Dear Nofia,

Unless the dentist has tested to confirm the presence of the suspected
bacteria (including a high population count) I'm not sure that this is
necessarily the only cause of this baby's problem.  My youngest had eight
teeth with cavities at 17 months.  She has had no more cavities since then
(she is now 3 1/2) even though she only brushes once a day or less sometimes,
and still nurses frequently at night.  I did not restrict nursing at all after
her diagnosis.  In her case, and her older sister's, who had a less severe
version of the same problem, I suspect something askew in utero that prevented
proper formation of these baby teeth.  The older child, now 11, has also never
had another cavity.  Perhaps the mother should ask the dentist to confirm his
diagnosis through testing before she restricts the baby's nursings and adds to
her parental hardships.

There is always bacteria in the mouth which can cause cavities, but I have
seen research that suggests that lactoferrin helps to kill this bacteria.
There are viruses that can be rampant and damage teeth, but the dentist in
this case said bacteria.  There is a lot of information in the archives about
this; look especially for information from Betty Crase at LLL's Breastfeeding
Resource Center.

WarmLLLy, Ann Davis, LLLL, Dayton, Ohio
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