How Does Milk Impact Childrens Teeth?

Author: Dr. Sarah Mischo, DMD

Parenthood is made up of different milestones for your child that come each month. At the age of 12 months, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that parents should start to introduce cows milk into their child’s diet. Cows milk contains proteins, vitamin B12, calcium, and potassium, making it an easy and affordable nutrient complement to your child’s food. However, as my own toddler is getting older and drinking less milk, I’ve been wondering how cows milk may be affecting his teeth and oral health.

Cows milk is a natural source of many important nutrients, such as calcium, that can help with developing healthy teeth. But these nutrients can also be found in plenty of other healthy foods, too. Milk contains a natural sugar called lactose, and some parents worry that this may cause the same effects on the teeth that processed sugars can cause. Good news! Most sources agree that the kind of natural sugar found in cows milk is much less likely to cause caries (cavities) than the processed sugars found in sweetened foods and beverages.

Additionally, both human milk and cows milk contain a protein called casein which inhibits the initial attachment of some cavity-causing bacteria to the enamel of your child’s teeth, further reducing the risk that cows milk will contribute to cavities. That said, it is still recommended that children do not go to bed with a bottle containing milk, and that they have their teeth brushed with fluoride toothpaste prior to going to sleep in order to lower the risk of cavities as much as possible.

So, while there are other healthy ways to get the nutrients your toddler’s teeth need into their diet, cow’s milk can be a quick and easy way to supply calcium and other important nutrients to your child. As always, be sure to talk to your child’s pediatrician before making any major changes in their diet, but for most kids, cows milk can be a safe and important part of promoting oral health!