16 month old has severe tooth decay

We need referrals for toddler dentists and homeopathic/herbal appreciating pediatricians. Our story : we asked our pediatrician about discolored front teeth when we went in for his one year check up. She said not to worry about it, it didn't look like anything. She knew I was still avidly nursing him, and we discussed night nursing etc. I asked if it could be iron or not enough calcium..? He has never been on antibiotics, went straight to a cup (no pacifier, no bottle, no sippy cup, no juice, etc....plus we wiped his little teeth with cotton towels all the time, and used a toothbrush here and there, although not religiously). The pediatrician dismissed all concerns. We decided to take him into a dentist anyway just as he turned 16 months (couple months later), and were horrified to learn that our child has severe decay, would need his four front teeth extracted asap(no chance even for a crown or filling it was already so bad !). The dentist blamed the night nursing - and we are still shocked this has progressed to this point ! I had to stop night nursing immediately. Weaning the day nursings and brushing scrupulously now. We need referrals for more alternative medicine type dentists and pediatricians - in order to save the rest of his teeth. Also, anyone have opinions about general anesthesia for tooth extraction for a 16 month old ? The dentist wanted to also put in space maintainers (like little false teeth on a wire arch cemented to his little molars !) I'm terrified. please offer any solution-focused advise/ encouragement ! Thank you.

Your dentist's proposal sounds very invasive and scary, and the fact that s/he blames breastfeeding without parsing the other factors suggests you should explore other perspectives and options. Good luck, and remember, they're only baby teeth, it's not a life sentence-- my son is now a 12-year-old with a set of strong, healthy adult teeth that have never had a cavity! db

13 month baby with cavity

I have a 13 month baby that was dignosed with cavity.one of his teeth is in a realy bed shape.he is mainly nursing but i got him on solids too.i can tell that he has got another teeth infected,now my question is does anyone know a dentist with an holistic approach? I took him to two already but was blamed for not brushing his teeth,which i started to three times a day,and i have been told to win him from night nursing. My hurt is tataly broken to see his beautiful smile and knowing that i damage him with my milk Is there something i should add to his diet?pherheps calcium is missin? i am dessperetly seeking for advice thanks

2-year-old with 8 cavities

My 2yr. old son has 8 cavities the pedi dentist say may be due to nursing at night. The only way to fix the cavities would be to use general anesthesia for the procedure. I've been to two experienced pediatric dentists and they can offer no other alternatives. And they advise I stop Breast feeding. Does anyone know of any other holistic approaches to this situation??? I am heartbroken, and could really use some advice. Thanks. Jennifer S.

In terms of the issue at hand you may have 2 choices:

1. You can get the treatment done with general anesthesia. it's scary, but most likely your child will be just fine, and will have no memory of the experience. It's a one time deal and you are done.

2. You can find a pediatric dentist who will use oral sedation (where the child is awake, but sedated) in combination with a papoose board. A papoose board is a restraining device, much like a straight jacket that holds the child in place while the dental work is done. 2 or 3 appointments may be needed to finish the dental treatment. This may be medicaly less scary, but may lead to long term major dental phobia for your child. Or you may be lucky and your child may remember nothing anyway. general dentist and mother

Nursing baby to sleep - bad for teeth?

I've heard that letting a baby nurse itself to sleep can lead to a terrible kind of tooth decay... does anyone know if this happens? My daughter is 6 months old and has her 2 front bottom teeth. I nurse her to sleep every night and throughout the night if she wakes, is this safe? Also, should I be brushing her little teeth yet? Kate

21-m-o's tooth decay caused by night-time breastfeeding

I've just taken my 21 month old daughter to the dentist for her first check-up. The dentist was very kind and applauded me for bringing her in, but also had to tell me that she has the first and tell-tale signs of tooth decay, probably due to the fact that not only are we still breastfeeding, but she drinks a lot of milk and she nurses at night. I have done so many other things hoping to not add to the potential for early decay. She does not drink juice and she doesn't drink from a bottle. But, she is not a good sleeper and I take full responsiblity for our continued night nursing for all these months. Any advice about this issue would be so appreciated. Anything from suggestions on how to stop the night nursing (she pitches the most unbelievable fit) to what the actual consequences are? I need to do more research and will continue to talk to my not-quite- two year old about why the milk at night is going bye-bye. Thanks! Lynne

If you want to night-wean for other reasons, here's what I did: I intended to have an honest, kind-but-firm conversation with my son about why the night nursing had to stop, and follow through consistently. It turns out that I am way too much of a softie for all the crying, begging, negotiating that ensued. I ended up taking the advice of my kid's dad and a lot of friends. I put some crushed garlic on my nipples (anything stinky will do) and told him the milk went bad. It sounds ridiculous, but it worked like a charm. He moped around some and I felt horribly guilty for being deceptive, but there were no tears AT ALL and that very same night he slept through the night without waking for the first time since birth. We also had a weaning mini-party a few days later which he liked a lot. anon

Anyway, it's a bit much for someone just starting out; I recommend the www.nourishingourchildren.org website for a good overview of what dietary changes would be most beneficial for kids and why. We have been eating much better since we started reading about this stuff and putting it into practice, and my daughter (who was somewhat thin at age 15mo) is now strong as an ox at age 3.5. I'm currently 38 weeks pregnant as well, and I'm interested to see the difference in a baby that's received superior prenatal nutrition. Good luck to you and your family. --WAP mama

also the probiotic L. Reuteri has been shown clinically to stop the growth of S. Mutans, the cavity bacteria: ''Lactobacillus reuteri in bovine milk fermented decreases the oral carriage of mutans streptococci.''http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=15282133&query_hl=2&itool=pubmed_docsum

if you search in the LLL website, they have a couple of articles that you can view online.

26-month-old has 5 cavities - dentist says stop breastfeeding

My daughter has 5 cavities (2 behind her front 2 teeth, 1 on the front, and 2 on 2 separate top molars). She's 26 months old and we are looking for a gentle dentist who would help us to fill her cavities without using anesthesia. We've been to a pediatric dentist and the first thing they told us is that they want to sedate her for the procedure, that I can't be with her in or during the process, and to stop breastfeeding her. WE're looking for a dentist who will look after her emotional needs as well as physical. She's very afraid of the dentist and I think that if we found someone who paid a little attention to her and spoke her language (and let us take the time we needed for her to be comfortable there) that she might be a little bit more cooperative. Does anyone know of a dentist who has who could help us with our situation? What have others done who've had a little one with dental caries? Any help would trully be appreciated. kathleen

Dr. Ed hires an outside pediatric anasthesiologist from Children's Hospital to administer the anesthesia. They are well-trained in anasthesia and ER procedures, and do this all day every day. We were there with the anasthesiologist and our child in the waiting room, while he administered a sort of Valium-like drug in my son's nose (he did this cleverly and non-traumatically -- the idea is it relaxes the child before the actual anasthesia is administered). We did sit with our son during the first part of the anasthesia, until he fell asleep. Then we left the room. Afterwards, he was given to us to hold as he gradually woke up. We were very happy with the results, and are so glad we did it this way (and believe me, we were VERY concerned). Good luck to you. Christine

On the other hand, my daughter also had dental work done when she was 20 months-old (at a different office) and they gave her a mild sedative, which really didn't do much. She was wide awake and fully aware for the whole time, and, needless to say, it was very traumatic both for her and for us hearing her cry so hard. I really wish they had given her full anesthesia.

In summary, I do advice that you take her to a pediatric dentistry office, it's worht paying the difference, and trust what they think is more recommendable for your kid (w/ or wo/ anesthesia). Toni

Decayed teeth in toddler nurslings

I have a 27 month old boy who still nurses to go to sleep at naptime and at nighttime 2-3 times. My question is for those mother's who nursed this late and later and if their child got decayed teeth because of it. A dental professional freaked me out today telling me that it causes decay and she sees it often. She says it causes decay as much as milk bottles at night do (bottle mouth) She is a teacher at the Dental School of the Pacific. Also, when to send your child to first dental visit. worried my baby will get decayed teeth and then that'll really be fuel for those, like my mother, who think I'm nursing to late. worried mama

If you were to see a picture of the nipple while breastfeeding, you would see that your nipple goes way back past the teeth area of your toddler's mouth. I know it's hard to believe that it stretches back that far, but it does. The milk doesn't ''stand'' in the mouth as your dentist may have told you. This is La Leche League's stand on the issue. As they state in ''The Womanly art of Breastfeeding,'' ''Studies have shown that breastfeeding itself doesn not cause tooth decay.'' In fact according to one study they cite, breastfed children ''had lower levels of decay.'' Good brushing is strongly recommended. I would suggest that if you are concerned enough to stop nursing, than I would contact La Leche League for yourself and ask a specialist.

My son is two and a half and we have had absolutely no problems, even though my pediatrician recommended I not nurse at night, which sent me on my research. Luckily Aidan loves to brush his teeth, which is great whether nursing or not. My dentist recommends ''brushing'' with a baby's wash cloth which is a great supplement to Aidan's ''brushing.''

Good Luck, hope this helps... decisions decisions decisions.... Jaclyn

With that said, my son did develop several cavities at an early age. All of them are in his molars and every dentist that we have seen over the last 5 years have explained that for some reason his molars are not completely covered with enamel. This would have happened during pregnancy. Even the dentist we saw when I noticed his first cavity at age two assured me that breastfeeding-to-sleep was not the culprit.

If you are still somewhat concerned about your sons teeth, maybe you could try to be sure he swallows, to get rid of any breastmilk in his mouth, before you put him down or leave the room. Congratulations on your dedication to breastfeeding! Jennifer

Severe tooth decay in night-nursing 15 Month Old

Help! My 15 mos. son has multiple chipped teeth (due to weak, decaying teeth) and dental caries. I feel like a terrible parent. Well, I guess I really am. I haven't stopped or cut down on the night nursing, not even wiping his teeth after each nursing (he hates anything near his mouth and cries like Billy-o whenever we brush his teeth). After our visit today to the dentist, the dentist finally said that the one thing in common with all babies with such decay problems is night nursing.

We also haven't been regular about his brushing. We've been making a big deal about tooth brushing - and hang out as a family brushing our teeth. My son has a sign for tooth brushing and will happily puts the brush in his mouth now and move it around. The problem is that we need to brush his teeth and he hates it. It takes two of us - which limits the opportunities - and we have to literally hold his arms down to stop him grabbing the brush out of his mouth. He cries and tries to keep his mouth closed. Everybody says kids cry when having their teeth brushed, but this seems extreme. We hate doing it and I'm sure my son has picked up on all our mixed feelings. My husband and I also get quite tense with each other during these brushing sessions which only makes things worse. I really wonder if I should see if I can hire a dental hygenist or childcare expert to help for a few weeks until we get this figured out (it would probably be cheaper than having even more major dental work to do in the future). I just ordered a video on tooth brushing techniques from a dental school so maybe that will help.I don't know. The dentist says its a matter of will power and I guess I'm failing. I am so depressed right now. I know they're baby teeth, but teeth are so important for chewing correctly, speech development, and general self-confidence about smiling and appearance. Any suggestions welcomed about who I might get to help with tooth brushing, tooth brushing techniques, and night weaning welcomed. Worried Mom

Have you tried a battery-powered brush? They make some for kids that have small, circular rotating heads. I find them to be the easiest shape for brushing. Also, if I start out with the brush off, when I meet resistance, I turn the brush on and then sometimes baby opens his mouth (I think it tickles) and I can reach some interior teeth too.

Does your child have any interest in holding the brush himself? I give him a different brush that he likes to kind of chew on and I try to manipulate it to do some brushing when he's chewing.

I would try to keep this as ''fun'' as possible. I know it's a horrible struggle for you, but I'm not sure if holding the kid down is going to work in the long run. Kids can be really stubborn and I'd be wary that you are going to create additional problems down the line if brushing is always a trauma for your child.

And finally, are you working with a good pediatric dentist? I would highly recommend Dr. Katsura (just off Solano Avenue in Berkeley) if you are looking for one. He is really gentle with kids and relates very well to them. Good luck. Anon

Brushing toddlers' teeth is incredibly, incredibly difficult. I have a 2 year old that acts exactly the same as yours - nothing seems to work to get him to let me brush his teeth, except pure perseverance, stubbornness, and a willingness to do something that he hates. I can completely understand that it is hard to make yourself do it. That said, it does need to be done. Making it absolute solid routine that teeth get brushed every morning when you wake up and every evening before bed, may make it easier for you rather than harder... he may realize it's inescapable. Once he knows for sure it will happen whether or not he struggles, he may give up the struggle.

For the techniques... some of these have worked briefly for us, and some have been suggested to me but haven't worked, but they may work for you. Distract with funny noises, songs, tickling, etc. Start a routine of singing the same song every time and only sing while he's letting you brush - make the song last a couple of minutes, and he will eventually get to know that when the song is over, brushing is over. Ask him to roar like a lion or bear, or to let you see if there are any monkeys in his mouth. Get him a couple of interesting-looking or electric spinning toothbrushes and some good flavors of toddler toothpaste, give them funny names, and let him choose which to use each time. Let him brush your teeth while you brush his. Give him a sticker if he lets you brush his teeth. Talk to him about ''cavity bugs'' and that you need to clean them up, and that not cleaning them up means that his teeth may hurt later. Pretend that the toothbrush is something that he likes - a train, a vacuum cleaner, a kitty. If he's teething, ask him to open his mouth so you can have a look at the new teeth he's getting. You could try taking something away if he doesn't let you brush, like a favorite toy... I haven't tried that one.

If you want to wean at night, it may be difficult if you are cosleeping. If he's in his own crib or bed, you can start a pattern that he doesn't come to your bed until it gets light out, or after a certain time in the morning. If our son wakes up in the night, my husband goes and sleeps in his room on the floor. Jen

The light at the end of the tunnel is that my daughter, now 5, can brush her own teeth, floss, and swish around flouride rinse. Her teeth are all coated, and we get regular flouride varnishes, and she's only had one cavity since the oral surgery at 2 1/2.

Try and get the January and February, 2003 editions of the Journal of the California Dental Association, which has excellent information on taking care of your teeth.

Feel free to email me. Sarah

Dentist says caries are caused by nursing

(See Dentists Favorable to Breastfeeding for the original question.)
Whoa, this is such a hot button for me. I have the same experience with my son. The brown stains on his front teeth were the beginnings of dental carries. I did have the offices of Wampler, Katsura, et al. paint on the flouride to help strengthen them. On my second visit I clearly said that if they gave me any grief about it I was going to find another dentist. Here is my somewhat educated opinion on tooth decay. Decay is caused by bacteria. Bacteria needs food (sugar) to to grow, thrive and do it's job of attacking the tooth. There is sugar in breastmilk as there is sugar in bread, crackers, cow's milk from a cup, etc, etc, etc. During the day our saliva helps to wash our teeth and help slow the bacteria growth but at night our saliva is reduced by 80% so that we don't drown. So any sugar from any source left on the surface of the teeth will lead to decay. When a child is actively removing milk from a breast the nipple is way back in the mouth and the milk runs down the throat. It does not pool in the mouth like it can with a bottle. If a child is just leaving their mouth over the nipple and not actively sucking some milk may be pooling. However, breastmilk has antibodies and anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. This is an added benefit in fighting decay among all it's other varied benefits. So the only true way to help prevent decay is to agitate the bacteria through brushing and flossing any teeth after eating/ drinking before sleeping. Many, many parents do NOT do this as much as they should whether they brestfeed or not. Tooth decay is also affected by genetics. I believe they discriminate against breastfeeding. The only question they should be asking is ''does your child have their teeth brushed after eating and before sleeping every night?'' What and when we are feeding our children is none of their business! Nurse your son as long as you both enjoy it!

Night nursing and tooth decay

I was just informed by my nutritionist that I should cease nursing my 1 year old son at night when he wakes up because it could cause tooth decay. I'm rather confused by this because all along my lactation consultant told me it was no problem to nurse my son to sleep. I received quite a response when I wrote about my son waking during the night like 8 times a night and the majority of parents wrote about taking him to bed with us, which we have done and works great for all three of us, we sleep great now! But now I'm worried about tooth decay. Do any of the parents that responded to family beds and nursing at night have any experience with tooth decay because of nursing at night? I'm curious if this really does happen? It seems like such a natural thing to me to nurse to sleep and seems strange that it would cause damage to my son's teeth. Anyone have an older child that was nursed at night that can give me some input? Jena

there is more on this at: http://www.promom.org/ under Breastfeeding Myths and Realities

Myth #14: Night nursing causes dental problems. Reality: Generally, the worries about babies getting cavities through nighttime milk consumption arise from the practice of leaving babies to sleep with bottles of formula or juice. When this is done harmful bacteria have unlimited access to these sugary mediums and will thrive in the babies mouth. The acids excreted by the bacteria cause tooth decay. Such decay has been seen occasionally in breastfed babies if these children happen to fall into a small category of people with easily decayed teeth. For most children night nursing will not be a problem. One advantage that the human nipple provides over an artificial one is that it delivers the milk further toward the back of the mouth, past the teeth. Artificial nipples deliver the milk into the front and middle of the mouth where it can cause decay. Also, the human nipple does not continue to drip milk when it is not being sucked. In contrast, bottles will drip milk all night if left in the bed with the baby. Reminder: no baby should ever be left alone with a propped up bottle! If you notice anything strange looking happening to your child's teeth consult a breastfeeding supportive dentist for help. There are many articles on this subject available through La Leche League.

My now 5-year-old nursed for 2 years and for much of that time had at least one middle-of-the-night feeding. He has never had any cavities and his dentist is pleased with his teeth. Fran

In general though, nursing at night is not the same thing as "bottle-mouth" because when a child nurses they take the breast deep into the mouth preventing the milk from pooling at the teeth. So, even though breastmilk can cause tooth decay, it usually isn't a problem except in those kids that happen to be more prone to it. Also, many of the advantages of night-nursing and co-sleeping outweigh the dental risk IMHO. Sophie

When I was concerned about night nursing with my first child, I had heard that you need to have a nursing episode end with a suck (pull nipple out, child swallows). If the child falls asleep with the nipple in the mouth, before s/he swallows, then a small accumulation of decay-causing milk will stay in the mouth. It doesn't need to keep dripping in the mouth to cause damage--there just needs to be an accumulation. Even though I have known this, it is hard to implementthis practice when a child has free access to the breasts all night. While there are nights when he just nurses once and I am awake, there are other nights when he nurses many times and I am only quasi-awake. I guess my great survival trait of being able to mostly sleep through the many nursing interruptions has had its downside.

I don't regret nursing him and will continue. My nights are much less restful as I try to wake up and "finish" him off before I fall asleep again. This has been only partially successful as it seeems to have breeded a greater need--he sucks with renewed vigor whenever I try and withdraw the nipple. So now he seems to be nursing more than ever. Perhaps the most striking lesson is that it was fine for two kids and not for the third. This is consistent with all of the messages that stated that night nursing is fine for *most* kids. And we can't know our kids decay-proclivities until something like this happens.