to feel sick with fear about toddler and BFing - any dentists about??

[ohforblardysake]

21 month old DS still feeds at night A LOT. Which is ok with me, I don't mind and we are both happy with it.

I noticed today when we were out in the bright sunshine that one of his front teeth has a T shape yellow stain on it, and a slight indentation. I have noticed the yellowness before but thought his tooth had just come in that way - his sister had one similiar and the dentist said it was fine, just a discoloured bit. But hadn't noticed how yellow it really was, or the indentation, until today.

My friend's dd had to have teeth removed because of night feeding. I feel sick that I may have caused his teeth to decay, and also very sad that he might tell us to stop BFing!!

(I know he may seem old to some to be BFing but this isn't about that).

He has a routine appointment in two weeks, I don't know if I can wait till then, every time I think of it I want to cry and feel sick I might have damaged his teeth. Does anyone have any advice?

kellymom.com/health/baby-health/tooth-decay/

It's unlikely to be breastfeeding at night that has caused the problem.

No...it's not the breast milk...my DD has this and it's due to calcium.

I extended-fed all three of my DC. They have perfect teeth free of decay, including DC2 who would pretty much live on the breast all night long until she was nearly 2.5, and was nursed to sleep most nights until 4.

DC3 (2) has a weird indent, slightly yellowish as you say. It came through like that, and it looks a lot worse in natural light. A few dentists have said it is almost certainly related to the medically necessary cocktail of drugs I needed in pregnancy.

Some dentists do blame breastfeeding but I think they're in a minority now, but I have heard some mothers say their dentist blamed it. The dentist is not educated in breastfeeding, it's not their job.

The Kellymom link is correct

Can you imagine if something so perfectly made for our babies over millions of years of evolution caused their teeth to rot! No way that would be evolutionary suicide! Keep feeding your gorgeous little toddler!

Even if there are issues, they are his milk not adult teeth.

On brush baby you can get special wipes for cleaning teeth - you rub it over the teeth so could do after each feed.

My ds does have tooth decay - we stopped night feeding by dfiance swapping with me an Co sleeping with ds - took two nights and no tears - ds has accepted it - from feeding a lot all night till he was 2 yrs and 3 mths - I would have used the wipe things at night had I known about them - but it was only after we realised the affect on his teeth when researching. He never had sweets other than chocolate occasionally and never had juice so it was either the night feeding or amount of fruit he ate.

Do not give you dc any pineapple - v bad for teeth (dad is a dentist - he also says out of anu sweets chocolate is the best as it rinses off the easiest versus chewy type sweets.

Ps my dad has brought forward his floride treatments that normally happen at 3 as it is an extreme case :( but might be worth speaking to your dentist

I fed two dc at night throughout most of their second years (fed them for 4 and 3y respectively) and their teeth are fine. :) It won't be that, honestly. I think some people are more prone to decay/discolouration etc than others and to a certain extent it's the luck of the draw (good tooth care being important, obviously).

thanks everyone. He does eat a huge amount of fruit, I have worried before that it might be bad for his teeth - berries, apples, tangerines, bananas, melon. Hopefully it is not decay.....

It not the breastmilk, but the milk mixed with anything sugary and acidic can cause speed up of decay. So brush teeth before bed and less smoothie type drinks or fruit as snacks more veg/cheese etc.

My baby boy (16) was born with his two bottom front teeth and I breastfed him for 6 months. His little teeth were very yellow from birth and looked quite small and misshapen by the time they fell out when he was about 5. His secondary teeth came in perfectly normally and not discoloured.

DD was breast fed until over 1. DS for 8 weeks. DD was good at teeth cleaning but her first teeth decayed. DS was hopeless but his teeth were perfect. DD's are perfect now, perfect colour, perfect alignment. DS's were a bit yelllow, a bit gappy and cost me Thousands.

They're 15 and 18 now. It's the luck of the draw and no indicator of the permanent 2nd teeth.

My DD has an indentation on her teeth. I saw it and thought it was a cavity - I was horrified. The dentist says her tooth must always have been that way and I must just never have noticed it before.

Go to the dentist early and have your mind put at rest.

Look up the la leche website.
Then get some sleep

The Kellymom site and La Leche have lots of articles and advice that would reassure you. DD and DS both fed until 27mth with no problems to their teeth (many, many times a night too).

The advice we got from our dentist was to make sure they didn't have anything sugary, like fruit, within 30 minutes of brushing. The fruit acid and sugar soften the enamel and brushing teeth in this state can actually damage the enamel.

Breastfeeding does not cause tooth decay but eating fruit does. It contains a large amount of sugar. Dried fruit is even worse. I cringe when I see toddlers being given box after box of raisins.
Smoothies give me the vapours as does apple juice. Whole fruit is probably the best way of getting fruit into children, but remember a portion of fruit is not necessarily a whole apple. Toddler portions are much smaller than adult portions.
I tend to advise parents to concentrate on veg rather than fruit to provide their five a day.
Only offer water as a drink when they are toddlers and avoid fizzy drinks. Not only saves their teeth but saves a shed load of money. Children only develop a taste for squash, fruit juice and pop when you let them try it.

I breastfeed my 3yr old DD to sleep most nights. She has perfect teeth. So I don't think it's due to nursing.
She eats loads of fruit too.