3 Ways Breastfeeding Can Benefit Your Baby’s Oral & Overall Health

As a parent, especially if your child is an infant, you may feel a heavy load of pressure on your shoulders to do everything right. However, that’s just not possible! You can make small, evidence-based decisions that offer unique benefits for your little one to help them thrive, like nursing. While every baby and parent are different, if you’re able to, breastfeeding has a lot of advantages and is the professional recommendation for infants until they reach 12 months of age. Read on to learn some of the oral and overall health benefits breastfeeding has to offer your baby.

Breastfeeding & Its Advantages

There are three main, evidence-based benefits of breastfeeding infants:

• Build Even & Healthy Bites: In the August 2017 issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association, a study found that babies who were breastfed for the first six months of their life had a reduced risk of malocclusion, or bite misalignment. While this doesn’t mean that your baby will never require braces if they’re breastfed, it does mean that they’re less likely to require more extensive orthodontic intervention down the road.
• Reduced Risk for Baby Bottle Tooth Decay: Baby bottle tooth decay is caused by regularly sipping on a bottle, whether that’s of breastmilk, formula, or juice. This is because the constant exposure to sugar feeds harmful oral bacteria, leading to cavities when their teeth begin to grow in.
• Reduced Risk for Gastroenteritis, Respiratory Infections, etc.: One excellent health benefit from breastfeeding is the reduced risk of common infectious morbidities in children, like gastroenteritis, respiratory infections, and middle ear infections.

When Should Babies Be Weaned?

Many parents assume that the perfect time to wean their children is whenever their teeth begin to erupt through their gumline and they start teething. However, if you’re not ready to wean them at this time, you don’t have to! The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends to, whenever possible, breastfeed for the first 12 months of a baby’s life, while the World Health Organization recommends 24 months. However, a great rule of thumb that you’ll find many pediatric dentists and pediatricians follow is to wean whenever the breastfeeding parent thinks it’s best for both them and their baby.

Tips for Taking Care of Yourself While Nursing

Breastfeeding offers your baby ample nutrition that benefits both their smile and physical health, but what are you doing to take care of yourself during this time? Whether you’re a new mom or you’ve done this before, take time to care for yourself, making sure to protect your own smile from common oral health problems like gum disease and cavities.

These may sound like minor concerns, but declining oral health could lead to secondary issues like tooth loss, lower self-confidence, and more. Rest easy knowing that your baby’s precious smile is in excellent hands with their pediatric dentist and spend that extra time you would be worrying about them taking care of yourself!

About the Practice

At Kids Dentist, our team includes several highly trained and experienced pediatric dentists who are passionate about teaching parents and kids the ins-and-outs of caring for growing smiles. We offer a variety of kid-friendly services to help keep your favorite smile’s health on the right track. Visit our website or call 847-223-1400 to schedule an appointment.