Dentist said to stop nursing and I'm devastated

[gamerchik]

Hi,

My daughter is 16.5 months and has always been a great nurser. However, I noticed some brown "stains" on her teeth near her gums so we went to the dentist. He said she has cavities on all 4 of her top front teeth and that we needed to stop nursing (especially night nursing). We brush her teeth 2X each day with a toothbrush and training toothpaste and she only eats fruits and veggies and doesn't drink juice or anything. Due to her weak enamel, the breast milk caused the cavities. He put a varnish on her teeth and prescribed fluoride (there is none in the water in our area) and said we'd wait 3 months until her molars come in and then probably do a surgery to cap her front teeth.

As though all that weren't stressful enough, I am finding myself devastated about the idea of stopping nursing. I love nursing her and was hoping to go until 2 years or until she would self-wean. I didn't realize how precious those early morning/night feedings were to me until someone told me to stop. I feel like it's being ripped away from me and my heart is breaking.

To make it even more frustrating, she nurses to sleep for her naps and bedtime, so I don't know how to put her to bed without nursing. We sleep in a family bed, so it's not like I can just put her in the bed, she'd just stand up.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[madelsmama]

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/older-baby/tooth-decay.html

(note also the other links at bottom of link)

[Candi]

Typically bm does not cause tooth decay. It is probably her weak enamel that allowed it, along with heriditary factors. Switching to another drink (except water) is going to have the same problems.

Perhaps just give up the night feedings since she seems so vulnerable to tooth decay. I don't see why she still can't nurse during the day.

BTW, my dentist wouldn't have capped the front teeth. Caps are just for appearance, and those teeth are only baby teeth. Seems like a lot to put a 16 month through.

[crystal555rose]

That is terrible! As madelsmama's link outlines, it is likely fruits and veggies lingering on the teeth that are causing decay. My little brother suffered from baby bottle syndrome by drinking a bottle of diluted juice all the time. My mom had his teeth capped because the dentist said that decayed baby teeth could result in decay of the adult teeth before they even came in completely (bacteria transfer I suppose).

Sadly, my brother has a lot of anxiety associated with the dentist that his adult dentist believes is related to the invasive dental work he had as a two year old. I would ask what they can do to keep her comfortable during any procedures you end up receiving.

[gamerchik]

That is an interesting article. I don't know what to think. All I know is that I just want to do whatever is best for her and will protect her. She does have weak enamel, so I don't know if the night feedings would be dangerous. She doesn't use a bottle but I was hoping to try and introduce one with water for sucking on during the night. I have no idea if that would work.

[crystal555rose]

One more thought, my son no longer falls asleep at the breast. But he does use a pacifier. Perhaps you can work with her to nurse then get a tooth brushing then fall asleep. Is there any mouth rinse for kids? We drink filtered water but after brushing teeth I allow give him an ounce or two of our fluorinated municipal water as a "mouth wash".

If I were you I would eliminate nursing while lying down, I would follow any meal or nursing with water. I would probably also follow meals and nursing with a tooth brushing (nothing too exhausting, just a little brush). Sadly the decay has started and you must do something to keep her from having painful cavities or jeopardizing her adult teeth.

[nma]

In reading The Nursing Mother's Guide To Weaning, one of the reasons listed to possibly wean your toddler is tooth decay. Here is a quote from that section, "In recent years scientists have firmly established that breastfeeding doesn't cause tooth decay. Because the flow of milk from the mother's nipple occurs far back in the mouth and is controlled by the baby's sucking, the milk is swallowed, reflexively, before it can pool in t he mouth. And, unlike milk from a bottle, breast milk doesn't drip into the mouth after a baby stops sucking. Besides, whereas formula causes cavities- breast milk, by itself does not; in fact, it can actually build enamel by depositing calcium and phosphorus on the teeth."
This is a great book and only around $12, it may help you in your choice to continue breastfeeding. It can help dispel some of the myths used as reasons to stop breastfeeding. I really hope that this will help you and your daughter.

[StaciMN]

and its side effects before feeding it to your daughter. It can be really harmful and no one tells you that.

[KerryS]

Topical fluoride helps with remineralization of small cavities.

[Candi]

and its side effects before feeding it to your daughter. It can be really harmful and no one tells you that.


But it seems as though this child is at a very high risk for cavities, much of it possibly genetic. This would be one case where I would make an exception.

[BoobySnacks]

DD developed this as her top teeth were coming in. I am incredibly anal about dental hygeine. I was also told by a dentist to stop nursing. I sought a second opinion and it ended up being weakened enamel and Tetracycline staining due to a persistent ear infection for which she had to be tried on a couple of different antibiotics when she was just starting to cut teeth. I never failed in brushing her teeth, it just happened anyway, so I understand where you are coming from. I nursed DD until he was just over 3 yrs. I am now continuing to nurse our 2 yr old son and he shows no signs of this what-so-ever..same nursing habits and same brusing habits, but never had Tetracycline. I know now that is what happened to DD.

[gamerchik]

Hi there! I thought I would post an update. We night-weaned our daughter the week we went to the dentist and it was surprisingly easy. Now, if she wakes up during the night, I just put my arms around her and she goes right back to sleep. She is sleeping better and waking less frequently. Apparently, she didn't need those 4-5 night feedings at all and was just doing it out of habit.

We also found a way to make her sleep without nursing at night; my husband or I just turn down the lights and walk around the living room slowly with her and she goes to sleep within 5-10 minutes. So the last thing on her teeth at night is her fluoride right after brushing. :)

The dentist said it was fine to continue nursing during the day but to try and do it at mealtimes. This has been a challenge since she is teething (molars) and wants to nurse constantly. We are vigilant about rinsing/wiping her teeth after meals and after nursing, and he was supportive of that idea. We let her nurse to sleep for her 1 hour nap but otherwise we rinse her mouth after every meal or nursing. We're trying to figure out how to make her sleep for naps without nursing. We kind of needed to tackle one thing at a time, if you know what I mean. We brush twice a day and it's going pretty well.

All things considered, as sad as I was about night-weaning, I actually think it is a good thing. I'm pleased by how smoothly it went and DD is eating more food during the day now, too.

Thank you to everyone who posted advice and support! :)

[crystal555rose]

Congrats! That is great!!

[tifttu]

I'm glad things are going well. I was told by one dentist that my child had to wean immediately (he was a little over a year old), be strapped to a board and have his teeth repaired. I cried and went to another dentist who said he would need to wean and go under sedation to have his teeth repaired. We moved and I went to another dentist who said to wean and start using a very small amount of regular kids flouride toothpaste. We did the toothpaste and when we went back he said, "Oh, I see you weaned. That's great, the decay has stopped it's progression." We never weaned, never even cut back. Just did the toothpaste and vigilant cleaning.

He's 4 now and still doesn't have great teeth, but we've been able to stay on top of any issues that arrise (he is weaned now) without any invasive work. So, I think that there are a lot of different options out there for parents. I'm so glad you found one that worked for you.

[Nurseliz]

Here is a research based articale from a Dentist named Dr.Palmer. He has done extensive research to support breastfeeding and debunks the MYTH that breastfeeding influences tooth decay.
http://www.brianpalmerdds.com/three_presentations/Caries%20only%20-%20B&W.pdf
Hope this helps,
Liz Pevytoe RN, IBCLC

[goingon5kids]

Typically bm does not cause tooth decay. It is probably her weak enamel that allowed it, along with heriditary factors. Switching to another drink (except water) is going to have the same problems.

Perhaps just give up the night feedings since she seems so vulnerable to tooth decay. I don't see why she still can't nurse during the day.

BTW, my dentist wouldn't have capped the front teeth. Caps are just for appearance, and those teeth are only baby teeth. Seems like a lot to put a 16 month through.


Sorry- but your wrong. If you do not take care of infant/baby teeth then that sets up the perm. teeth for failure. My youngest of 4 had the same problem as the OP and had to have surgery. Caps are NOT for looks. They are what keep the rest of the tooth from rotting. If you let the teeth continue to be at risk ( which they would be if not covered ) then eventually the tooth would break down and well, this person/child would be in horrific pain.
The dentist would need to build the enamel back up on those effected teeth, then cap them. The caps stay on until the permante teeth come in.
My daughter had this surgery right after turning two.
My dentist did NOT say to stop nursing completely- as he knew that would be very ard on her. But he said to stop night nursing. Then during the day wipe down her teeth with a wet washcloth etc..
This is called Nursing Caries..and yes BM can cause this- especially if you drink too much sugary drinks, fruit drinks etc..especially if the child does too.
Please talk to your dentist again if you dont completely understand the severity of this :O)
Hope that helps getting info from someone who has experienced this first hand.

[goingon5kids]

i need to mention too that my daughters two front teeth actually had an indent in between the two from the cavities..so not just spots, but actual breakin down of the teeth.

[Candi]

Sorry- but your wrong. If you do not take care of infant/baby teeth then that sets up the perm. teeth for failure. My youngest of 4 had the same problem as the OP and had to have surgery. Caps are NOT for looks. They are what keep the rest of the tooth from rotting. If you let the teeth continue to be at risk ( which they would be if not covered ) then eventually the tooth would break down and well, this person/child would be in horrific pain.
The dentist would need to build the enamel back up on those effected teeth, then cap them. The caps stay on until the permante teeth come in.
My daughter had this surgery right after turning two.
My dentist did NOT say to stop nursing completely- as he knew that would be very ard on her. But he said to stop night nursing. Then during the day wipe down her teeth with a wet washcloth etc..
This is called Nursing Caries..and yes BM can cause this- especially if you drink too much sugary drinks, fruit drinks etc..especially if the child does too.
Please talk to your dentist again if you dont completely understand the severity of this :O)
Hope that helps getting info from someone who has experienced this first hand.


Ah, sorry, I didn't think caps stopped decay. I totally understand about needing to take care of baby teeth. My daughter bumped her front tooth and it started to decay so we pulled it(well, the pedi dentist did). It was quick and easy.

[lucmas]

That is an interesting article. I don't know what to think. All I know is that I just want to do whatever is best for her and will protect her. She does have weak enamel, so I don't know if the night feedings would be dangerous. She doesn't use a bottle but I was hoping to try and introduce one with water for sucking on during the night. I have no idea if that would work. Fuzzi Bunz (http://www.bustlingbaby.com/fuzzi-bunz.html)