Bonkers comment from dentist - quite angry!

[mrsmalcolmreynolds]

I'm quite surprised how angry I am actually, especially since this wasn't even said to me, but felt the need to share/vent. The DGD of one of my MIL's colleagues is 3 and was bf until over 2. She recently was diagnosed with a dental cavity which the dentist said was due to extended bf as bm has such a high sugar content! !!?! .

This is surely utter rubbish? As my MIL (who is a star) pointed out to her colleague, bm isn't higher in sugar than other milk, plus the way in which it ia drunk means it does not bathe the teeth in the same way as milk from a bottle.

Anyway, just wanted to vent and also make others aware of another ludicrous anti-extended bf myth which may be making the rounds.

BM itself is pretty neutral to teeth. However BM and the presence of other food will accelerate decay.

Fine really - more so than other types of milk? That's the part that annoys me.

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

Maybe the parents didn't brush her teeth after breast feeds? Seems very odd though.

If you Google there are loads of studies linking tooth decay to extended breastfeeding and several others refuting it.

A dentist might be in the best place to know if he's seen a link? Why is his statement that it's true likely to be more bonkers than your assertion that it's not?

Marking place. Would be interested to know if there's any truth to what the dentist said, although I suspect not brushing teeth and falling asleep on the boob/bottle (allowing milk to pool in the mouth) could be a bigger issues?

Apparently breast milk has quite a high sugar (glucose?) content to make it more appealing to baby - I have noticed how it feels sticky when its spilled on her cheek.

I hadn't thought about the effect it could have on teeth - although I don't know how much it matters as it will only affect the first teeth. Hmm, interesting.

My very extended BFing DD2 had one filled milk tooth, my FF DD1non.

Absolutely nothing to do with feeding method and everything to do with DD2's absolute hatred if having her teeth cleaned despite me, her big sister and our nice dentist trying to reason with her.

There is sugar - lactose - in all animal milks.

Other foods in the diet and general dental hygiene are factors in tooth decay.

Unless the dentist knows all those aspects of the little girl's life, he is making serious assumptions.

One of my kids had a cavity at 3 - this was (according to the dentist who did not know how long any breastfeeding had lasted, 'cos he didn't ask and I didn't say) to do with early antibiotic use which had affected the development of tooth enamel.

I've heard that in ff babies they will receive more flouride (because of water used in bottles especially if in an area where flouride is added) whereas bf babies obviously don't get any water until they start drinking with meals at 6 months.
Only in my own experience do I think this might have some truth - I have 2 ds close in age, first ebf until 1 - think he now has 4 fillings at 9 - second ds who was ff has perfect teeth. Dentist speaks to me like an awful mother because of ds1 having fillings but I have done the exact same dental routine with both, the only different thing is how they were fed.

My dentist is the ultimate geek dentist, he researches, lectures and is obsessed with teeth. He is no fan of bf toddlers (for the mothers' benefit!) but even he agrees that bf is not a cause of cavities, not even feeding to sleep but not brushing teeth well or using fluoride toothpaste remains the biggest problem.