In a message dated 97-08-28 00:11:47 EDT, you write:

<< What are your thoughts on this?  From my reading I have gathered that
night
 nursing really plays no part in BBM bc the milk (if any) goes right down the
 throat and does not pool in the babys mouth.
 Comments? >>

I'm having the same problem with my 20 month-old daughter, Emma. Bottle mouth
among breastfed babies seems to be common enough to warrent further study.

My personal hypothesis is that Emma's somewhat shallow latch may have played
a part in her dental woes. It's plausible that her imperfect latch
contributed to milk pooling in her mouth for extended periods of time while
she slept, and I've wondered if a slightly shallow latch is a common
denominator among breastfed kids with classic bottle mouth type decay.

I'd be very interested in any observations anyone else has made and whether
or not you feel that an imperfect latch can have an impact on dental health.
....This could be yet *another* reason to make sure that the nursing dyads we
work with are getting the latch right!

BTW, my DA <hi Judy!> told me that changing the baby's position after s/he's
fallen asleep can trigger a swallow, minimizing insult to the tooth enamel.

Diane DiCarlo
LLLL
Brooklyn, NY