Winnie wrote:
<I remember many years ago hearing a dentist say he could tell the
first time he looked into a toddler's mouth whether or not the child
had been breastfed.>
Many years ago, I had the privilege of hearing a daylong seminar by
Daniel Garliner, who I believe is credited with the development of
myofunctional therapy. (Reteaching a child to swallow correctly before
putting on braces in order that the teeth do not once again become
misaligned when they are removed.)
He described how they discovered that servicemen with severe cheek
injuries would experience their teeth beginning to "wander" before
plastic surgery could be accomplished. He explained how the opposing
forces of the cheeks on the outer side of the teeth, combined with the
correct motion of the tongue on the inner side of the teeth combined
forces to keep them in alignment.
He asked everyone in the audience who had ever had a child to stand.
Then, he asked to remain standing anyone whose physician had spent at
least 20 minutes discussing the benefits of breastfeeding with them.
Of course, all the women sat down! I remember that he made the point that
when a nursing mother had a consistent very strong let-down reflex, the
baby may develop defensive tongue thrusting habits in his suck, swallow,
breathe cycle which might create future need for orthodontia despite
exclusive breastfeeding.
To this day, 40 and 31 years later, my 4th and 5th child elicit remarks
from the dental hygienists such as "You have a perfect dental arch-did
you wear braces?" Each was exclusively Breastfed for 6 months and
continued along with solids etc. for 3 months, then 2 more years for the
31 year old.
My eldest, whom I stopped nursing at 10 days due to all the mismanagement
prevalent 47 years ago, became a persistent thumbsucker till I used nasty
tasting stuff, metal "thumb cages" etc at 2 1/2.
Then, he became a "closet themsucker" so to speak. I could go in to wake
him up for school and know whether or not he was troubled, as he would be
sucking his thumb in his sleep. He finally stopped at 17 years old when
he took up cigarettes!
For the buck teeth that began to be obvious about age 9, we started him
on trumpet lessons! At least as far as external appearance goes, it did
the trick. I have no idea what a professional would say about his dental
arch though!
As long as we are getting such marvelous dental insights, I wonder if
feeding method has been suspected in the development of severe torah? Or
is that strictly genetic?
I have such large bony lumps inside my mouth on either side of my
frenulum and inside my lower gums that I have been told to take extra
good care of my teeth as any future false teeth would require bone
surgery in advance to remove them.
Also, the large bump at the back of the hard palate? I always thought
everybody had one, but I hear they do not. I can remember still making
clicking noises by creating and releasing suction with my tongue motions
in the vicinity of the junction of my hard and soft palate when I was a
young girl.
Even into my teens when I developed hay fever, it resurfaced as I tried
to "scratch the itch" at the base of my tongue all the way up into my
Eustachian tubes. As much trouble as these tubes have given me in my
life, I now wonder whether their bony pathway too might become
crowded/misshappen in this same process of development impacted
negatively by incorrect swallowing?
Personally, I hope that someday a whole book gets written about the
benefits of breastfeeding from the dental/EENT standpoint, alone. That
would certainly be something hard for the naysayers to refute! If you
cannot as yet find time to write it, David, would you at least think
about editing it?
Jean
**************************************
K. Jean Cotterman RNC, IBCLC
Dayton, OH USA
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