BENEFITS OF BREASTFEEDING ON ORAL HEALTH
Breastfeeding is one of the first (and most personal) decisions a mother makes for her baby. It can help your baby’s body fight infections and reduce health risks like asthma, ear infections, and obesity in children.
Breast feeding May Help Build a Better Bite
Several recent studies show that babies who were exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months were less likely to have teeth alignment issues such as open bites, crossbites, and overbites, than those exclusively breast fed for shorter lengths of time or not at all.
Still, this doesn’t mean your exclusively breastfed baby won’t need braces someday. Other factors, including genetics, pacifier use, and thumb sucking, affect alignment. The best thing for mom to do is to take the child to the dentist and make sure the dentist is able to monitor eruption, that baby teeth are coming out at the right time and permanent teeth are coming in at the right time.
Breastfeeding Reduces the Risk for Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
Another benefit of exclusive breast feeding is a reduced risk of baby bottle tooth decay, the frequent, prolonged exposure of the baby’s teeth to drinks that contain sugar. This type of tooth decay often occurs when a baby is put to bed with a bottle.
Is Breastfeeding Linked to Tooth Decay?
Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to 6 months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond”. However, several studies have reported prolonged and unrestricted breastfeeding as a potential risk factor for primary tooth caries (ECC). On-demand breastfeeding, particularly while lying down at night, would seem to cause ECC because milk remains in the baby’s mouth for long periods of time.
What can parents do to help their child avoid tooth decay?
- Clean your child’s teeth twice a day (morning and night) as soon as teeth begin to appear.
- Take care of your own mouth
- Clean teeth well before bedtime.
- Sip water after mealsto help wash food.
- Reduce the amount of time that sugary substances contact the teeth.
