Breastfeeding, Dental Biofilm Acidogenicity, and Early Childhood Caries

Abstract

Aim: This study evaluated the acidogenicity of human milk by the dental biofilms of children with and without early childhood caries (ECC). Method: Biofilms of 16 children (7 with ECC; 9 caries free) were exposed to human milk or 10% sucrose solution in the crossover design, and the biofilm pH was determined. Results: Breastfeeding did not provoke a decrease in biofilm pH, irrespective of the children's caries status, whereas sucrose decreased the pH for both groups. In addition, higher ΔpH_5min (pH variation occurring at 5 min) was observed in the biofilms of ECC children (p < 0.05). The results suggest that breastfeeding may not contribute to ECC.

Longitudinal study into the determining factors of dental caries in children aged 4: socio-behavioral aspects and oral health of pregnant women

“…Feeding patterns in infancy, such as prolonged breastfeeding, are responsible for an increase in the exposure of deciduous teeth to fermentable carbohydrates, and may promote the early colonization of microorganisms that cause the disease, promoting the development of caries, however a recent study did not support this association 17 . It is important to stress that dental caries is a multifactorial disease, thus one variable by itself is not responsible for the cause of the disease.…”

“…Moreover, if the correct cleaning of the children's teeth occurs on a daily basis, eliminating bacterial plaque, there is no possibility of caries disease developing. Breastfeeding until the child is two or more years old is recommended on account of the advantages that it brings to the general and oral health of the child [17][18] , therefore it is not necessary to recommend the discontinuance of this form of feeding but rather to prioritize the mothers that breastfeed for a prolonged period for inclusion in the caries disease prevention groups, instructing them on how to care for their child's oral health.…”

“…There have been few studies 8,[10][11] into factors related to caries in children below the age of four and the majority [6][7][12][13][14][15][16] are designed to study the etiology of this affliction in older, pre-school children, for example. Most of the studies 3,9,[12][13][15][16][17] analyzing caries in children and their oral health condition, as well as the behavioral condition of the mother, were conducted using a crosssectional design. Thus, the aim of this longitudinal study was to analyze the influence of oral health conditions and socio-behavioral characteristics of pregnant women on the development and experience of caries in their children, after 4 years of follow-up.…”

YouTube as a source for parents’ education on early childhood caries

“…The etiology of ECC is complex; several factors including behavioral, psychosocial, and dietary factors are involved. YouTube™ videos on ECC mentioned nighttime bottle‐feeding as an etiological factor of ECC; fewer videos however addressed other risk factors including frequent between‐meal snacking and on‐demand breastfeeding.…”

Lactancia materna y riesgo de caries

“…Además, en el estudio de diseño cruzado, Neves et al (24), que evaluó la acidogenicidad de la LM en la biopelícula de los niños con y sin caries; concluyó que la lactancia no provocó una disminución en el pH y sugieren que no contribuiría en el estado de caries de los niños. Si bien se citan beneficios para la lactancia materna contra la caries, también debería desarrollarse de manera adecuada la prevención oral de sus niños.…”