We had a fairly casual oral hygeine routine for my 22-month old until recently we noticed bad breath and more plaque buildup (we assumed it was due to changing diet). After beginning a more aggressive brushing routine, we noticed the top half of his upper front teeth have moderate decay. (The rest of his teeth are spotless :( ) Our dental insurance kicks in in two weeks, and I have two questions: given that we are now taking scrupulous care of his teeth, will it advance quickly enough that we should run him to a dentist RIGHT NOW and deal with the debt, or will it hold steady? And two, can I cause more damage to his teeth through incautious cleaning until they are repaired? Please, I’m begging anyone with dental training to help me.
We don’t smoke. He doesn’t drink soda and eat candy, or sleep with a bottle of chocolate milk. We just did a bad job cleaning that area, and a worse job checking on it. It got dirty, stayed dirty, and rotted.
I also forgot to mention that he does not seem to be in pain, or we would not consider waiting so long…

My total hip replacement is 11 years old and I take 2,000 mg of Amoxicillin one hour before getting dental treatment. How long will I need to continue taking medication?
oops, please delete the word "always".
Question should read, "How long does a person with a hip replacement need to take an antibiotic before seeing a dentist?"

Sorry, I am so-o-o-o-o tired!

I need braces on my lower teeth. They’re not real bad but are getting a little crowded. I have sensitivity but I can’t think of how this could prove that I need braces to my Dentist or Insurance. What are the most important reasons an insurance provider would need in order to pay for braces and how do I get started with telling my dentist? Would the sensitivity be limited to where the teeth are crowding or no? Could jaw pain be a reason? Thank you.

I currently have no insurance. I will receive health insurance after the first of the year, but it does not include dental. I am trying to figure out how to go to the dentist without dental insurance.

i went to a dentist yesterday finally and they took xrays. they said that i have one cavity.
i was almost hoping that there would be more, though because my teeth are very sensitive to cold and sugar. it feels like there is a really bad cavity when i have either on the back teeth especially for too long.
i know there is sensedyne toothpaste, but its never worked for me. is there any way to make the teeth even a little less sensitive?