We have a tooth! So we have to clean it, right? But we're still bfing to sleep, so how does that work?

[DitaVonCheese]

DD has celebrated her first Glastonbury by sprouting a tooth Now I'm pretty sure that we're supposed to start cleaning it, but still breastfeeding her to sleep, so how does that work? Help!

Breastfeeding after cleaning teeth is safe I think. It's breastmilk pooling on dirty teeth which is damaging, breastmilk in itself contains nothing to harm teeth.

Actually I really need to phone the dentist and check current advice I am not very good at remembering to brush DS' teeth, partly because I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing, and he has 2 now. I do let him chew a flannel in the bath though!

I used to worry about this a lot with DS1. He is 7 now and the dentist has said his teeth are perfect

so I wouldn't worry too much about it - a toothbrushing routine will come about eventually

Thanks - particularly like Tommy's reply as I suspect she will let me nowhere near her mouth with a toothbrush ...

clean her teeth after bath, then BF to sleep.

BF milk does not pool around the front teeth in the same way that bottled milk does. There's excellent info on this on Kellymom.

The American paediatric dental Association agrres that there is no link between night feeding and dental caries.

Both my DSs were night-fed until they were 18 motnhs and they have beautiful teeth.

DS still feeds to sleep, he's 2y2m with an almost full mouth of teeth and they are fine. I'd be lying if I said it didn't worry me a bit though

Thanks Highlander - off to get a toothbrush then ...

Stealth it's good to know that someone else is still feeding a bigger baby to sleep (though DD is only 9 months, so only teeny compared to yours!).

When my DD only had a couple of teeth I just used some toothpaste on a muslin. Was much easier that trying to get a toothbrush into a tiny mouth - especially if that mouth belongs to a very tired baby.

well almost to sleep - haven't been able to do that since he stopped letting go when asleep in my lap he tends to go in his cot awake but very sleepy. Brushing teeth then would wake him up fully and annoy him.