my daughter is almost 20months old and has always been breastfeed... and it is now just for comfort. The bad thing about that is she must have it to sleep. I have been trying to ween her for months now with no success!:( I brush her teeth 2x a day and put floride/vitamins in her water and milk. But her 4 front upper teeth and one of her upper molars are so decayed! I beat myself up all the time! I feel so horrible! I know its my fault but no matter what I try to help it nothing works! My dentist told me I need to stop breastfeeding her and I have tried... still trying, she just won't give it up! I have been really researching and I have come to the conclusion that she needs caps on those 5 teeth... at least. But my question is, " is she old enough?!" I hate to see it happen but I really think the best thing is to put her under general anaesthesia and get that done. I guess I just need some advise. So please help!

- ak mommy

Your dentist didn't give you any other option for her other than you need to give it up? Find another dentist who will help you find a solution for your issue.

A couple questions to give you better advice:

1.) Does the decay cause her discomfort?
2.) Can caps be held off until after she is at least 2?
3.) Do you actually want to stop breastfeeding?
4.) Why is stopping an issue?

I'll be happy to try to help you come up with something that leaves you feeling more comfortable. I'm not sure about the tooth decay, but I can definitely help with the breast feeding issues you are having. Can you go into a little more detail about that part of the issue?

Just so that you are aware, I fully breastfed 2 children and have been an advocate of breast feeding for over 9 years since I breast fed my first. I can help you with some sites for info as well as some personal experience. (Just so you don't think I am a nut.)

FLOSSIE would be great to answer the dentistry end of this question. If you choose to continue to breast feed why not follow by a bottle of water. At leat it will rinse the mouth before bed.

Hello Alaska Mommy,

The first thing you have to do is stop with the fluoride drops! Fluoride is not recommended for children under 2yrs of age via toothpaste OR supplements. The fluoride supplements help the teeth that are developing and not the ones in her mouth but at this young age any fluoride that is swallowed puts her at risk of having teeth with "fluorosis" erupt. These teeth will appear with brown and or white spots in the enamel and nothing can be done about it until she turns 18 when veneers can be placed.

I don't think that it is the breast milk that is causing the decay. What else does your daughter eat and drink through her day? Does she snack on high carbohydrate foods through the day like crackers, cheerios, raisins (very bad for teeth!), etc. Does she drink her juice or milk from a bottle?

What do you call "badly decayed"? Is your daughter avoiding cold drinks? Does she avoid using her front teeth to bite foods? Does it hurt her when you brush these teeth? Or did your dentist tell you they are badly decayed?

Call some dental offices in your area and ask if they carry Oral Science's X-Pur or Oravive toothpaste. This toothpaste has remineralizing properties in it (calcium and phosphorous) and no fluoride. It is definitely safe to use when brushing your little ones teeth. You just need to use a very small amount of (any) toothpaste when brushing children's teeth.

As for crowns, yes crowns are usually placed on badly decayed teeth of children. Only if the tooth has had to have a pulpotomy or has had to have fillings that cover most of the tooth is a crown placed. The back teeth would normally have a stainless steel crown placed and the front teeth would have a plastic crown placed. Your daughter will probably handle the procedure best if she were to have it done under general anaesthetic.

I've attached a link to some interesting reading material regarding breast feeding and tooth decay. There seems to be a mixed feeling from the professionals.

American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry - Media Information (http://www.aapd.org/media/pressreleases/breastfeeding-99.asp)

The following is an eruption chart so you know when the adult teeth will come in to replace the decayed teeth.

http://www.ada.org/public/topics/documents/chart_eruption_perm.pdf

You should take your kid to a pediatric dentist for evaluation. Also, fluoride can be harmful if used improperly. Your dentist will know the fluoride levels in your water and will be able to tell you if your kid needs supplements.

Alaska mommy,

The rest of us know your little girl is NOT a goat! :rolleyes: