Your oral health starts with clean teeth. Keeping the area where your teeth meet your gums clean can help prevent gum disease. Keeping your tooth surfaces clean will help you prevent cavities. Consider these brushing basics from the American Dental Association: 

• Brush your teeth twice daily with a soft-bristled brush. The size and shape of your brush should fit your mouth, allowing you to reach all areas easily. 
• Replace your toothbrush every three or four months or sooner if the bristles are frayed. A worn toothbrush won’t do an excellent job of cleaning your teeth.  
• Make sure to use an ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste.
• The proper brushing technique is to: 
• Place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gums.  
• Gently move the brush back and forth in short (tooth-wide) strokes. 
• Brush the outer surfaces, the inner surfaces, and the chewing surfaces of the teeth. 
• To clean the inside surfaces of the front teeth, tilt the brush vertically and make several up-and-down strokes. 
• Brush your tongue to remove bacteria and keep your breath fresh.

Taking care of your oral health is essential, starting with clean teeth. Regular brushing using the proper technique and an ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste can help prevent gum disease and cavities. Remember to replace your toothbrush every three to four months or sooner if the bristles are frayed. Following these brushing basics from the American Dental Association, you can maintain good oral hygiene and keep your smile healthy and bright.

Detailed And Extensive Oral Evaluation Problem Focused

A detailed and extensive problem-focused evaluation entails extensive diagnostic and cognitive modalities based on the findings of a comprehensive oral evaluation. Integration of more extensive diagnostic modalities to develop a treatment plan for a specific problem is required. The condition requiring this type of evaluation should be described and documented. Examples of conditions requiring this type of evaluation may include dentofacial anomalies, complicated perio-prosthetic conditions, complex temporomandibular dysfunction, facial pain of unknown origin, severe systemic diseases requiring multi-disciplinary consultation, etc.

Children Dental care, proper dental care for kids.  My daughter is just cutting her teeth and I am not 100% sure on the proper dental care.  I been wiping her mouth out after feeding but should I be brushing her teeth now too? How often and with what.  I heard you do not use toothpaste until they are around four to five so what do you use to brush kids teeth with?  Advise please.

My son is 13 and hates to go to the dentist even for just a cleaning.  He thinks that if he brushing three times a day and flosses at night I should leave him alone about going to the dentist since he as yet to get any cavities.

I do not know why he dislike going so much he never had more then a cleaning done.  How can I make him see that no matter how often he brushes I am still taking him to the dentist twice a year for his check ups and cleanings.

I am getting so tired of being taken by dentist.   When I first starting going to this one dentist he was charging $95.00  for just a cleaning.   There are three of us so you can see when you add X-rays cost once a year it was pricey but I still managed.

Over the coarse of two years since then his cost for mind you use a basic cleaning is up to $125.00 I fed up.  I called around only to find out that this seems to be the going rate.  One dentist is 98.00 but when you add in that he wants to do X-rays and I would have office charges again we get back up over and above $125.00

Why can there not be cost stops on dental work.  It like the keep changing their prices on a whim and I am the one trying to figure out how we are to come up with this kind of money.   Any advise on were I can go for low cost dental care for basic need?

Tooth Decay

Tooth decay is the destruction of the outer surface of a tooth from acid forming bacteria that is produced by food containing carbohydrates (sugars and starches).

Tooth Decay Prevention

Brush your teeth twice a day with a tooth paste that contains fluoride. Preferably, brush after each meal and before bedtime to help reduce the bacteria from staying on your teeth for a certain length of time.

You may wish to consider these helpful tips as well:

– Floss your teeth daily to prevent tooth decay and gum disease.

– Check with your dentist regarding the use of a supplemental fluoride which strengthens your teeth and helps prevents tooth decay.

– Consider dental sealants which is a plastic like substance placed on the top of molars to protect the teeth from decay.

– Use mouth wash with fluoride. Many of them kill 50% or more of the bacteria that cause tooth decay.

– Chewing gum with the ingredient Xylitol may also kill some of the bacteria which causes tooth decay.

-Visit your dentist regurally

-Maintain dental insurance and or a dental plan to keep your dental cost low.

I just got dental insurance for my family and my three year old went to see the dentist we picked for her.  The dentist is wanting to see my daughter four times a year for a cleaning.  Our insurance covers for only two.  Is not four times a year a bit excessive?  I was always told two times a year was good enough.   I this dentist just trying to get more money from us?

My ten year old son needed to have a filing on one of is back molars.   Luckily  it is a baby tooth.  Which he should lose in a year or two any way.  He has in the past other cavities in his baby teeth but nothing in his adult teeth.

How do I get him to take better care of his teeth.  I think he may not be brushing good enough.  I also have to remind him to floss which I believe he does do but only when I tell him.

My son is 10 and he does brush his teeth when I tell him to but not long enough and I am sure not good enough.  I know this since so far he has had three cavities.  Luckly they have been on his baby teeth.  How do I get him to get better with his oral health care?

This may seem straight forward but you can avoid your children having dental decay by making sure they have the right brushing and flossing habits.  The first step to dental care and good oral health comes from home.

Make sure your children are brushing and flossing correctly.  That means brushing for at least two minutes two times a day.  I suggest that if they have a full breakfast, lunch and dinner they should brush after every major meal.   Your child should also learn how to floss.  Flossing need s to be done once a day.

Now I am not one to say do not give sweets to kids because the fact is tooth decay can happen with any food item if good brushing habits are not in place.  However it is a good idea try and avoid food that can be harmful to tooth enamel.. Food like sour candy, soda, even too many fruits with acids like oranges or orange juice can be harmful. Be mindful of these types of food as they can over time wear down tooth enamel that  helps protect the tooth from decay.

And do not forget the importance of seeing your family dentist at least twice a year.  Prevention is the key to keeping your dental cost low.

What is a good age to get dental insurance for your child?  I do not have dental insurance right now and I am a singal mom.  However my son is going on one.  I think I need to take him to his first dental appointment soon.

I have the money to pay for a dental visit since he really does not have too many teeth right now I can see his dental cost being to high.  However when is a good age to pick him up some dental insurance?

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My four year old has three teeth with minor cavities.  I am not sure why she would have so many cavities.  I am with her when she brushes her teeth and we brush them two times a day.   I will be having her get the required filling but I do not want her to continue geting cavities.

If I am doing something wrong then I would like to know how to correct it so that she does not get more cavities.  Advise is welcome

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I am looking for good dental insurance for my wife and two boys.   We currently have dental though my job but it is just a little basic plan.  I am wanting something more since my sons are now five and six.

I want to make sure that if they need more then cleanings I have a good enough dental plan that will work.  It would also be nice for my wife and I though we take good care of our teeth I guess anything can happen.  What do you suggest?

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My five year old does not really brush her teeth.  She just plays around and acts like she is.  I do not understand why she is like this.  My seven year old son has no problems with brushing.  The only time she brush for the full three mintues is when I am watching her.

I would think by five she should be able to brush without it be an issue every day two times a day.  Do you have any helpful tips that I could try to maybe make her like brushing her teeth better?

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My son is only two months old.  So right now he does not have any teeth.  My doctor told me I still need to wipe my son gums after each feeding so that he does not have extra milk in his mouth.  Then when he gets his teeth in I should take him to see a dentist.

So I have been doing as suggested to me by my doctor.  My friend told me about dental wipes and that is what she uses to clean her daughter teeth.  She said they work just like brushing but are easier to use when you are dealing with an infant.  I though you just brush the teeth when the start to come in.  Are dental wipes just as good?

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I have a three year old boy.  Lately I started to notice  brown spots on three of his teeth. At first thought they may have been a bit of food and he was not brushing well. So  I started to bush his teeth but the spots are still there.

I made  a dental appointment for my son so I will be taking him to see the dentist about these spots in a few days. I am worried that my son may have dental caries though as a baby I never let him sleep with a baby bottle.  I also made sure he brushed his teeth each day.  What can these spots be if not cavities?

My son baby teeth are just not coming in but they have a yellowish look to them.  I am worried about the color of his teeth.  He had jaundice so I am wondering if that has anything to do with is current teeth color.

I been brushing his teeth twice a day were before I was doing it only once in hopes that would help remove the yellowish coloring.  It so far has not helped.   I am not sure if this his just his normal teeth coloring or if there is something wrong with his teeth.

My son when in for his check up and cleaning and the dentist found two small cavities.  I do not understand why he should be getting cavities.  I have him brush his teeth after breakfast and before bed time.

The teeth in question are lucky baby teeth.  However I do not want him to get any more cavities but I am not sure what it is he is not doing.   The only thing he may not be doing enough of is flossing but I do tell him to floss before going to bed too.  Any advise on what I should do to get him into better brushing and flossing habits now so that he will not continue to have cavities in the future.