Breastfeeding and bottle-feeding as risk factors for dental caries and malocclusions in children with deciduous dentition: A scoping review

Aim: To identify the available evidence on the effects that breastfeeding and/or bottle-feeding may have on the presence of early childhood caries (ECC) and malocclusion in children with deciduous dentition. Materials and Methods: A systematic search was carried out in different databases, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Lilacs, and Epistemonikos, up to January 6, 2022. Studies were independently selected by two reviewers according to title, abstract, and full-text analysis. Disagreements were solved by a third reviewer. Results: A total of 1343 studies were found from the initial search, of which 42 studies were included in this study. Results are controversial, 14 studies concluded that prolonged breastfeeding and bottle-feeding at night increase the risk of caries, 7 studies mentioned that breastfeeding could be a protective factor for dental caries development in children under 6 years, 20 studies concluded that children who were breastfed for less than 6 months have a higher risk of developing malocclusions compared with children who were breastfed for a longer time and children who were bottle-fed compared with children who were breastfed had a higher prevalence of malocclusions, mainly anterior open-bite. Four studies found no significant association between breastfeeding and/or bottle-feeding with the development of dental caries and malocclusion. Conclusion: Most included studies concluded that the presence of ECC may be associated with bottle-feeding and prolonged breastfeeding, but reasons still need further development. Regarding malocclusions, most studies concluded that prolonged breastfeeding could be a protective factor for its development, whereas a high frequency and duration of bottle consumption could lead to deformations in the maxillary bone, mainly anterior open-bite. However, results are still controversial.