# night nursing and cavities--long, sad post



## mariank (Jul 26, 2005)

Hello friends,

This happened on Monday and I've been so upset I couldn't even write here until now.... Our DS, who just turned 2, had his first dentist appointment on Monday. A pediatric dentist, he and the office were really lovely and child-oriented, did everything they could to make DS comfortable. My DH and I were both there, I was holding DS in my lap. He has a mouth full of cavities, it's horrible. We had no idea. And the first thing the dentist said was, "Is he sleeping in your bed and nursing at night?" When I said yes, he said that every time they see a very young child with such cavity issues they know it's because the toddler is still in bed with mama and nursing. He said that the breastmilk pools in his mouth in the night and causes cavities.

It took everything I had not to cry then and there, and I was a crying wreck for the rest of the day. I'm a little past feeling like I did this horrible thing to my beautiful boy, especially after reading Dr. Sears who says he thinks night nursing doesn't actually cause cavities, and even if it contributes, that's not a reason to wean. But now I am feeling like it probably was/is a contributing factor. The dentist said something about really wanting to see babies when they're one or when they're first getting their teeth so they can monitor this. Now I'm thinking though, would I have weaned DS then? Would I have put him in a crib? No! And his pediatricians never said we should be seeing a dentist early, or even said anything about dental care this early. We've been trying to brush his teeth for months now, but truthfully not that hard (now he's brushing like mad!) and it just didn't occur to us to be more vigilant about it. When I told a couple friends/colleagues DS was going to be seeing a dentist, I literally got eye-rolling; I don't think it's that common for parents to know to take them this early. I didn't put him on the fluoride drops because I was afraid of over-fluoridation because he's still breastfeeding, but now we have a scrip for fluoride that makes me nervous as well.

I guess I'm just feeling horrible, actually ashamed, that this has happened, and also somewhat indignant but unsure whether that's right, and very confused about what we should do. The dentist is saying that they can fix all the cavities but it means the HOSPITAL and GENERAL ANESTHESIA which I can barely even think about without crying. The dentist makes sense, that it's safer to have an anesthesiologist do it than them in the dentist office, I do get that, but I just can't believe that our beautiful boy has to have this done and face that risk and have that frightening situation. I could just die of sadness and yes, shame.

Has any of you experienced any of this? Do your kids have cavities? Has anyone been blamed for cavities because of co-sleeping and night nursing? I guess my bottom line is that I feel really horrible, but it seems like if I can stand this dentist's attitude, otherwise it seems like we should have the procedure done and it's a gentle kid-like place so I'm inclined to stay there. But I'll really need to steel myself and remind myself that it's not my fault? Does anyone have any wise words? Thank you so much from a very sad mama (and dada too).

Oh, and I might mention we are expecting #2 and I can't imagine doing anything different, so maybe we're setting new baby up for cavity disaster too?

Marian, mama to beautiful Jack (who's 2)!!


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## HelloKitty (Apr 1, 2004)

I truly do not believe that your breastfeeding and co-sleeping are the cause of the cavities. Read the following article, it might help you feel better:
http://breastfeed.com/resources/articles/sweettooth.htm


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## charmedbeing (May 21, 2005)

Marian -







Thanks for your post. I'm a first time mom and my little girl just turned one. She has six teeth and I continue to nurse her through the night. I just started brushing her teeth. Well, not really brushing...... she chews on the bristles.









I'm curious to know what the other mothers have to say. This has been on my mind for awhile. I've been wondering when I should have her teeth checked?????????


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## rozzie'sma (Jul 6, 2005)

I just found these cool toothbrushes that clean your kids teeth by them chewing on them. I put a little infant toothpaste on it and she chews away. http://www.onestepahead.com/product/...22762/117.html
My daughter loves them and they were invented by a dentist


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## Maman*Musique (May 13, 2005)

Dentists (like peds) have no education in human lactation so whatever "advice" they give is all from their own parenting experience and bias. This dentist clearly did not believe in co-sleeping or extended nursing. Your child is only 2 for goodness sake. You are barely at the WHO reccommendation for length of breastfeeding. He may have a job to do when it comes to teeth but our job as parents is to take care of the *whole* person.

Cavities are caused by a variety of things and from what I have read, genetics play the biggest role in who gets them and who doesn't.

My DH didn't see a dentist for 10yrs and his teeth are flawless. Not a single cavity. I, on the other hand, have been quite often and yep... you guessed it... I have a mouth full. Hmmmm...

Please don't feel like you have done wrong. You are a loving mama who has done a wonderful job meeting the needs of your child. Think of how strong his immune system will be not to mention his emotional well being.

I think you can find some good info at www.kellymom.com It has been a while since I have read up on the subject.


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## mavery (Jun 3, 2005)

Don't don't don't beat yourself up!
My 2yr old has not yet been to the dentist, but he's an all-night-nurser. I've been a little worried for a while that maybe I'll be in the same position as you soon. I know that if it happens, nursing will be blamed, BUT I also know that I have done my research and given the facts and figures out there, I probably won't rush to night-wean even if he has decay, and that I would definitely night-nurse again with another child.

The article the pp linked to confirms everything I have read elsewhere (from LLL, etc.) - 15% of kids, I think, have early decay, and it often runs in the family, and breastfeeding alone does not cause it.

I have one suggestion for how you might protect your second child: since it's a particular bacteria that causes decay, and infants initially don't have it but can pick it up from adults, you can be careful about not sharing spoons, or having baby put his/her fingers in your mouth and then back in his/her own mouth, etc. If you can keep the bad strep mutans bacteria away as long as possible, that could help protect the teeth.


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## mommy2three (Apr 6, 2003)

Hugs to you, hon! You did NOTHING wrong!!! I have 4 beautiful children who I nursed through the night and no cavities here (my 13 month old and 3.5 yr old still co-sleep and nurse through the night...). I actually spoke at length with our dentist about this and he said the opposite of what your dentist said. He said the reason babies get cavities due to night feedings is with formula and bottles. He said breastmilk has natural enzymes that prevent cavities from forming (or something to that affect). He said to brush very well in the morning and before bed and after meals, the normal stuff but that breastfeeding at night would NOT cause cavities. In my opinion, you did nothing wrong and your dentist isn't up on the current research.

Some children/people are prone to cavities for some reason no matter what they do. I have a mouth full of cavities and am actually neurotic about brushing my teeth (I don't like having tastes in my mouth and brush at least 8 times a day- I have been told by my dentist that I'm brushing too much, too hard because I'm hurting my teeth but it's a "thing" of mine. )

I wish I could give you a big hug and tell you it's not your fault and sometimes things happen that are not in our control. It's not the same thing but my 3 yr old has an immune disorder as do I and I was feeling so terrible for so long that I gave it to him by nursing (mainly because I had many family members tell me it was my fault and I would do the same to my next baby if I exclusevely breastfed). I have been told by numerous specialists that it is not possible to pass that through breast milk and it's a genetic thing but I have beaten myself up over it for years now. My point is, I know how it feels to love someone so much and do the best thing for him then have something like this happen to question all that you believe in. I truly believe that you are an amazing mama and doing the right thing for your babe. I don't think your dentist is up on the current research. I'm sure he's a wonderful pediatric dentist but just like some wonderful pediatricians, they don't learn much about breastfeeding in med school unfortunetly unless they specialize in it.

Hugs to you and your sweet son. I hope he does well with the fillings and send you both lots of hugs!!!


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## Brisen (Apr 5, 2004)

First of all, hugs. You know you did the right thing for your babe, don't beat yourself up over it. I agree that some people are more prone to cavities. I am prone to them; dh is not. Luckily, my oldest has taken after my dh so far -- he night nursed until he was almost 4 and went to the dentist when he was 5 -- no cavities. I have my fingers crossed for our other children that they keep on taking after their dad.

I have heard here and there of mammas who have stopped or reversed cavities in their kids. I don't know the particulars, but I believe it involves supplements. This is one website that I have seen mentioned.

Unsoaked grains may also contribute to cavities by causing an improper calcium-phosphorus balance in the blood. I don't know how much in the way of grains your 2 yo eats, but if you want to learn more about it, check out the NT thread in Nutrition and Good Eating.


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## UmmBnB (Mar 28, 2005)

I took my ds in to the dentist at 18m for a spotty tooth that I though was the beginning of some caries. It was actualy fine but the dentist made a comment about the night nursing. Something along the lines of "we're going to try and night wean now aren't we." I just looked at him and smiled and firmly said, "No." That was the end of that conversation and the beginning of a very positive client provider relationship.

Bottom line, I believe that night feedings - whether they be breast milk or forumula can contribute to caries. BUT, I totaly buy in to genetics and bacteria (passed from parents) as the deciding factors. In my local mama's group we have probably 14 kids - every single one has been night nursed until 2 or 3. Only 4 or 5 have dental issues.

Ds night weaned at 2 1/2. He has two tiny cavities in the same tooth. Nothing out of the ordinary. The second was so small that they didn't even need to numb him up to fill it.


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## mariank (Jul 26, 2005)

You're all so helpful and I feel so much better, thank you. Tomorrow I'll look at some of the links and articles. Till then, nighty nite and thank you for the hugs and support!!









Marian


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## anabean (May 1, 2003)

hi marian,

my dd just turned 2 and had extensive work done on her top 4 front teeth last week.









i believe genetics has most to do with early decay. if you have the bad genes you will get caries from night nursing, yes. just as you will get caries more easily from any food. and night nursing _is_ bad because you don't really get a chance to rinse and bacteria thrives. it's sad but true. i know some kids who night nursed till 3 and 4 and had no problems, and then i know some like my dd.

what i would highly, highly recommend is that avoid general anesthesia. there was no way i was going to put my dd through that for a dental procedure. i talked to about 5 pediatric dentists and finally found one that uses sedation and papoose board. she slept through most of it, and when she did start to wake up, it was almost done. was it heart-wrenching? yes. was it traumatizing for her? yes. but so would have been trying to get an IV in her arm. and i just think that the risks that you run with gen anes are too great.

it's been about 1 week and she is doing great. her teeth look beautiful and we're working on getting her to brush without drama/struggle.

feel free to PM me if you have any questions.


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## Metasequoia (Jun 7, 2005)

I researched this extensively when my 2nd Dd (1 yr at the time) had marks on her 4 front teeth. Nothing (other than the bologna from the ADA) said that breastmilk caused caries. There were studies done where a tooth in a glass of bm showed showed no decay, a tooth in a glass of formula showed some signs of decay & a tooth in a glass of bm with a bit of sugar showed the most decay, even more than formula.

Breastmilk is designed not to break down into sugars until it is being digested, not in the mouth. The key is to make sure your childs teeth are immaculately clean at bedtime (& as often as possible.) The decay, although I believe that it is mostly genetic, occurs most often when there are other food particles on the childs teeth that mix with breastmilk.

I chose not to give fluoride because there are no studies showing that it is beneficial when given systemically. My 5.75 yr old Dd uses fluoride toothpaste & gets fluoride treatments at dental visits, but both of those techniques are topical.

I know how you feel, I took my first Dd to the dentist when she was almost 3 yrs old & they said her teeth were spotless! We had x-rays done & found 6 cavities between her molars! She never had candy but ate raisins almost daily - Dd2 does not eat raisins, nor does her older sister anymore - raisins are the devil!
My recommendation is to thoroughly clean your childs teeth before bedtime, floss nightly if the teeth are crowded (I floss both of my Dd's teeth each night) & avoid any gooey foods. My dentist says that if you are going to give your child candy, make sure it's chocolate because it melts away immediately unlike anything sticky like taffy or gummy snacks. Also, avoid any dried fruits.
Sorry so long, this hits really close to home for me.
I cried for a long time about my Dd having decay, but it's okay now, we took her to the hosp for the fillings since she had 6 & they were in between her teeth. That way the dentist could do all of them at once & she wouldn't remember anything, She felt icky for the first hour upon waking, but went home right away & ate & played! You'd have never known she had just been under anesthesia an hour before!

Another thought, why would humans be the only species to produce milk that caused decay in our offspring's teeth? No other animal develops decay except the ones that eat our crappy, processed food.

Hugs to you mama!


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## nfpmom (Jun 4, 2004)

Marian,
You don't happen to live in Georgia do you? Because your dentist sounds exactly like the first pediatric dentist I took DS to for staining on his teeth.
He diagnosed him with a mouth full of cavities, blamed it on the breastfeeding, and we did nightwean at 17 months.
I recently took DS to a different dentist (DS is now 2 years old) and it turns out they were NOT cavities at all- just stains. The difference between the new and the old dentist is that the new dentist actually probed each spot and determined they were not "sticky"- not cavities. The old dentist just shone a light through them and called them cavities and prescribed almost $1000 worth of dental work to be done under general anesthesia...
so... get a second opinion! that's my advice!!


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## anabean (May 1, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nfpmom*
so... get a second opinion! that's my advice!!


excellent point!!


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## Shenjall (Sep 14, 2002)

Quote:

Another thought, why would humans be the only species to produce milk that caused decay in our offspring's teeth? No other animal develops decay except the ones that eat our crappy, processed food.
another good point!

My dd had to have 4 cavities fixed under GA when she was 2. The dentist asked us to wean, we said no. So he suggested we keep a washcloth close to the bed to wash her teeth after. We said we'd try, but never did. We talked about flouride though, he gave me a topical flouride to use until her surgery (we found the cavities at 18 months, had to wait until she was 2 for the surgery). When I asked about ingesting flouride and showed him some teething tablets that had flouride in them it was like a litebulb went off above his head. "Oh! Theres the culprit! Ingesting too much flouride has the opposite effect on teeth". Aha. I've also recently learned that there may be a link between antibiotic use during pregnancy and ECC. Cant remember where I read that though...probably here :LOL

So, dont feel bad. Please dont blame yourself. ECC have so many possible reasons, like pp have noted.

One nite when I was feeling down about her teeth (guilty, etc) dh said, "has she ever been sick? No. Is she an xtremely healthy happy child? Yes. Does she eat a wide variety of good foods? Yes. Is she smart as a whip? Yes. Well, than overall, IF breastfeeding caused these cavities, IF, isnt it overall a small price to pay for all the benefits you have given her?"
Good point, dontcha think?

Keep on doing what your doing mama,









p.s. IF bf causes cavities, why hasnt my dd had any more since she's still nursing and nite nursing? (shes 3 yrs old and her teeth are great!)


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## momof3sweeties (Oct 16, 2005)

I went through this so I am going to post and I don't have time to read the other replys so if I repeat another poster on something similar...sorry!







But I think my experience might help!









My oldest and youngest got cavities. My middle child didn't. I think genetics has A LOT to do with it! I slept with my babies, nursed through the night till all of them were over 2 1/2 and they all ate the same types of food. The only thing I did differently with my younger 2 after my oldest sons cavity problems was use a towel every so often and wipe off their teeth and brush their teeth more often. I also had them use Kids Act. My youngest had the cavities even with the extra precautions...so who knows. I still think the benefit of breast feeding FAR







out weigh the cavities.

The dentist I brought my oldest son to told us to do the general anesthesia route. There are risks putting a young child under general anesthesia and I didn't think it was worth it for teeth that will end up falling out in a few years anyway! Also the cost of the whole procedure...yikes...I eventually found another dentist after going through 3 more dentists and he was absolutely awesome...all my kids have gone to him ever since. This dentist didn't think it was necessary for general anesthesia...instead we had a kid cocktail (demerol!) and he was able to do the work on my son, with me holding and comforting him the entire time. What I love about this dentist is he will only do what is absolutely necessary and isn't trying to rip his patients off.

I recommend finding a new dentist and seeing if there are other options. Your son's teeth might be in a far worse condition than my sons but if it is a matter of getting fillings, caps, pulpotomies...you should check your options because that is what my son had done with no problems. Now he is a 9 yo boy with healthy permanent teeth!!









Don't feel bad about anything you have done by breastfeeding. Because that wouldn't be the problem. Breast Milk doesn't sit in the mouth like a bottle that drips when the sucking stops. Things you can do to help prevent cavities would be wiping off the teeth from time to time, watching the snacking through out the day, having more water than juice to drink and brushing teeth more.

One thing I discovered for my youngest was a finger toothbrush...you just pop it over your index finger it is soft and bristly and she absolutely loved having me brush her teeth.

Hope this helps....


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## mommytolittlelilly (Jul 7, 2004)

Chiming in here, we're in the same boat. L is just over 2 YO, and has always been big on night-nursing. It is so hard not to feel guilty and shocked and I know after I found out about L's cavities, I kept asking myself what in the world did I do wrong?! I read Sears on night-nursing too, and we have vigilantly brushed L's teeth before bed and in the morning. STILL, we wound up with cavities in the two lateral incisors - one broke off in August and we just got this all dealt with earlier this month by a ped dentist (a composite filling, a root canal and a crown).

I would second or third the idea of getting at least one more opinion, and if you had them done, bring a copy of the x-rays with you so they don't ask to do another.

We are brushing L's teeth after she eats anything, and have a rotating group of 3 toothbrushes for the job. I've been told it's best to rotate them and use them when they're dry. We're going to replace them about every 3 mos. and/or wash them in the top rack of the dishwasher.

I know it's controversial, but I think for those of us with cavity-prone kids the benefits of *topical* fluoride outweigh the negatives. We are brushing with a rice-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste before bed. After reading some more info, I've decided to forego having L drink fluoridated water, and will brush her teeth maybe 3X with a teeny tiny rice-sized amount of the fluoride toothpaste. We've also introduced flossing into the picture. Anyplace in the mouth where the teeth are touching is where you need to floss.

We used to do a lot of dehydrated fruit and did not brush - since L is so picky about food, I'm continuing it for now but *immediately* brushing right after she eats it. If we're out and we can't brush, she can't have any dehydrated fruit.

Also, I've heard eating stuff like butter, cheese, cod liver oil is good for strengthening teeth.

Lastly, we're continuing to night nurse. After seeing three different dentists, it was only the last one who never said anything about a connection betw night nursing and caries. What he did say is that some of us are just more prone to have more of the bad bacteria in our mouths (s. mutans?) that causes cavities and there's not a whole lot you can do about it.


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## merpk (Dec 19, 2001)

Have posted about this before.

Here.

And here.

Am too lazy to type it out again. :LOL

It's okay. You're doing fine.

BTW, our DS#2 just weaned (also at 3.5) and he has no tooth problems at all. And yes, he also nursed through the night. More proof for the genetics argument.


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## PrennaMama (Oct 10, 2005)

I started brushing Prenna's teeth lightly, as soon as they popped up. She likes to watch as we brush ours, and loves to have her little teeth and gums brushed. I think that little "OneStepAhead" product from above looks cool... might have to get one of those...


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## mrsfru (Jul 12, 2005)

i don't think that night nursing had anything to do with it...and flouride supps are controversial as well..

for ex.

my brother and i were not nursed, mom never put us to bed with a bottle, parents started brushing our teeth when we were 1 or 2 yrs. old, went to the dentist as toddlers, had flouride supps, etc etc. my mom was/is a teeth fanatic!!! brother and i both had numerous cavities--in fact, some of my teeth came in with cavities...

there can be other reasons...

hang in there and keep nursing and doing what works for your family...this dentist is uneducated and trying to make you feel bad b/c he has a personal problem with co-sleeping and nursing a toddler.

meg


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## mariank (Jul 26, 2005)

Thank you everyone for your thoughtful replies. This was a bad week but your posts really are helping! I think we will get a second opinion, and will definitely find out about anesthesia options as well. Some of DS's teeth just have discoloration, a couple of his front teeth with some darkening and one lower molar with a dark spot. But one of his upper molars (which of course we never saw until the dentist had a mirror in his mouth) actually has visible decay. I didn't actually see it but DH says it looks like a little miner was in there picking away at the tooth. So we have to do something to address this for sure. The other thing that's been really hard is that pretty universally, people (like my MIL, a couple co-workers)(not my friends with kids, who are supportive) think we are insane or stupid to get baby teeth fixed. With MIL for example, she works in the local hospital and said that "one of the midwives said she'd never get those baby teeth fixed" and I just can't imagine! I know she said that to try to influence us not to get them fixed. He's only 2, let's let this situation fester for years more, possibly causing infection and pain? Geez. It's hard though, they're of course thinking about the expense and we of course can't afford this (of course dental insurance won't cover everything) but we'll figure it out and find a way. I hope that wasn't one of my midwives who said that! Geez. And we still have to think about the flouride issue... I've been really ambivalent about giving it to him (so haven't up till now) and need to do more research. I hadn't considered that we were passing bacteria to him before reading it here. I have plenty of cavities and so does DH. Poor baby just got bad genes and bacteria from his folks I guess! Thank you all again and I'll keep on reading!

Marian


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## johub (Feb 19, 2005)

Seriously unless you are really brushing really good twice a day (and especially before bed) there is no way to pinpoint exactly what the cause is.
In addition, several studies have tried to grow the bacteria that cause cavities in breastmilk, and they dont. Breastmilk has actually been shown to inhibit the growth of cavity causing bacteria.
Now if there are tiny food particles on the teeth overnight, they definitely can cause cavities if baby sleeps without teeth being brushed.
I am of the very firm opinion that being susceptible to cavities has more to do with overall health and nutrition (including prenatally) and genetics than with food consumed.
My dd1 didnt nurse long but she ended up with "baby bottle decay" said one dentist. The next dentist told me she had no cavities at all just really thin and brittle enamel.
Now this was 11 years ago and the advice I was given was that they would not do anything unless the cavities were causing pain. (no reason to risk sedation I suppose) And so while my dd had obvious baby bottle decay at shortly after 1 year, nothing was done at all about it at that time.
WHen she was about 2 1/2 she developed cavities in her back molars and had "pulpectomies" (baby root canals) done and crowns placed. THey did this in the office under "conscious sedation" meaning she drank something an hour before that mellowed her (but did not knock he out, she could still walk and talk and everything) and they did one tooth. It took fifteen minutes and she was in no pain at all. They said she was so good there was no reason to sedate her for the next visit, and she was not sedated.
Meanwhile her front teeth continued to chip a little at a time but they never hurt (so I really believed the thin enamel rather than decay explanation) and she never had any work done on them, she lost them naturally at 5.
Having had this experience I am really shocked they would recommend complete anasthesia to fill a few cavities on a baby.
I would not take that risk (anasthesia is always a risk) unless my child was really in pain).
Her grownup teeth (she is now 13) are extremely strong and she has never had a cavity in one of them.
I also have had only one cavity my entire life, and that is despite going years in childhood "forgetting" to brush my teeth and falling asleep with hard candies stuck to them.
Seriously, dont beat yourself up. The nursing most likely did not cause or contribute to this problem. NOt brushing religiously didnt help but the biggest cause was something you had no control over, his genes.
Keep in mind also that things like fevers in infancy or maternal illness during pregnancy can cause structural damage to teeth which shows up later as either discoloring or lots of cavities.
If you do a search you will find lots of studies showing that there is really no correlation.
Also think about what this dentist is saying. Most of the tooth decay problems he sees are due to late night nursing?
Oh really? When the breastfeeding statistics are abysmally low? Most American babies are not breastfed past 6 months. Very very very few make it to 1 year. And of those how many are not sleep trained, and "taught" they cannot night nurse after 4-6 months or so.
This man is lumping babies who drink koolaid all day from bottles in the same category as extended night nursers. THere is no way he sees that many cases from this.
Joline


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## USAmma (Nov 29, 2001)

I'm so sorry your ds has to have his teeth fixed. This is NOT your fault. There's a reason it's called "bottle mouth" and not "breast mouth". Because most babies who have rotten teeth are bottle feeders.

I have a friend who has 3 kids. She nursed all of them, all night long, until they self weaned at a late age. She brushed all of their teeth faithfully and did not treat any of them different than any other. Her first and last children never had any cavities. Her middle child has always had poor teeth and has had many dental problems related to tooth decay. She is 6 (and weaned) and just had another tooth filled. This was not my friend's fault even though the dentist said it was. It was just that one child was born with poor teeth and her two others were born with good teeth. I'm sure that your ds just had bad luck with his teeth. Please don't blame yourself.

ETA: there are pros and cons to getting him sedated under general vs. not. My friend's dd had her teeth fixed by being given some gas and then placed in a papoose. She screamed and screamed. My friend still cries when talking about it. My own kids' dentist will not use the papoose because he feels it inhumane. He always sedates or sends them to an oral surgeon if it's more than he can handle in the office. I hope that makes you feel better about sedating him under general. My dd2 has been under general 3 times and it's not really a big deal, but of course it's a big deal while you are waiting for them to get out of surgery. ((HUGS))


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## momofelise (Apr 13, 2005)

I agree with the other posters who suggested general anesthesia might not be best. I think ga should be reserved as a last resort for serious issues that absolutely must have it. There's a correlation of negative affects from ga and people who are older (http://anesthesiologyinfo.com/articles/07202003.php and http://www.americangeriatrics.org/sp...jahnigen.shtml (second paragraph). Ga doesn't affect us as severely when we're young, of course, but if it does affect seniors that way, it's probably not good for us. I'm not trying to scare anyone. I've had ga myself several times. I'm just saying that it's best to avoid it if possible. I hope all goes well with your ds! I didn't know about the bacteria myself (I've been sharing a spoon/fork with my dd!). I guess it's time for me to get her a toothbrush.


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