In Washington a two and a half year old had to under go dental surgery, after dental x-rays showed that 11 of his 20 baby teeth had cavities. The pediatric dentist extracted two incisors, performed a root canal on a molar, and gave the rest fillings and crowns.

The child parents did not even worry about brushing their child teeth until they notice his teeth were starting to become discolored. They stated they just had too much on their mind to think about brushing his teeth at night. This is not as uncommon as you may first think, According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention they noted an increase, the first in 40 years, in the number of preschoolers with cavities in a study five years ago

Dentists nationwide are saying they are seeing more preschoolers at all income levels with 6 to 10 cavities or more. With the level of decay, being so severe that they often recommend using general anesthesia because young children are unlikely to sit through such extensive procedures while they are awake.

Children can be fussy about brushing their teeth, one reason can be that they do not like the taste of the toothpaste.  There are many kid friendly toothpaste that may make your child want to brush or brush longer.

Colgate has Colgate Kids in strawberry as well as watermelon flavors.  Crest toothpaste offers a bubblegum flavor. There are other toothpaste that taste like ice cream.  These flavor toothpaste may help brushing their teeth much easier. However keep in mind that like any other toothpaste they are to still be kept out of reach of small children and use only for brushing their teeth and not for eating.

My four year old daughter has two cavities. That my daughter who is only four already has cavities is very upsetting to me because I feel I fail her.   I brush her teeth in the morning and before bed time daily.  Although these teeth are just baby teeth I do not want her to continue getting more cavities. Not sure want to do about this.  My dentist told me to floss more but how do you floss a four year old to floss?  Getting her use to brushing was hard enough. Advise or suggestions please

Yesterday my son cap came off his back bottom left side molar.  My son is six so the tooth is a baby tooth.  He says it is not hurting him.  I made a dental appointment for my son but they can not get him in for another three days.   What will the dentist do?  My son is not the best when it comes to having to have dental work and he is already crying about having to go.  I would like to be able to prepare him since he has dental fears.

Being five month pregnant with wisdom teeth pain you may be limited to what you can do.  You are also limited to what medicines you can take while pregnant.   If your doctor has approved the use of Tylenol you can take that for your dental pain issues.

You can also rinse with hydrogen peroxide 3 times a day. This will kill the bacteria in the gums and help to avoid any infection.  However see your dentist and your doctor about your wisdom teeth pain, even pregnant your dentist along with your doctor will be able to advise what is best needed

My wisdom teeth are starting to cause me a lot of pain and I am currently five months pregnant.   Do to the pain I am in I can not get  good sleep which is making life very hard for me since I have also have a two year old son that I am running after all day.

Between the dental pain I am having and the lack of good sleep I am getting constant headaches.  I do not think I have any infection because there is no swelling.  I been told that  I can not do anything right now since the teeth will need to be extracted by an oral surgeon.   What am I to do for the remaining 4 months.

The early stages of periodontal disease show few warning signs or symptoms. Many people go unaware of a periodontal problem until their gums become soft and bleed slightly when they brush their teeth. As the periodontal disease progresses, there are more-serious changes, a person would start to notice. some of these signs are:

Swollen gums, bright red gums, Tender gums,  gums that pull away form the tooth (receding gums), gaps or spaces developing between your teeth, persistent bad breath or bad taste in your mouth and any loose teeth.    Prevent periodontal disease by having good dental care habits at home and by seeing your dentist regularly.

Looking for advise on how to keep my  one year old  gums healthy.  Both my husband and I have very strong teeth and no cavities,  however we seem to always  have gum issues even with health teeth and having good dental habits.  This was the same as with my parents their teeth are strong but they have bad gums.  I worry that my child will have bad gums like us if we do not stay on top of things.  Advise please

I need dental help  my four year old.  My son  has three in the back that are turning black.  I do not know why he has such bad teeth I brush them twice sometime three times a day.  I need to take him to see a dentist but do not have enough money to pay for dental care.  Is there any where I can take him to get  free dental care or at least low cost dental care.  Do you offer an dental plans in Florida that can help my son.  I can afford a low cost dental plan if it offer free dental services.

A new warning from the Food and Drug Administration states that certain electric toothbrushes may not be safe for use. Certain Spinbrush toothbrush have been know to brake on more the one occasion, causing pieces of the toothbrush to injure eyes, and teeth, and even choking.

According to the FDA, the following models of the Spinbrush have the potential to cause injury:  Spinbrush SONIC, Spinbrush SONIC Recharge, Spinbrush Swirl, Spinbrush ProClean, Spinbrush ProClean Recharge, Spinbrush Pro Whitening, Spinbrush Classic Clean, Spinbrush For Kids and Spinbrush Replacement Heads

It is important to note that electric toothbrushes can be very effective in removing dental plaque and help to prevent tooth decay and gum disease.  However children should be supervise when using these types of toothbrushes.

My son is a over three years old,  I worried that his thumb sucking may start to make his teeth crooked.   I heard that things like pacifiers and thumb sucking are not a good thing for a baby to do once their teeth are in. I have been trying to get him to stop the thumb sucking but it make him upset when I do.  How long should I let this continue?  Should I just leave him be and he will stop on his own.  What is the best thing to do?

An NYU nursing-dental research team has found, that oral blood samples drawn from deep pockets of periodontal inflammation can be used to measure hemoglobin A1c.  Hemoglobin A1c blood glucose measures from oral blood compare well to those from finger-stick blood, the researchers say. The findings are from a study funded by an NYU CTSI grant awarded to the research team last year.

At what age should you take your child to see a dentist.   My mother did not take me to a dentist until I had to go into kinder garden, so I was around six years old before I saw a dentist for the first time.   My mother stated it is not necessary for a child to see a dentist sooner then this.   Seems to me as if I should take my son in sooner then six.  Right now I do not have dental insurance but feel like if I do take him to see a dentist,  that I should get dental insurance for myself and my one year old son.

Estimates show about 1.1 million men and women suffer for eating disorders in the UK.  This figure is even thought to be higher since many people with eating disorders keep the problem secret.  A study done by University of Bergen in Norway, showed that patients who suffer from eating disorders, such as Anorexia and Bulimia, experienced substantially more dental health problems. For example, sensitive teeth, severe dental erosion and facial pain compared to people without eating disorders.

My daughter’s baby teeth are yellowish color and this starting to concerns me. My daughter is two years old and I do brush and even floss her teeth daily. However her teeth are still yellow and does not seem to be whitening up regardless her dental care at home.  Should I be taking her in to see a dentist about her teeth color

Gingivitis is an inflammation of the gums. This commonly occurs because of films of bacteria that accumulate on the teeth which is called plaque.  A person who has gingivitis will normally have red and puffy gums. Their gums will most likely bleed when they brush their teeth.

Generally, gingivitis can be resolved with good oral hygiene habits, such as longer and more frequent brushing, and flossing. Some people may find that using an antiseptic mouthwash, alongside proper tooth brushing and flossing also helps.  People that have gingivitis may need to see a dentist more then just twice a year to make sure that dental habits are being maintain and for check ups. Since untreated, gingivitis can progress to periodontitis, which is more serious and can eventually lead to loss of teeth.

I am a single male looking for an affordable dental insurance plan for my six year old son.  I will be willing to look at a dental discount plan if that is the only way to get a dental help at an affordable cost.  However I would prefer to have dental insurance.  I been online reviewing many dental insurance plans that are all too costly for me.  What do you have that you can suggest. Thanks.

A study, published in the journal Microbiology suggests that Stripping some mouth bacteria of their access key to gangs of other pathogenic oral bacteria could help prevent gum disease and tooth loss. Oral bacteria called Treponema denticola frequently gang up in communities with other pathogenic oral bacteria to produce destructive dental plaque. This bacterial access key could be a drug target for people who are at high risk of developing gum disease.

Kids dental care can become costly once you get beyond a basic check ups and cleaning.  Having dental insurance for you and your family will help make dental care more affordable not only for preventive dental care but for larger dental needs that may come up in the future.

On average a family of four who see a dentist twice a year for just office visit, check ups and cleanings can spend up to $100.00 each person per visit. Add that up for the year it comes to $800.00 a year for only preventive dental care. However, the same family can buy a low cost dental insurance plan ranging from $25-$30 a  month and get free preventive care for everyone in the family.  Add the cost up and it is only $300-$360  a year that is a average savings of $440.00 and that just talking about preventive dental care services.

Garlic is very good for you,  and in studies it shows how garlic can help fight off infections,  keep your immune system healthy, and even may even prevent bone and joint problems later in life.  Beside that garlic taste good in may foods we  enjoy to eat.  The one down side to garlic is   the bad breath effect afterwords.  Not to many people are a fan of garlic breath. However a quick way to help neutralize the garlicky smell fast is to sip a small glass of milk.