Dear Belinda,

>Does anyone have any ideas what this is?  Is it harmful?  Could nursing be
>causing this?  If so what would be a soluion?

>>>>My baby is 32 months.  He still nurses rather frequently but especially
at
>night.  He is getting some calcification spots on his upper teeth around
the gum area.

This seemed like a job for my husband, the dental nutritionist. I consulted
with him and here's his response:

"Are we talking of calcification, i.e. calculus accumulation?  Or are we
referring to decalcification, as in discolored patches along the gumlines?
Both are significant, and they are almost mutually exclusive.  Can we get a
little more specific?"

"Mottling of the teeth, such as occurs in decalcification, can be an
overhardening of the teeth (fluorosis) or incipient tooth decay due to
softening. As such, it can be significant.  Probably the best bet would be
to wipe the child's teeth with a wet washcloth thoroughly."

"Most likely, that would be the best bet for both calcification and
decalcification."

>>>>My daughter, who just stopped nursing at age 4, this past March,
>also has these spots although they are small and not problem with her.  Is
>this because of the night nursing?  Am I doing long term damage to his
teeth
>or is there something I can do differently?  I can't really rinse his mouth
>out at night because he's pretty sleepy and nurses for closeness and
comfort.
>I would hate to wake him for teeth brushing but I guess I can if must.  Can
>you shed any light on this?>>>

"I would think that, due to night nursing, the possibility exists that
decalcifaction is occuring.  It may have something to do with maternal diet,
or any other foods the child may be eating.  It's very difficult to make an
assessment based on the information presented here."

My notes:

Since we don't know exactly what we're seeing, probably the BEST bet would
be to get a diagnosis from a dental professional, to find out if it is decay
or calcification or even fluorosis; this requires a visual exam to see
what's really going on.  At that point, if they want to look into other
treatments (besides those traditionally sanctioned by the ADA such as
fluoride treatment) feel free to contact me and I'll talk to my husband
about it.  On a personal note, what I've found with my kids (and myself) is
that I build up lots of plaque (that soft, white, gucky stuff which
eventually turns into calculus) when my diet is "off", regardless of my
(excellent) brushing and flossing habits. Brushing gets it off the teeth,
but to prevent it building up, there are some nutritional things you can be
doing differently.

Good luck, and feel free to contact me personally, since we're veering
dangerously off topic for this list. :o)

Vickie Miller
mom, doula,
aspiring midwife
& breastfeeding advocate