I've followed the threads related to dental caries on Lactnet with interest
for quite a while. A mother in our LLL group has a 29-month-old, still
nursing quite a bit, including lots of night nursing. The child has caries
and will undergo the general-anesthesia procedure in Feb., much to the
mother's dismay.

As my son is also a frequent nurser (including night), I went ahead and
took him for a check-up with a local pediatric dentist a couple of months
ago, just wanting to be aware whether any problems were developing. His
teeth were fine, but here's what the dentist told me:

1. Teeth can withstand exposure to breastmilk for only so many months. (I
don't remember the number she said, maybe 18?). After that time, they will
decay. (Since my son hadn't reached that theoretical time, yet, her point
was: his teeth are OK now, but it's only a matter of time as long as you
continue to bf.)

2. She said that every one of the children in her practice who kept nursing
developed caries. When I questioned her on this, she backed down a bit, and
said, well, the only ones who didn't were the ones whose mothers limited
nursing to specific times, and made sure to brush immediately afterward.

3. She said she would not tell me that I should wean, but that I should
know that letting him nurse was the same as giving him maple syrup to
drink.

She is known as a relatively bf-friendly dentist. I say, with friends like
that, who needs enemies?



Also, related to this study someone reported

>The four statistically significant factors associated with dental caries at
>age two were:
>-defective tooth enamel first and foremost
>-maternal stress +/or breavement as reported by the mother
>-reduced maternal intake of dairy products [during the pregnancy]
>-medically diagnosed illness (possibly associated with antibiotic use) [again
>I believe during the pragnancy]

This does make me uneasy, as I suffered a bereavement at 5 months pregnant,
and also was vegan throughout my pregnancy, so no dairy. Jack will be 2 in
one month, and goes back to the dentist for a checkup 3 months later, so
we'll see.


   Betty Meeler
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