Introduction
Caries is the most common infectious disease in the world today and affects all age groups – even the youngest. Caries can develop as early as the breakthrough of the first milk tooth at around 6 months of age, which is why mothers are afraid to continue breastfeeding, as the high lactose content of breast milk is suspected by many mothers to cause caries. Is it therefore necessary to stop breastfeeding from the first milk tooth onwards?
Should I breastfeed my child after a tooth eruption?
According to scientific studies, there is evidence that breastfeeding after teeth eruption is absolutely fine and does not cause or promote caries. For infants and toddlers there is nothing better than breast milk, as it strengthens the immune system of the children and contains enzymes that fight bacteria. There is still no synthetic substitute, which is as effective and positive for the development of the child as mother’s milk.
Breastfeeding also promotes the development of the bite and the formation of muscles. Through the active sucking, which only leads to milk coming out of the breast, the chewing muscles are trained and strengthened. Furthermore, it is also scientifically proven that breastfed children develop fewer tooth misalignments due to habitual habits such as thumb sucking, lip biting or cheek sucking than bottle-fed children. The assumption here is that by actively training the muscles that are missing when sucking the bottle, the muscles are used to such an extent that there is no incentive whatsoever for incorrect inclinations. Therefore the doctrine is valid in medicine as well as in dentistry that nothing is better for the development of the child than breast milk.
Should I breastfeed my child only during the day?
Caries cannot be formed by breastfeeding, as there are no caries bacteria in breast milk. Breast milk even shows positive effects against Streptococcus mutans. It contains lactose, the commercially available milk sugar and some enzymes that strengthen the immune system and thus act against the caries germ.
These include primarily lactoferrin and immunoglobulins, which provide protection for the teeth. Therefore, nightly breastfeeding is absolutely legitimate and does not increase the risk of caries development in the child’s oral cavity. Furthermore, due to the active muscular process of sucking, breast milk has only short contact with the oral cavity, which is why there is no contraindication for nocturnal breastfeeding.
If bottle-feeding is used, the contact time of the milk with the teeth is significantly longer and the muscles are less stimulated, which tends to promote caries. By actively stimulating and training the chewing muscles, strengthening the immune system and the enzymes that strengthen the oral flora, you should not be afraid to breastfeed – whether during the day or at night. Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that breast milk is one aspect, but thorough oral hygiene is the most important thing to protect the baby from caries. Therefore, regular brushing of the teeth twice a day is essential, even for small children.
