An Associated Press article in our paper by Lauran Neergaard reports that a
pediatric dental specialist Dr. Norman Tinanoff has some controversial new
research.  Skip to the end for what he had to say about milk and lactose.

 "...focusing solely on the bottle is too simple.  It's what's in the bottle,
along with decay-causing bacteria inside the mouth and the thickness of the
children's tooth enamel that really matter, he told a meeting of the American
Dental Association.

"I know I'm raising your adrenaline.  We have to re-examine conventional
wisdom.

"...eighty percent of American children will sleep at least occasionally with
a bottle at age 2, yet just about 10 percent of all children have early
childhood tooth decay.  The disease is much more prevalent among poor
children, over 40 percent of whom have cavities by age 4.  ....tooth decay is
also rampant in countries such as China that do not use bottles.

"So what is to blame?

"A bacterium called mutans streptococcus causes the decay.  Babies are born wi
th sterile mouths, but they get infected early in life, typically by their
own mothers.  The more bacteria in their mothers, the higher the risk.

"The bacteria need sugar to feed.  New research shows these bacteria cannot
use lactose - found in milk - but they thrive on sucrose - found in colas and
even in natural juices.

"Saliva can wash away some sugars, but "kids graze" explaining that sipping
juices or snacking throughout the day is risky for children, too.

Mardrey Swenson