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The Sweet Tooth Truth
Does Breastfeeding Cause Cavities? By Gwen Morrison
There are many other factors that can contribute to infant tooth decay. Breastfeeding as a cause is not among the top indicators.
"Recent studies have concluded that caries is an infectious and transmissible disease primarily caused by streptococcus mutans," Dr. Palmer says. "Accumulation of this organism to pathogenic levels results from frequent and prolonged exposure to cariogenic subtrates."
When an infant is born, his mouth is basically sterile; he does not have decay-causing bacteria in his mouth. The decay-causing bacteria is acquired at some point in his life. It may be the timing and amount of the inoculation that determines the risk of decay.
Because parents are warned of the damaging effects of putting baby to bed with a bottle, many have mistakenly extended their concern to breastfeeding a baby at night.
This is not the case at all, Dr. Palmer says. "Falling asleep at the breast does not cause cavities or weakness in baby's teeth," he says. "Breastfeeding is the best form of health care there is. I don't understand why some doctors and dentists discourage it. What options are there for an infant if they are not allowed to breastfeed? The next option is formula feeding, and recent research by Erickson showed that formula can be very cariogenic. Why is that the better option?"
Dr. Palmer agrees that breastfeeding is the optimal way for mothers to feed their infants and it always has been. "An important issue remains that all mammals breastfeed their young," he says. "Prehistoric skulls show minimal decay in teeth. And now humans are the only mammal out of over 4,000 species that show extensive decay in infant teeth."
Why? Decay has only become common as more and more refined starches and sugars have entered our diets, Wills says. "Breast milk alone doesn't foster the bacteria that causes decay," she says. "In fact, as a living substance, it has antibacterial qualities, but it can't overcome the presence of bacteria-feeding starches and sugars. So as soon as a baby's teeth emerge, parents should start on good dental routines of cleaning the teeth [especially before bed] combined with nursing as needed."