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12-21-2012 at 9:29 PM
HattieLove
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Joined on 10-18-2010
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HattieLove is not online. Last active: 05-24-2013, 2:55 AMBronze

Nighttime nursing and tooth health

Okay I'm a little confused on this topic.

I know you're never supposed to put a baby to bed with a bottle because it causes tooth decay and ear infections. But how is nursing to sleep different? The food link that Kristin posted said that baby should have water or brush teeth after bedtime nursing or formula, and I definitely don't do that. 

Plus, DD is still waking 3-4 times a night, and I nurse her when she gets up. Should I really be giving her water or brushing her teeth after every night nursing? Am I ruining her teeth?

Also, (this is probably a dumb question) why is tooth decay a problem before they get their adult teeth? 


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12-21-2012 at 9:45 PM
fredpuma
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fredpuma is not online. Last active: 05-24-2013, 3:13 PMSilver
A nipple lengthens to the back of their mouth when nursing so milk doesn't sit on their teeth all night like it does with a bottle. Tooth decay occurs because of an overgrowth of bad bacteria. When it occurs in baby teeth it just means there is an overgrowth of bad bacteria that much earlier for adult teeth to get attacked by.

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12-21-2012 at 10:19 PM
Amberrrr
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Amberrrr is online. Last active: 05-24-2013, 8:41 PMSilver

What do you do when your LO won't let you brush his or her teeth? :((

I try, so frequently. He doesn't let me!  


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12-21-2012 at 10:49 PM
jldubb0626
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jldubb0626 is not online. Last active: 05-24-2013, 4:39 PMGold
Amberrrr:

What do you do when your LO won't let you brush his or her teeth? :((

I try, so frequently. He doesn't let me!  

It takes me a good 10 minutes or so to get Eli to let me do them all, but I get him laughing and sneak my finger in (I have the bristle brush that goes on my finger) and try to get as much as I can. He turns away and gets irritated, so I leave him alone for a minute, then I go to my next trick in my bag of "Ways to get Eli to laugh" and go at it again. It's tedious but it works.


BFP #1 - 10/31/2010 "Reese" EDD: 07/15/2011 - MMC and D&C: 12/21/2010 @10w
BFP#2 - 05/30/2011 "Spock" EDD: 02/05/2012 - DS Born 1/17/2012
BFP#3 - 10/28/2012 "Padawan" EDD: 07/10/2013 - Natural MC 12/21/2012 @10w5d
BFP#4 - 05/08/2013 "Yoda" EDD: 01/19/2014

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12-22-2012 at 2:14 AM
bluejayway
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I nurse to sleep, and LO snacks 3 times a night. I don't wipe or brush her teeth after, and she only has two teeth, so meh. I brush them in the morning and before bed, but it's still not by the book. There's only so much you can do and it's such a short period of their life, I just hope it's not likely to cause dental harm. I did the same with my older DD and she has never had issues. I sort of feel like the benefits of eating BM on demand and the emotional aspects of nursing to sleep outweigh the risks, and I do my best within the framework of guidelines, risks, me needing sleep at some point, all things considered, etc.
 
12-23-2012 at 9:20 AM
Jeanine88
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Hi. I read your post yesterday and didn't have anything to help, but last night I was with my friend and thought this may be helpful. Her son is 2.5 and they co sleep and he still nurses during the night. She told me last night he has two cavities and it's from him nursing overnight and sleeping with milk in his mouth. Hope this helps!

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