I have a wonderful resource from a friend who is an Oral Health Consultant in the California Department of Public Health (MCAH).

 

I shared with her the information provided, (with the subject line: “Another bad interpretation instead of education!”) about the article that Donna had shared: http://news.yahoo.com/breastfeeding-past-two-years-linked-infant-tooth-decay-200401380.html

 

Below are her comments – she wants it clearly stated as her opinions, not an official response from any agency.  Here is the abstract:  http://www.annalsofepidemiology.org/article/S1047-2797(14)00064-7/abstract 

 

I am yelling right along with you, Jeanette!  (I had written: “What a thought! Once babies have teeth, YOU NEED TO CLEAN THEM! - Sorry for ‘yelling’, but I’m really tired of ‘blaming’ breastfeeding instead of addressing the real issue!)”

 

At least they admitted that the babies were not exclusively breastfed.

 

I question this statement:

 

“When a baby sucks on a mother's breast or from a bottle, the baby's teeth are sealed off from saliva in the mouth. This physical barrier prevents the saliva from breaking down bacteria, and increases the chances of tooth decay, Bowen said”

 

So if I suck liquid from a straw, I am “sealing off my teeth from saliva”???  Even if this was true, it would only be briefly.  Our saliva ducts work pretty well during times of eating/drinking.

 

I also question this statement:

 

“One not-so-good habit is allowing infants to stay on a mother's nipple throughout the night, Bowen said. This usually means very little saliva circulates in the baby's mouth, which can increase the risk of decay.”

 

Everybody’s saliva is reduced when they are sleeping, regardless of whether they are on the breast.  This is an overstatement!

 

There is evidence that there are less salivary glands along the upper lip and researchers theorize that makes a child’s maxillary incisors more susceptible to EEC.   But of course you need sugar and strep mutans bacteria to actually cause caries.  Saliva is nature’s way to protect and remineralize the enamel.  But if you have less saliva, you have more susceptibility to caries.

 

Cheryl Terpak, RDH, MS, Oral Health Consultant

 

I do have to encourage those of you who work with moms whose babies are teething (and one of mine had 3 teeth at 3 months, so you need to start early) to provide education about tooth care regardless of their breastfeeding status.  If moms start early massaging of gums (when babies are first teething this can also help their discomfort) leading to brushing of teeth as part of regular bedtime routine, this will help to reduce the risk of ECC.  

 

Do not assume “everyone knows that”.   They don’t!  I’ve been very surprised by how many moms rarely/never do – despite education and socio-economic status, by the way!

 

Jeanette Panchula, BA-SW, RN, PHN, IBCLC

Vacaville, CA

 


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