How best to care for your breastfeeding toddler's teeth before bedtime or in the night?
You don't need to worry about cleaning your toddler's teeth after she breastfeeds off to sleep in the evening or during the night.
You might have heard that breastfeeding a toddler can cause tooth decay. But this has not been established to be the case in the research, once you look closely. There is an excellent discussion about dental decay and breastfeeding by the Australian Breastfeeding Association here.
There are many advantages to breastfeeding your little one through toddlerhood or longer, if you decide to do this. The World Health Organisation recommends breastfeeding until at least two years of age. Only you know what's right for you and your child. You can find out about weaning from the breast here.
You might be already cleaning your toddler's teeth sometime in the evening, before the bedtime breastfeed. Cleaning your toddler's teeth is often a wriggly, very frustrating activity! If you have an older baby or a very young toddler, closer to 12 months of age, you might do it yourself, quickly. The main thing is not to accidentally create a conditioned dialling up with teeth cleaning by forcing it upon your little one! Let your little one be in control of teeth cleaning as much as possible as she matures, as you supervise and encourage.
The main things which prevent dental decay in toddlers are
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A wholesome diet with no sweets and minimal sugars, juice or sticky dried fruits
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Water flouridation
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Flouridated tooth-paste.
Selected references
Julien S. Prophylaxis of caries with fluoride for children under five years. BMC Pediatrics. 2021;21 (Suppl 1)(351): https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-12021-02702-12883.
Khan SY, Schroth RJ, De Jesus V. A systematic review of caries risk in children < 6 years of age. International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry. 2023;00:doi:10.1111/ipd.13140.
Van Meijeren-van Luneren A, Voortman T, Elfrink M. Breastfeeding and childhood dental caries: results from a socially diverse birth cohort study. Caries Research. 2021;55:153-161.
