Cavities

[Guest guest]

>

> Have any of you nursing mothers noticed an increase in tooth decay? I went

> to the dentist last week and was astounded to learn that several of my teeth

> had begun to decay - yes, that means I need fillings! I haven't had

> cavities since I was in elementary school. I don't eat sugar and floss and

> brush daily. I asked the hygenist if my decay was linked to my nursing and

> she said that was an old wives' tale!

 

The same thing happened to me. After an entire adult life of no cavities, I

suddenly had 4! I was astounded. But I drilled my dentist (ha ha) for info

and got online....

It is an old wives' tale.

My dentist said that cavities can occur after *many* years and once one has

set in (colonized), it's easier for more to develop since the bacteria has

gained a strong foothold and spreads. Even when the foods that contribute

to decay are limited in the diet. That it has as much to do with genetics

and the history of the tooth as much as it does the substrate (the food for

the bacteria).

When a mother is nursing she needs to make extra effort to care for her

teeth because the body's efforts are geared toward making milk - therefore,

calcium and other bone-friendly minerals are sent first to milk production.

Our bones, teeth included, have lower calcium during nursing than when we're

not. When the child weans, our bones recalcify - and our teeth, too. So

it's not that nursing *causes* decay, but that we are more vulnerable to the

bacteria that causes decay. If that's not too fine a point to put on it!!

Good luck getting through the drilling and filling....

Doh

[Guest guest]

This makes sense. I survived the drilling and filling after the dentist

injected loads of novicane (to my displeasure!) in my gums. I NEVER want to

go through that again though! Thanks to all for your input.

 

-

" Doh! " <dohdriver

 

Wednesday, June 12, 2002 4:29 PM

Cavities

 

 

>

> >

> > Have any of you nursing mothers noticed an increase in tooth decay? I

went

> > to the dentist last week and was astounded to learn that several of my

teeth

> > had begun to decay - yes, that means I need fillings! I haven't had

> > cavities since I was in elementary school. I don't eat sugar and floss

and

> > brush daily. I asked the hygenist if my decay was linked to my nursing

and

> > she said that was an old wives' tale!

>

> The same thing happened to me. After an entire adult life of no cavities,

I

> suddenly had 4! I was astounded. But I drilled my dentist (ha ha) for

info

> and got online....

> It is an old wives' tale.

> My dentist said that cavities can occur after *many* years and once one

has

> set in (colonized), it's easier for more to develop since the bacteria has

> gained a strong foothold and spreads. Even when the foods that contribute

> to decay are limited in the diet. That it has as much to do with genetics

> and the history of the tooth as much as it does the substrate (the food

for

> the bacteria).

> When a mother is nursing she needs to make extra effort to care for her

> teeth because the body's efforts are geared toward making milk -

therefore,

> calcium and other bone-friendly minerals are sent first to milk

production.

> Our bones, teeth included, have lower calcium during nursing than when

we're

> not. When the child weans, our bones recalcify - and our teeth, too. So

> it's not that nursing *causes* decay, but that we are more vulnerable to

the

> bacteria that causes decay. If that's not too fine a point to put on it!!

> Good luck getting through the drilling and filling....

>

> Doh

>

>

>

>

> For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at

http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for families go to

http://www.vrg.org/family.

>

>