I find the discussion of dentists and breastfeeding very interesting.  Just
this morning, in my local newspaper, this issue was mentioned in a
syndicated medical advice column.  Someone wrote in to ask the doctor what
suggestions he had to prevent a toddler from getting tooth decay.  The
doctor responded with a list of recommendations from the American Academy of
Pediatric Dentistry which included, "Avoid routine nocturnal breastfeeding
once the infant's first primary tooth begins to erupt."  I had to wonder how
many LLL help calls I would be getting in the next few days from people
wanting advice on night weaning!

This evening, I went to the AAPD website at http://aapd.org/ and clicked on
their "Parent Information" link, then the link for information on "Dental
Care for Your Baby."  Here are two breastfeeding-related questions, along
with their answers:

Q: How can I prevent tooth decay from nursing or a bottle?

A: Don't nurse your child to sleep or put your baby to bed with a bottle of
milk, formula, juice, or sweetened liquid. Use only water in the bottle, or
give your baby a pacifier. Check with your pediatric dentist to make sure
your child is getting enough fluoride for decay protection. Lastly, learn
how to brush and floss your child's teeth.

Q: When should bottle or breast feeding be stopped?

A: To assure good dental health, infants should be weaned from a bottle or
nursing at one year of age.

I agree that good dental health is important, but I think that it is just
one component to be considered when making decisions about breastfeeding.  I
appreciated Shauna's excellent advice regarding the importance of starting
good dental care early.   This makes more sense than weaning at one year or
night weaning at the first sign of the first tooth!  Especially if you have
children like mine who nurse more frequently when they are teething.

Sara Dodder Furr, MA, LLL Leader
Lincoln, Nebraska enjoying the Spring weather for another day or two

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