baby tooth decay

was told to not nurse throughout the night or give the babe anything but water when they go down as their teeth will decay... this threw me though because i always thought when a newborn screams millions of times a night you wake up to feed it..   ??????????

Most newborns don't have teeth!

Milk sitting on teeth will lead to decay.  The sugar feeds the bacteria that cause cavities.

Newborns don't have teeth, but it is a good idea to get into the practice of popping the milk supply out once they are asleep, so it doesn't continue to drip into their mouths, and to wipe their gums twice a day with a clean washcloth.  Those teeth generally come out when they are FINALLY sleeping through the night without nursing, but not always.

Another toothy tip - try not to share your silverware with older infants that are eating - it shares the bacteria that cause decay.  And don't fill sippy cups with milk for toddlers to sip at all day - use water.

Ah. Bottle rot. Sounds scary, eh?

Sugars from breast milk and formula can be tough on a baby's teeth. Mine got their first teeth at 3 and 4 months and at that point, they would still occasionally wake up at night to nurse.

I think the bigger issue is putting them to bed with a bottle. Having the constant driping of milk into their mouth and sitting there all night long on a regular basis is what causes problems, not night time feedings.

Rux has some excellent advice!

I just went through this with my son. 

Originally my adult dentist told me not to take my son to the dentist until he was 5 years old.

Here is the deal as we were told by the specialist when we found out my son has cavities.  Newborns don't have teeth so they can nurse on demand. Once the first tooth comes in they need to be night weened and go to the dentist. Be sure you are brushing their teeth morning and night and don't let them drink out of a sippy cup filled with what the dentist calls "liquid carbs" all day.  A little is fine but they can't be allowed to have sugar compounds on their teeth all the time.

Hope that helps.