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Tooth decay in children is what some call a hidden epidemic....And one local dentist says tooth decay isn't hard to find. Reporter Ashley McMillan sat in the chair with one local dentist who has a few thoughts on why this disease is becoming more prominent. Dr. Bryce?I wish I could say you had no cavities. It's something no one wants to hear from their dentist. But more and more children throughout the United States are..North Dakota is no exception. (Dr. Bryce Goebel/Pediatric Dentist) A big part of the problem, why it's such a huge chronic problem affecting children is access to care. The kids that need to be seen and have things done and preventative measure instituted have a really hard time finding someone to provide that care for them. But not enough care isn't the only problem. A lack of or poor oral hygiene is one factor and diet is a really big factor not only exactly what the diet consists of, but the dietary habits. Frequency of exposure to sugars, juices, PowerAde's, pops, that kind of thing is really hard on teeth, and not catching things early can make things worse. Tooth decay in children can also cause problems in their learning habits if not taken care of right away. Everything is connected and there is always the potential for the infection to spread somewhere dangerous. Infected baby teeth can lead to developmental problems in the permanent teeth, that's a concern. A lot of kids miss school. They have, there are studies that show kids have greater learning problems, other things affect their performance, their daily life performance just because of their tooth decay and the pain that it causes. Dr. Goebel cautions parent to check their child's mouth. Parents that are brushing their children's teeth usually find it and if they're lifting the lip and looking a the teeth closely they can see brown spots or kind of a yellow spot or a breakdown of the tooth. It's no that its that difficult to spot, it's just that people aren't looking. Dentists are getting help from other places as well. The pediatricians are being greatly helpful and their accademy is working towards getting the word out as they're seeing the kids before I would ever see the kids for the well checks as they get older and tha'ts part of the solution. but the solution is not an easy thing. It's a matter of getting the word out on many levels and trying to improve access to care so that the children, once the word is out, can find a provider to help them take care of their needs, then hopefully, the ultimate goal is to prevent the disease, not treat the disease. When kids start getting their first teeth it's time to contact a dentist. It's not very often we see them early enough to try to put into place good eduation, good practices, and the things that are neccessary to prevent the disease.