Help! DS has tooth decay - XP

[Tufftitty]

DS is 10 months old. He's a reverse cycler. He eats a little solid food during the day. Last week I noticed that his front two teeth are turning brown on the tips & it looks like the enamel is wearing away.

Did I cause this by letting him nurse all night? What can I do to fix it? What can I do to keep it from getting worse?

I'm trying to get an appointment with a pediatric dentist, but I have no idea who is a good one.

TIA for any help you can give.

[Jacksmommy]

Night nursing is fine, but you need to brush off any other food he eats during the day before you nurse him at night. Are you sure this is tooth decay? Aren't there other reasons that teeth discolor?

[jgassa]

Lots of antibiotic use can cause discoloration of the teeth. Would the natural sugars in breastmilk cause tooth decay (with a bottle it's called bottle rot)

[sweetkisses]

I don't believe breastfeeding causes tooth decay. I would suspect something else and it may not even be decay but just a discoloration.
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/older-baby/tooth-decay.html

What kinds of solids does he eat during the day? Does he drink juice? Has he fallen and hit his front teeth or top lip at all?

Also (not all) but many pedi dentist are not okay with extended breastfeeding. I know your son is only 10 months but I would be prepared with a good response if he tries to tell you to wean.

[Tufftitty]

Thanks for the responses. I sort of panicked about BF after some research online, but have since found plenty of documentation that supports BF. Turns out the problem comes with the introduction of solids.

DS doesn't get any juice because I think it's empty calories. The ILs have been giving him crackers and vanilla wafers, but not so frequently that it should cause a problem. Otherwise he eats about one container a day of organic baby food, swt. potatoes, green beans, applesauce, pear sauce, etc.

He's fallen a lot, but I'm not sure if he's ever hit his front teeth since he's in daycare. It really looks like the enamel is eroding away just on the tips of the two front teeth.

I'm now searching for a pedi dentist. Wish me luck finding a really good one.

[RedheadbyChoice]

Definitely be aware that you most likely will be asked to wean or to not nurse at night. BTDT.

My older girls have perfect teeth; both were breastfed, both nursed at night.

DS, OTOH, has shitty teeth, like his momma.

For him, I really do believe that it's genetic, as we've used the same dental habits with him that we did with our older girls.

I'd also just give your family dentist a call and see if he/she would take a quick peek at babe and see if further action is needed. He/she can also most likely give you a referral to a specialist.

[Tufftitty]

Thanks! I did call my dentist, and he referred me to a group about 1.5 hours from me that do ped. dentistry. I have an appointment tomorrow, so wish me luck.

I have no doubt that they are going to recommend night weaning. I have no problem smiling & nodding, then doing whatever the hell I want to do (this is how I deal with most unsolicited advice). My fear is that DH is going to buy into what they say & start pressuring me. Please send good vibes my way.

[intokermit]

Is DH going with you? If not, then you wouldn't have to tell him that the dentist suggested night weaning, KWIM?

[Tufftitty]

Good news/bad news.

Good news - it's not decay, and they didn't tell me to wean or night wean. They just recommended that I not nurse him until he falls asleep & to rinse his mouth out before he sleeps.

Bad news - it's a defect in the enamel of the front two teeth. It's a problem that occurs in utero, and they have no idea why. They believe that eventually it will begin to decay, and then he'll have to have them capped.

All in all, it wasn't too bad. DS hated when they looked in his mouth. He just screamed & cried. I'm supposed to do some topical fluoride just on the two spots, and keep brushing his teeth with infant toothpaste. Otherwise we just wait.

Thanks to you all for the support and suggestions.

[sweetkisses]

Thanks for the update. Even though it's not great news I'm glad there is an explanation and they didn't try to blame it on breastfeeding.