My 22 month old son has a couple cavities so I took him to a dentist and he blamed me because of breastfeeding. He said I should have stopped at 12 months and I really need to stop now or his teeth will get worse. I was wondering if anyone else had this kind of problem with caries/cavities in toddlers and what you did about it? He recommended a fluoride vanish type of thing as well as weaning my son. I am not comfortable with either of those options really. I am at a loss, I am going to be brushing his teeth more often and using xylitol to help with the bacteria. I just feel really bad now.
do you brush his teeth after he nurses? i stopped nursing before both of my kids were a year old so i never really had to deal with that, but i dont really see how breastmilk is going to cause cavities any more than reg milk, juice, etc.. as long as you're brushing his teeth after he nurses and before he goes to bed. i also don't really see how a dentist thinks he can give breastfeeding advice either lol but who knows, different people have different opinions on that sort of thing. personally, i wouldn't want to nurse my kid that long but some people give their kids soda and fruit punch at that age, so in comparison i would say breastmilk is a lot better for him than that stuff. i dunno, if my dentist tried to lecture me about nursing my child i dont think i would be too quick to take his advice.. if he has cavities, he has cavities, but i've never heard of breastmilk causing them unless you're not brushing his teeth after. edit: and by that i mean nursing him to sleep, that type of thing, not that you're neglecting to.... (just wanted to clarify
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/older-baby/tooth-decay.html I know moms who nurse for 6 months and babies end up with tooth decay, and moms who nurse for 3 years, and whose babies don't really brush after each nursing and their teeth are fine! Tooth problems happen for tons of reasons, and most often nursing isn't the cause!
That's bullshit and first thing I would do is switch dentists! I am convinced that tooth decay has to do with genetics more than anything else. Yes, it is important to be brushing your baby's teeth, but breastfeeding does not cause tooth decay. Actually the way the baby tucks their lips over their teeth protects them, unlike milk or juice from bottle. As for fluoride, no way....it is poison and should never be ingested. A 22 month old cannot spit it out, so it will go inside his body, which is no good. Here's some info: http://www.lovethetruth.com/truth_about_fluoride.htm
i was breastfed for 3 years and i have not 1 cavity. please don't listen to the idiot doctor who shoud have kept his opinion to himself.
Thanks everyone. That is what I figured. I am getting a second opinion and I am going to be giving my son xylitol instead of fluoride. Xylitol is a natural sugar that fights the bacteria that cause tooth decay. I wish I would have started with xylitol sooner, but if you guys didn't know about it definitely check it out.
Please don't feel bad. It could be something in your diet, your child could be extra sensitive to. I've seen this happen before. If I was you I wouldn't even get a second opinion, but I support you doing what you think is best. Since I've seen this before, I was thinking my child might have this issue too... I still nurse her she is a little over 2, and appears to have sensitive teeth though not any cavities. I follow natural hygeine and I keep up with natural health solutions, working with others with these concerns as well. What I've done is bettered her and my eating, we are still working on it... but the site www.rawfoodexplained.com has a million topics including many on babies, children, nursing, teeth, etc. Currently I make sure she gets a good deal of apples, celery and raw foods that act in ways that clean the teeth.
