Hi All,
I think we need to remember something that dentists may not have a clue
about. That is that when a baby/toddler/child is nursing where is the
nipple? Where is the milk going? And when the child stops sucking does milk
continue to flow?
Answers: Nipple is at juncture of soft ans hard palate (away from teeth)
Milk is going down the throat (away from teeth, no pooling)
Milk stops when sucking stops (no pooling)
With bottle fed kids this is NOT the case. When baby stops sucking on the
bottle, the bottle continues to flow or drip, the nipple is right where the
teeth are, and the milk (or juice) that is in the bottle pools around the
teeth allowing for bacteria to grow like crazy and cause caries and
baby-bottle-mouth syndrome.
Caries form for all kinds of reasons, one reason being the state of the
enamel. Some people take excellant care of their teeth, but have weak enamel
and they get caries anyway (like me). Others take horrid care of their teeth
and get no caries (like my sis). Both my sons lucked out and got someone
elses enamel genes because neither one has had any caries (oldest BF 14 mo,
youngest still going at 29 mo, including the occasional night nursing). Bith
have had their teeth brushed every night since first tooth came through, but
certainly not after every meal or BF. In fact, Ben (my youngest, soon to be
middle child) has his teeth brushed THEN is BF to sleep every night. Oh,
yeah, and I don't give flouride either.
Yes, BF babies can get caries, but I seriously doubt (with all that I have
learned from Brian Palmer and other beloved Lactnutters) that it is BECAUSE
of nighttime BF or extended BF.
Again, BF is being equated with bottle feeding. More altars of
ignorance.....
Jay
Effacing, and dilating, but no labor yet. Sigh......
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