my 10 year old has really bad plaque build up

[bootman]

I think I need some really good advice from Toothsmith.

My 10 year old sons teeth just look horrid. He has plaque in between and on the backs of the lowers ones. I just cannot shift it.

We went to the dentist only last week for a check up and the dentist just said if I clean them properly it should come away, which is just not going to happen, it won't. Why does my NHS dentist not do this for him? I remember as a child every visit the dentist would remove any small deposits on my teeth as routine. His deposits are really bad. All the dentist ever seems to do is just look.

Tonight he has just come to me and part of one of his front bottom teeth at the back has come off, leaving a very thin piece at the front.

Does this need to be seen to straight away, he says if feels like the thin front bit will break off.

Thank you for any help and advice.

[Toothsmith]

If the plaque has been there a long time, it calcifies and turns into tartar. This is hard, and needs the dentist to scale it off, which is very easy and hardly takes any time.

Not sure about that broken bit without seeing it. Could it be a bit of the tartar that has broken off?

Get to your dentist ASAP for it to be checked out, and ask him to clean off the tartar as well, and maybe even give some toothbrush instruction.

Some places have oral health educators who will paint the teeth pink to highlight the paque and show good brushing techniques.

If you can't get something like that, then it's time to stand over him for a while whilst he's brushing to supervise it.

The sheer embarrassment of this for a 10 yr old may well have him pulling his socks up a bit!!

[bootman]

Thank you Toothsmith, I will call the dentist first thing. It is definately tooth that has come away not the tartar.

I did ask at the check up if he could clean them up, that's when he basically said I should be able to get it off, but you new without seeing, as I know it wont come off without scraping.

Is this something even with an NHS dentist for a child you have to pay for? Is that perhaps why he does not remove it as routine when we visit for check ups? He has never scraped his teeth in all the years we have been going.

I did tell him I have bought a sonic air toothbrush and he regularly uses plax mouthwash as well.

Many thanks

[Toothsmith]

The clean up should be done on the NHS if it is necessary.

Definitely ditch the Plax - it's pretty useless - I'm not sure about the toothbrush either.

I'd sooner have 10yr olds getting good technique with a manual brush. And it's much cheaper to change a manual brush more frequently. Sonicair ones are very expensive, and I would be surprised if a 10 yr old could get the full 6 months out of one judging by the rate my sons chew toothbrushes until they're curly!