Dentists love breastfed babies! Many dentists can tell just by looking at a person’s jaw structure whether they were breastfed as a baby. Breastfeeding promotes ideal jaw and tooth development. Breastfed babies have a statistically lower chance of needing braces. The research on breastfeeding and cavities shows there are many factors involved, including intake of sugary foods and drinks, age of the baby, amount of saliva, type of oral bacteria, and whether baby is nursed to sleep when they are older. We know for sure that bottle feeding practices play a major role in risk of baby bottle tooth decay. Read our bottle feeding post for further information on recommended bottle feeding practices. Here is information on preventing cavities in your children from the American Dental Association, and a review of studies on breastfeeding and cavities from the National Institute of Health.

DISCLAIMER: We know when you surf the web for information, you can get conflicting results, and it’s not easy to know whether you are finding evidence-based, high quality recommendations. That’s part of our job here at Kodiak KINDNESS; we are here to support your informed decisions about infant feeding through your baby’s first year. We’ve done some background work, and to the best of our knowledge, this post reflects current best practices. However, the information contained in this post and any links contained herein is for your informational use only; it is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Furthermore, Kodiak KINDNESS is not responsible for the accuracy of any information contained in this post or links contained herein; it is for you to review at your own risk and discuss, as needed, with your health care professional in order to make a plan that suits your individual circumstances.