Extended night-time breastfeeders - poll about tooth decay

[ComeOverAllFunny]

DD (19 months) is a little milk-monster, night and day. We co-sleep and she is constantly on and off the boob, actually, more on than off. This works well for all of us sleep-wise, I'm just worried about her teeth. I've looked at the info on KellyMom, but wondered - what is people's experience here? Have you done extended night-time feeding and did your LO get any decay?

I was not an extended bfer, but my friend fed her son through the night until he was 4. He had dreadful tooth problems but I do not know if th ebfing at night was the causative factor.

DD is only 16 months but so far her teeth are perfect. She feeds a lot during the night, always has done.

DS is three and still feeding at night.

His teeth are fine.

I have two dd's who kept night feeding until they were 2.3 and 2.6 resp and they are now 5 and 7 and have perfect teeth.

Multiple night feeds from 0-2yrs. At least 2 feeds a night from 2-4yrs (co-sleeping). No decay at all. At recent dentist visit was told 'He has perfect teeth. Whatever you have been doing with him - make sure you do the same for your daughter'. [grin}

DS is 19 months. Teeth seem fine but we still have to get them checked for the 1st time

Have done extended night time feeding.

No decay.

It's about what else is in the diet and what bacteria have colonised the mouth rather than having breast milk at night per se.

What onwardand outward said. i've not extended night-fed, since ds nightweaned at around a year. But in preparation I did look into it, and tooth decay, both historically and around the world is much much more strongly correlated with refined sugar consumption than with nighttime nursing. I think I've even heard it said that teeth left in breastmilk will be stronger after some time, but I can't back that up.

The action of nursing is different to feeding from a bottle (for which there is an issue with teeth), and is said to reduce contact of milk with the teeth, and certainly doesn't allow the pooling at the back of the mouth that milk from a bottle does

fed ds loads at night until he was 2 and a half

he had to have a filling (root canal to save the molar) this year (he is 4)

didn't feed dd at night after about a year, no fillings (as yet!)

I think ds's decay was more due to me having a few courses of antibiotics in pregnancy tbh

Well...I guess that is mainly reassuring. Which is good as I have no idea how I'd get dd to give up the night feeds at the moment without us all giving up our sleep! Thanks for all of your replies.

dinny - what's the impact of antibiotics during pregnancy on teeth? I had about three courses in the last trimester, is that bad news for dd's teeth?

surely bf at night can only be beneficial to teeth, or we would have evolved not to have any! i think there is some confusion with bottle feeding and milk / other drink pooling round back teeth.

Fed ds3 and co-slept with lots of bfing till he was 2.8, perfect teeth

My Mum bfed my brother till he was 3, not sure about night feeds but he had awful teeth but tbh my Dad was always giving him milky tea with 3 spoons of sugar in it so I reckon thats what did it.

My post-lady (Yes, I spend too much time on ebay!) bfed her dd till she was 3 and she had tooth decay and her dentist said it was because of bf.

DD is 19mths and still feeding most nights. No problems with her teeth.

not really sure about antibiotics in labour -just remember reading somewhere it could have an effect (as teeth form in 2nd trimester, iirc)- just a feeling I've had that it could have been related