I just wanted to add a couple of things to the discussion about
breastfeeding and dental caries.  First an article LC's might be interested
in by Degano, M.P. (1993). Breastfeeding and oral health a primer for the
dental practitioner. The New York State Dental Journal 59(2). 30-32 A very
positive article, those who are having problems with their dentists might
just want to present a copy to them to mull over.

Also a family story.  My sister-in-law a science major and a La Leche League
leader breastfed four children into toddlerhood and beyond, had a
devastating experience with her third child.  At around two years of age she
noticed the two front teeth looking as though they were disappearing.  When
she took him to a pediatric dentist he found the four upper front teeth
rotting away, they had to be removed and two molars had to be crowned.  This
dentist told her he saw this kind of problem in about 5% of breastfed
children and attributed it to night time feeding.  My sister-in-law not
being totally convinced gave the matter considerable thought and decided it
was the result of this child being "tongue tied" at birth she was able to
nurse him without any problems  however, she reasons that because of this
"short tongue" he tended to hold the milk at the front of the mouth where it
bathed the teeth, something of course we all know does not normally happen
when the nipple is placed at the back of the throat.

I think she came up with a very plausible reason, she did not have this
problem with any other of her children so an inhereted factor I believe can
be ruled out.  Sometimes we have to look for other factors that may not be
normally present but could explain such unusual occurrences.

Susan Moxley IBCLC
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