Is Breastfeeding Linked to Tooth Decay?

Is Breastfeeding Linked to Tooth Decay?Breastfeeding is the best food for children. It is in breast milk that all the necessary nutrients, vitamins and minerals are concentrated for the full growth and development of the child. In addition, mother’s breast milk contains antibodies that protect the baby from aggressive environmental factors. There will also be opponents who can talk about the dangers of breastfeeding and the risks that nursing mothers expose to their babies. Most often, these risks are associated with dental health in children. Whether so it actually and than it is useful thoracal feeding for development of maxillofacial area of ​​the kid.

Breastfeeding is what nature has given

Nature itself has taken care of the newborn baby to get everything necessary for its full development: nutrition and protection. From the biological point of view, it is the practice of natural feeding that is most appropriate, and the female milk is the best that the mother can give to her child.

If we consider the benefits of breastfeeding for a baby, it is necessary to evaluate its composition, its significance for the child and even the way to get it. All these factors are beneficial, including the development of the maxillofacial area of ​​the baby.

In the past few years, on the Internet and even in the scientific world, a wave of negative reviews of breastfeeding after a year has passed. Ostensibly night feeding is one of the main reasons for the formation of early (bottle or circular) dental caries in young children. The scientific world, conducted relevant research and refuted this view, but it did not get as widespread as the accusations, but more about everything.

Breastfeeding: Influence on Teeth in Children

Teeth in children, as in adults, consist of an inorganic substance – hydroxyapatite (the main substance of the enamel) – Ca5 (PO4) 3 (OH). As seen from the chemical formula – the main substance of the enamel: calcium and phosphorus. When teething children, which often occurs in the period of 4-7 months, the enamel is not yet perfect and needs a sufficient amount of minerals. Only with their adequate intake can we talk about the full development of enamel teeth in children.

The main source of minerals for the baby is the breast milk of the mother, moreover, the minerals in it are in the form most convenient for assimilation. Therefore, children’s experts say that breast milk is the best remedy for caries and its complications, and it is a remedy that will help the teeth to develop in children.

If you compare mother’s breast milk and infant formula, even the most adapted and quality, the latter is much inferior. But it’s worth mentioning, only provided that the nursing mother is fully nourished.

Night feeding is not the cause of caries in babies

Teeth in children after their eruption, and some time after, are most vulnerable in the face of aggressive factors of the oral cavity, namely bacteria that can cause caries. Anatomical and physiological features of childhood can explain the wide prevalence of early caries in babies.

Many Internet resources undeservedly blamed breastfeeding for this. According to some mothers, (and, indeed, a sin), it is night feeding that can cause caries. The fact is that after feeding in the oral cavity of the child the pH changes to the acidic side, and after eating food on the surface of the enamel of teeth, the children have an adhesive film containing sugars – an excellent nutrient medium for the reproduction of the caries-forming flora. Together, these factors are the cause of tooth decay.

But is it really so? Studies conducted by a group of children’s dentists have shown that prolonged breastfeeding is not the cause of tooth decay. Studies have shown that lactose, breast milk sugar, is almost the only one that does not form a film on the baby’s teeth, therefore, the bacterial flora does not have a nutrient medium.

The attacks of the opponents of prolonged natural feeding and the arguments presented by them have many inaccuracies and even with a simple detailed and logical examination they fail. We should not forget the fact that the provoked factor of caries can be introduced by the lure – sweet vegetable, fruit purees and juices. Often, the lure is already introduced at the time of teething and in the formation of caries, undeservedly blamed for natural feeding.

In this case, natural feeding refers to the factors of protection, because in addition to convenient minerals, the baby also receives antibodies that help in the fight against various infectious agents.
Mother’s milk in the treatment of inflammatory diseases
As mentioned above, breast milk contains antibodies that help the baby to fight infectious diseases. Often against the background of teething babies suffer infectious diseases: from stomatitis to intestinal infections.

When referring to a specialist, doctors are given appropriate treatment and advice is given on maintaining natural feeding and feeding on demand.

For a baby, mother’s milk is not only food, water, medicine, it is also the maintenance of strength, the manifestation of love and care. Close contact of mother and child will help to recover faster.

Breastfeeding and development of the maxillofacial system

Breastfeeding is useful not only for teeth in children, as it helps in the treatment of inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity, but will also contribute to the full growth and development of the jaws and the prevention of acquired bite pathologies.

It is noticed that children on artificial feeding most often suffer from bad habits, in particular, sucking a finger, and, as is known, this is the main reason for the formation of a pathological occlusion.

Nature is conceived in such a way that for full development of the maxillofacial region, a load is necessary, the jaws must actively work, literally get their food.

And now let’s compare. At artificial feeding the kid spends efforts at extraction of a dairy mix from a small bottle, but it is not enough, muscles remain not spent, it and it is possible to explain so wide distribution of pathologies of an occlusion among children-artificial persons.

Under the condition of proper feeding, babies need to make efforts to get milk, which are the most correct and physiological. A full chewing load will promote the full growth and development of the jaws, respectively, thus preventing the formation of bite pathologies.

Image credit: HollyGirl18