Early childhood tooth decay is one of the most common infectious diseases found in indigenous children in the United States and Canada, resulting in additional adverse health effects.

In a new policy statement, “Early Childhood Caries in Indigenous Communities,” in the June 2011 issue of Pediatrics (published online Monday, May 30), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) provide recommendations for the prevention of dental disease in young children and pregnant women, through collaboration with primary health care providers, policy makers, and public health practitioners in indigenous communities.

A study using research assistants who posed as mothers of a 10-year-old boy with a fractured front tooth seeking an urgent dental appointment measured dentists’ willingness to provide treatment to children with Medicaid/CHIP versus private insurance.

The study, “Disparities in Child Access to Emergency Care for Acute Oral Injury,” in the June 2011 issue of Pediatrics (published online May 23) found that even when calling Medicaid-enrolled dentists, only 68 percent of children with Medicaid/CHIP were able to obtain an appointment compared to 100 percent of privately-insured children with the same injury.

First-of-its-kind dental practice uses latest technology to provide quality patient care across all specialties — all under one roof

HOUSTON – Greater Houston Dental Specialists (GHDS),  Houston’s premier dental specialty practice, is pleased to announce it has begun accepting patients. The state-of-the-art facility, located in Northwest Houston, opened its doors in early October and offers patients expert dental care across a variety of specialty areas including Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Prosthodontics, Periodontics, Endodontics, Orthodontics, and Pedodontics.

Your Best Health Care is a blog that was created in 2007 to relay information to readers interested in how to navigate various health care topics. The notes contained on each topic are credited to sources relative to the material. Not all information is original, but the blog references additional sources that have been edited for the benefit of readers. Over the past 9 years as I have been involved in the health care industry, I have found that good information gives value to people who need help finding out how things work in the health care market place. This Blog also links to other valuable sources for health care information from sources like the CDC, the Mayo Clinic, Time, CNN, and many other news feeds. I hope you find the topics informative and helpful. This information focuses on dental hygiene.

It's that time of year again when kids look forward to indulging in candy and sweets - and parents begin to fret about the damage all that sugar does to their children's teeth as reported by The Medical News. But the Ontario Dental Association (ODA) says that with a few simple oral health-care tips and practices, kids and parents alike can enjoy Halloween.

Your Best Health Care is a blog that was created in 2007 to relay information to readers interested in how to navigate various health care topics. The notes contained on each topic are credited to sources relative to the material. Not all information is original, but the blog references additional sources that have been edited for the benefit of readers.

The majority of people take a long time before they embark on taking dental care for their kids. Before reaching age five, twenty five percent of children have their first cavity, and a lot more cross that number also – 50 to 70 percent of children will have at least one cavity when they are in the grade schools.