Long-Term Breastfeeding Can Lead to Cavities
Children who are breast-fed for two years or longer are more likely to have dental cavities, according to a study published in the July issue of Pediatrics.
Researchers analyzed breast-feeding behaviors and sugar consumption for 1,129 children in Pelatos, Brazil. At age 5, the children visited a dentist and were examined for decayed, missing and filled primary tooth surfaces and severe early childhood caries. Severe early childhood caries were defined as six or more decayed, missing and filled primary tooth surfaces.
Among the children in the study, 23.9 percent had severe cavities and 48 percent had at least one tooth surface affected by a cavity. Kids who were breast-fed for two years or longer had a 2.4 times higher risk of having severe cavities, compared to kids who were breast-fed for less than a year.
“There are some reasons to explain such an association. First, children who are exposed to breast-feeding beyond 24 months are usually those breast-fed on demand and at night. Second, higher frequency of breast-feeding and nocturnal breast-feeding on demand makes it very difficult to clean teeth in this specific period.” -Karen Peres, MDS, PhD, lead author of the study and associate professor at the University of Adelaide in Australia.
The study also found that breast-feeding between 12 and 23 months did not bring with it a higher risk of cavities. About one-quarter of the kids were breast-fed for 24 months or longer.
CDA Journal, Vol 45, September 2017
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