I'm a registered dental hygienist in the province of Alberta. I see client after client presenting the dental needs of the child mentioned in your article. My heart does break for children in need of such dental care. To start with the beginning of your article, regarding the cost of cleaning, 30 minutes of scaling (removal of calculus and plaque biofilm) in Alberta can cost a client approximately 150 dollars. This estimate is on the high end and I truly believe is a reasonable cost for a yearly expense. Secondly, regarding early childhood dental disease, I've seen many cases like the one you've described. But, I must point out that dental caries (cavities/decay) are considered a preventable disease and always have been. I truly appreciate your article for bringing attention to this issue.