment on this is as valid as mine. I just read the studies.
best wishes,
Dr. Laura Markham
AhaParenting.com
Author of
Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How To Stop Yelling and Start Connecting
Dr. Laura Markham
AhaParenting.com
Author of
Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How To Stop Yelling and Start Connecting
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Re: Tooth Decay - personal replay from Aha Parenting/Dr. Markham
dr. brian palmer, a pediatric dentist who was also a staunch breastfeeding advocate, pointed out that it would not make any sense evolutionarily for breastmilk to cause tooth decay-- infants that had cavities and lost their teeth would not be able to eat solids. and no other mammals besides humans get cavities. (more in this presentation- warning, gross pictures of tooth decay) if you want to read further, check out his website. he also has interesting info about breastfeeding is integral in shaping the infant palate.
but yeah, what Emerald27 said- correlation does not imply causation. yes, BF kids can get cavities, but to me it makes more sense that the cavities are caused by other foods (namely refined sugar), since other mammals do not brush their teeth, yet do not get cavities.