If you are breastfeeding your child, you are actively helping them to lower their risk of infection, asthma, ear infections, SIDS, and even obesity in childhood. But in fact, nursing your infant can also benefit them in more ways.
The Journal of the American Dental Association reports that babies who are exclusively breastfed during their first six months offer fewer problems with tooth alignment. They had less struggle with their bite–open bites, crossbites, and overbites–than their counterparts who have never breastfed or who were breastfed for fewer than six months.
In addition, you don’t need to stop nursing when your baby begins teething. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests nursing during a child’s first year, and the World Health Organization suggests two years. You can make the decision that is best for you and your infant.
Your baby’s teeth also benefit from exclusively breastfeeding. Here’s why; babies who go to bed with baby bottles filled with juice, milk, and formula are constantly bathing their teeth in sugar which increases their susceptibility to tooth decay.
So the answer to, “Can you breastfeed when my infant is teething?” is a resounding yes! Our pediatric dentist, Dr. Greg Weeder support your efforts and are happy to address any oral health concerns you may have for your child. Weeder Pediatric Dentistry in La Vista, Nebraska, can be reached by calling 402-932-1177.