Breast milk alone does not cause cavities. It's generally a perfect storm or combo of fermentable carb introduction once teeth erupt (crackers, pouches, melts...think sticky sugars and flours), unideal hygiene routines, yeast or other oral dysbiosis, mouth-breathing, oral restrictions, hypoplastic or undermineralized teeth, underlying GI issues, nutritional deficiencies, or feeding schedules that never allow the mouth to neutralize and naturally remineralize. So while switching up a BFing routine may help reduce risk, telling a mom she "caused the issues" or she "must stop" is missing the actual root cause and causing guilt, shame, regret, and emotional distress and not actually helping to unpack and discover the true underlying issue. No one wins here. Let's look beyond the teeth. Let's look at the whole child and the beautiful family attached to that child. Yes, teeth are important, but there is a lot more at stake here. Big picture, right? As docs, we should be educating, supporting, loving, and empowering our patients. BFing, if able and wanting to take the journey, has tremendous health benefits for a child, but I beg that we stop this blame-game cycle. Emotional health is part of whole body health, and whole body health is part of oral health. Let's lift each other up...please. And take the time to talk to your patients. Connect with them. Everyone is doing their best and wants the absolute best for their child...many simply need some extra education on oral health. But at the end of the day we are teachers, and that takes time. Those few extra minutes spent with your patients matters. 🥰 And to all the parents out there...you are kicking butt! I see you, I feel you, and I love you. ❤️Doctor Staci