I have been wearing an EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) nightguard on the top jaw for about 18 months as several dentists said my tooth grinding was a problem - some of my molars have cracks in them. I got this nightguard at a chemist warehouse (I am in Australia) for $8. I have a small mouth, but cut it down with scissors to fit. After a few initial sleepless nights I got used to it and found it pretty comfortable. The trouble is that I have recently gradually developed extreme sensitivity in a number of teeth on my left side, and realised that the guard was hugging and covering the left back molars exactly where the pain was developing. I sleep on my right side so overnight my saliva would seep down to the right side of my mouth, and the left side was drying out, as I cannot easily keep my mouth completely closed while wearing the guard. I then realised that I could cut it down a lot smaller as it only needs to cover a few teeth in order to stop my top and bottom rows from touching. I also put some holes in the bottom of it with a skewer to allow my teeth to breathe. But it's like I've developed an allergy to the guard, because pretty much as soon as I put it in my mouth I feel intense pain, so I'm going to have to ditch it. Anyway, there seems to be so little info on the net about what mouth guards are - or should be - made from. I am going to try a really cheap silicone one next and cut it pretty small - luckily I don't move my mouth too much when I sleep, or I would be concerned about choking. And I'm going to make a serious effort to develop mindfulness around any inadvertent grinding I do during the day. Anyway, from my internet research it seems there are heaps of things you can do to make your teeth stronger - Google "remineralizing teeth". You can buy "tooth mousse" to lessen sensitivity, but I read an article on Ayurevedic medicine which said that one of the ingredients in yoghurt is the active ingredient in the mousse - funny, because I'd been craving yoghurt! For tooth health - not to mention everything else health - you need lots of leafy greens! It's better to make your own toothpaste and there are lots of good websites about teeth, like www.healingteethnaturally.com which is rabidly vegetarian, and www.curetoothdecay.com which is rabidly meat promoting. Also, a while ago I wrote an article about tooth health at: http://www.owningpink.com/blogs/owning-pink/biting-the-bullet-taking-the-road-less-travelled-tooth-related-health

Everyone has their own ideas of what is safe, so you'll get varied opinions here and will make your own decisions based on your research. I consider rawhide dangerous and will not give it to my dogs. Your dogs are small right? So yes the Greenies can be dangerous for them, but probably not more than the rawhide. I'd say brush their teeth or give them a raw meaty bone once a week. Chicken back, or turkey necks or beef necks will do a good job keeping tarter away. Two of my dogs are on raw diets, so their teeth are gorgeous. My older dog is on EVO, so I do brush his teeth and also wipe his mouth out with Novaldent (Chlorhexidine) once a day as well.

First of all, I would like to thank everyone for their advise and suggestions. I've been really busy this week so I haven't been able to respond yet. We are allowed to bring homemade treats to school we just have to be carefull as to what is in it. Our school has been pretty good at letting us parents know if there is any food allergy in the class and have even stopped doing class parties for the most part because of food allergies and religion issues. I love the bubbles idea and even thought about it but figured that it would be too messy and knowing 7 year olds, they would want to open them right away in the class room. So I decided to save the teacher some hassle and left the bubbles at the store. I ended up sending in string cheese and whole grain club crackers. We individually wrapped everything and sent the treats in little party bages with a gold medal to go with it (DS wanted to to do race cars as his show and tell so we sent in medals for all the kids). I sent the lables in also so that the teacher coiuld double check everything. The kids liked the little bags and DS was happy to be able to give his friends "presents" as he put it. And I was happy to have found a healthy snack to send in. So many parents send in junk food and I hate it. I try to feed my family healthy stuff as often as I can and junk food is an no no in my house due to DS and SS both having soft teeth. Well DH still manages to bring junk food (pop tarts!) in the house. Grrr! But DS rarely gets it. Thank's again you everyone I really appreceiate all your help. Pets

Petra, the same thing happened to me. I went to the dentist semiannually and all was well. I begin to "age" and suddenly it's gum problems! Anyway, I chose an Oral B (I liked that the brush was "smaller") Professional 3000. I'm meticulous about brushing each tooth and crevice. When the timer goes off I'm not even halfway thru (not a problem, as the timer is just a "warning" and doesn't turn the brush off). I have four heads for my brush. I've distinguished them with fingernail polish "dots" and rotate using the so they have a chance to dry. I've had my current brush for 3 years; it replaced an older model. When this ones goes, it's highly likely I'll get another rotating model (probably Oral B, too). I also have a Waterpik Ultra Water Flosser (also 3 years old). This was my first water flosser and I love it. Besides doing my teeth, I also finish up like the dentist does...spraying between the lips and gums, and the top of the palate. It makes my mouth feel so clean. I continue to manually floss too. Finally, I rinse with a regular mouthwash, especially at night before I turn in. I still go to the dentist every 4 months for a cleaning. I almost look forward to learning my latest pocket numbers, hoping for a move in the right direction. A few have improved and I'm holding on others.