By Kelsi Matylewicz/ Benco Dental Social Media Intern

A recent study sates that the more babies are breast-feed, the less likely they are to develop misalignment in their teeth in the future. The findings were published online June 15 in the journal Pediatrics, according to Health.com.

But, according to Australian research led by Karen Peres at the University of Adelaide, a pacifier can refute some of the benefits of breast-feeding.

Pacifiers can serve an important role: reducing risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). According to the American Academy of Pediatrics,  parents should consider using a pacifier for an infant’s first six months.

What to do then?

1434332767854One new option available to parents is Dr. Alene D’Alesio’s Edison Award™-winning pacifier weaning system, the Lily Method, which has been proven to work in as few as five days. Its five orthodontic shaped pacifiers look identical, but each nipple is slightly smaller and less satisfyingly-shaped than its predecessor.

Board Certified pediatric dentist and mom of four daughters, Dr. D’Alesio, of the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, noted, “After struggling to wean my first daughter off her paci, I knew there had to be an easier way.”
So she invented it. What else would you expect from one of America’s Best Young Dentists?

Back to the research:

Led by Karen Peres at the University of Adelaide in Australia, researchers tracked about 1,300 children for five years, “including how much they breast-fed at 3 months, 1 year and 2 years old. The study authors also asked how often the children used a pacifier, if at all, when the kids were 3 months, 1 year, 2 and 4. Showing that about 40 percent of the children used a pacifier daily for four years.”

When the children were 5, the researchers determined which of them had various types of misaligned teeth or jaw conditions, including open bite, crossbite, overbite or a moderate to severe misalignment.

According to an article by Tara Haelle for Health Magazine,  Dr. Joanna Pierro, a pediatric chief resident at Staten Island University Hospital in New York City, stated “Since many breast-fed babies today are partially fed breast-milk from a bottle, this research reveals how this difference affects the oral cavity.”

“The risk of overbite was one-third lower for those who exclusively breast-fed for three to six months compared to those who didn’t, the findings showed. If they breast-fed at least six months or more, the risk of overbite dropped by 44 percent.”

“Similarly, children who exclusively breast-fed for three months to six months were 41 percent less likely to have moderate to severe misalignment of the teeth. Breast-feeding six months or longer reduced their risk by 72 percent.”

Learn some possible explanations at: https://news.health.com/2015/06/15/breast-feeding-may-have-dental-benefits-study-suggests/