Cha-may weeya
Medicine Talk
Siletz
Community
Is Breast-feeding Linked to
Tooth Decay?
There has been an increase in
concern about breast-feeding at night
and tooth decay, similar to “baby bottle
tooth decay.” As of yet, a valid link
between nursing (at night or otherwise)
and cavities has not been made and
mothers should be encouraged to
breast-feed as long as they wish.
Extensive research on human skulls
(from 500 to 1000 years ago) shows that
decay in children’s teeth was rare. This
was before the use of baby bottles, when
all babies were breast-fed for an extended
amount of time.
One of the reasons for nighttime
bottles causing tooth decay is the
pooling of liquid in baby’s mouth
(where the milk/juice bathes baby's
teeth for a long period of time). Breast
milk is not thought to pool in the baby’s
mouth the same way as bottle milk
because the milk doesn’t flow from the
breast unless the baby is actively
sucking, whereas with a bottle the liquid
drips out with minimal sucking.
A human nipple also extends
further back in the infant’s mouth than
a rubber bottle nipple, so all milk from
the breast enters the baby’s mouth far
behind the teeth. If a baby is actively
sucking, he also is swallowing, so
pooling breast milk in the baby’s mouth
is not an issue.
A bacteria present in plaque, called
strep mutans, is the cause of tooth
decay. The bacteria use food sugars to
produce acid - this acid directly causes
the decay. This bacteria thrive in an
environment of sugar, low amounts of
saliva, and low pH.
Studies have been done on the
effects of lactose (milk sugar, which
breast milk does contain) on teeth.
Studies have not been done on breast
milk alone and the effects of the 400
components it contains. One of the
components is lactoferrin, which
actually kills strep mutans (the bacteria
that causes tooth decay).
Breast-feeding for five minutes
lowers the pH-level in a baby’s mouth
only slightly more than rinsing the
mouth with water. Strep mutans
bacteria cannot thrive at this level of pH.
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The milk proteins in breast milk
protect the enamel on the teeth and the
antibacterial qualities in breast milk
stop the bacteria from using the lactose
in breast milk the same way as regular
sugar. Studies done on soaking teeth in
a variety of solutions showed that
immersing teeth in breast-milk was
practically identical to water and did not
cause tooth decay.
Once your baby gets teeth, it’s a good
idea to brush your child’s teeth twice
daily. Do not allow your baby to carry
a cup or bottle around during the day.
This results in a constant “bathing” of
your baby’s teeth with whatever he/she
is drinking. Decay is directly related to
the amount of contact time of a sugary
substance on teeth.
So if your child’s dental problems
are being blamed on breast-feeding,
look elsewhere for the cause. Science
says breast-feeding is not to blame.
Health
Clinic
Asthma and Secondhand Smoke
Strong evidence suggests that
tobacco smoke is detrimental to the
health of people with asthma, but
Oregonians who have asthma smoke
more than those who do not. Non-
smokers with asthma are routinely
exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke.
Tobacco smoke is one of the
leading asthma irritants and has been
causally linked to the development of
asthma in infants. Tobacco smoke is
responsible for the majority of asthma
hospitalizations in children and
contributes significantly to asthma
symptoms. The effectiveness of
Moms and Babies
Breastfeeding Circle
2nd Tuesday of each month
6 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Housing Department
Conference Room
inhalants and daily medications used by
asthmatics is severely reduced by
exposure to tobacco smoke, whether
firsthand or secondhand.
Women in Oregon are more likely
to report having asthma than are men.
Oregonians who smoke more than a
pack a day are twice as likely to report
having asthma as those who never smoke.
Woman who smoke heavily are 2°
times as likely to have asthma as woman
who never smoked and almost four
times as likely to have it than heavy
smokers who are male.
Infants born to mothers who
smoked during pregnancy are more
likely to develop asthma and other
respiratory problems that those bom to
mothers who did not smoke.
Protect children from secondhand
smoke and take it outside!
To learn about tobacco smoke and
asthma, visit the Oregon Department of
Human Service’s Web site at http://
www.dhs.state.or.us/publichealth/
asthma/tobacco.cfm.
Tooth Talk
by Linda Kreutzer, RDH
Why is “Follow-up” Important at the Dentist Office?
Ever been asked by your dentist to
come back in a week or two? There are
many good reasons to return to the
office in the time recommended by your
dentist. Here are just a few:
Sutures (stitches) need to be
removed after some types of dental
extractions. This allows the dentist
to check the area for healing as well
as painlessly remove stitches.
2. Check on an abscessed tooth. The
process is called “open and drain.”
An opening is placed on the tooth’s
surface. A temporary filling might
be used. It is very important for the
dentist to check on the tooth in a
timely manner to see if the infection
is gone from the area and begin the
next step in the process of saving
(or restoring) the tooth. This
process is called root canal therapy
or endodontics. This procedure is
sometimes referred to a dental
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specialist called an endodontist. It’s
also extremely important to take all
of the medication prescribed by the
dentist, including antibiotics.
3. Root canal therapy sometimes
requires several visits to the dental
office. Although it sometimes may
not seem like it, progress is being
made. The tooth must be free from
infection and become thoroughly
cleaned and re-filled, which takes
time. Please allow your dentist the
number of visits it takes to do a
great job for you. Even though the
tooth no longer hurts, it’s important
to return to the dental office two or
more times (in some cases) so the
dentist can complete the root canal.
4. Temporary fillings and crowns are
exactly what they are called -
temporary. They are not strong
enough to sustain chewing forces
for any length of time. They can do
a good job of “holding you over”
for two or three weeks, but can
cause problems if left in too long.
It’s possible to break off more tooth
structure along with the temporary,
resulting in root canal therapy or
tooth extraction.
5. Denture and partial denture care.
When new plates are made, the
dentist always expects minor fitting
adjustments to be necessary. Sore
spots can develop on the gums and
mouth if dentures and partials that
fit improperly are worn too long.
It’s important to return to the dentist
office within one week to ensure
great fit without sore spots.
6. Get your teeth cleaned twice a year!
This goes for people with healthy
gums, too. If gum disease is a prob
lem, it’s necessary to see the hygienist
three or even four times a year.
In the dental world, follow-up has
many meanings, all of them important!