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When people go to the dentist, they generally expect to leave in better health than when they walked in. But the water that dentists use to rinse teeth sometimes carries infectious bacteria. The Orange County Health Care Agency in California says that nearly two dozen children who received so-called baby root canals, or pulpotomies, are thought to have developed dangerous bacterial infections. Dentists perform pulpotomies to remove infected pulp inside a baby tooth so the rest of the tooth can be spared. (Ross, 9/30)

The county’s Health Care Agency on Friday put the number of children who contracted serious dental infections at an Anaheim clinic at 25. The agency said the 25 patients, whose ages range from 3 to 9, were all hospitalized at some point. The affected children underwent pulpotomies, or baby tooth root canals, at Children’s Dental Group in Anaheim between April 6 and July 28. Earlier this week, the Health Care Agency said six children remain hospitalized. (Bharath, 10/1)

Open wide. There’s a host of researchers peering inside your mouth, and you may be surprised at what they hope to find. They’re looking for a connection between gum disease and illnesses such as breast cancer and even dementia. (Levingston, 10/1)

Maintaining oral health means following advice so familiar it’s almost boring: Brush for two minutes twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste. Clean between teeth once a day with floss, a small brush or pick. And visit your dentist regularly. (The American Dental Association, commenting on recent reports that evidence doesn’t support flossing, says that doesn’t mean such cleaning isn’t effective.) (Levingston, 10/1)