A patient and I recently had a difference of opinion regarding breastfeeding. I was teaching this young mom not to get in
the habit of allowing her baby to fall asleep at her breast at night. I told her about the potential for serious tooth decay
down the road. She told me there was no such link. What have you heard?
The experts are divided on this issue. There are studies that indicate that baby bottle syndrome—tooth decay from prolonged
exposure to milk—can occur in breastfed babies. Critics of these studies, though, argue that tooth decay is caused by a number
of things other than milk, including mouth bacteria, poor diet, and lack of oral hygiene.
A recent study, in fact, has done little to settle the matter. The study was done on animals and strictly controlled for confounding
factors, such as diet. This study found that human milk is as cariogenic as formula, and causes more cavities than cow's milk.
The critics, however, attribute the results to the use of stale, frozen human milk over fresh.
The bottom line: Teach your young mom the importance of providing good oral care for the baby as soon as teeth erupt. Instruct
her to limit the baby's intake of sugary foods, and make sure he gets regular dental check ups. Sources: Bowen, W.H. & Lawrence, R. A. (2005). Comparison of cariogenicity of cola, honey, cow milk, human milk, and sucrose. Pediatrics, 116(4), 921.
Barret, A. "Commentaries: Kids, cows and caries: I smell a rat." http:// http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/eletters?lookup=b_date&days=21/ (25 Oct. 2005).
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