breastfeeding + bedtime + teeth - help please?

[kwt]

First tooth has just appeared, and right now it's a typical bath-feed-bed routine.. DD doesn't feed to sleep and is awake when I put her down, but drowsy, and the room is all dark. Do people brush teeth after bf, or before when it's time to go to bed? Will it affect her teeth if we brush before and she then has milk?

You should brush teeth after feeding, I think. Just build it into the routine. My lo gets all excited when I say "and now it's time to brush our teeth"

I should add that it's especially important to brush after that last feed, as otherwise baby's mouth is full of milk going to sleep.

Well, I asked this question a while ago and was reassured that it was OK to brush teeth before a feed, as long as it's a bf (bm has lactoferrin in which apparently kills off Strep mutans bacteria responsible for tooth decay).

Mind you, I didn't start brushing DD's teeth until she had a few, at around 15 months I would guess, so I may not be the best person to advise. I just hope DD has my ultre-resistent teeth and not DP's rotten pins.

no, i don't.
breastfeeding actually doesn't decay teeth like regular milk because it contains anti-bacterials.

hang on and i'll find some refs to it

Yes, definitely don't wake her up to brush her teeth! You can give her breastmilk after brushing. To be honest, at this age, brushing teeth is mainly to get them used to the idea! It's mainly when they start eating loads of food that it becomes more important. That's what our local child dentistry expert said the other day anyway!

I brush ds's teeth before his bedtime feed, always have done, and he feeds during the night as well.

He is three and his teeth are lovely.

There's an article on Kellymom about it

Didn't get them to brush their teeth until they were nearly 2 (Ithink) - They have super teeth & brush them really well.

gosh, I am glad that someone knows you don't need to brush teeth at this stage - DS is only 1 and still bf, usually to sleep, and I couldn't bear it if I had to brush his teeth afterwards! He only has 4 anyway, bless him.

I have been thinking the same thing except I don't have the benefit of it being BM. DD has a bottle of cows milk before bed but like you, it helps to calm her down and get a bit sleepy. She is nearly 1 and has 6 teeth. She is very good at letting me brush her teeth but she is currently having milk after brushing and having a bottle of milk in the night, which I def don't do her teeth after, but I want to keep her teeth in good Nick so don't really know what is best.

I went along with brushing pre-feed until we were at a stage where he really appreciated a story so now it goes feed-teeth-bed-story-lights out-cross fingers.

It's my understanding too that BM is less bad for teeth than other foods.

thanks to everyone!
i wonder if anyone has any experience with bf and then brushing teeth - does it wake them up and make it harder for them to sleep? also, she does have a dream feed so i suppose even if i did do that she would still end up with milk in her mouth.

I bf both of mine to sleep, they're now 8 and 5 and both have very healthy teeth, not a filling between them (polishes halo)

kwt have you read the thread? there is no risk to your dd's teeth tooth. breastmilk will protect against rot. it is bonkers to suggest waking her up to brush.

Breastmilk does not rot their teeth