Treating periodontal disease now is one of the first lines of defense against these and other medical conditions. Your dentist can discuss with you the periodontal treatment process, providing you with all the information you need to make a decision regarding your oral health and your systemic well-being.

Acid damage or acid erosion is the damage that occurs to teeth as a result of acid being on them.  In order to prevent acid erosion it is important to understand where acid comes from. Acid can come from either of two sources.

he first way is though your stomach: Your stomach contains acid in order to brake down and help digest your food.  However people who have acid reflux can bring up these acids and have them come in contact with their teeth. There are other way this can happen such a anyone with eating disorders.   People with acid reflux knows that certain foods or drinks and cause you to have reflux more then others. Therefore trying to avoid foods and drinks that causes you to have acid reflux would be a good idea. If you find that you have chronic acid reflux it is important to speak to your doctor to see what can be done. Acid reflux can cause damage to your health as well as your teeth.

The second way to get acid on your teeth is by what you eat or drink. Drinks such as frizzy soda, fruit juices and energy drinks can be very corrosive to your teeth.  Even food such as apples, oranges, tomatoes etc can also cause dental erosion and should be limited.  This is not to say you can not have these types of food but try limiting the amount. If you do want a soda drink it do not sip it for hours causing long contact with your teeth.

When your gums are infected, the bacteria that flourish there can easily travel throughout your body to other tissues and organs. Because this process takes time, you may not even realize that you are at risk until more pressing symptoms arise. Medical problems that have been linked to untreated gum disease include the following:     

• Complications in pregnant women, including pre-mature birth and low birth weight infants      
• Dementia in older patients      
• Pancreatic cancer      
• High blood pressure     
• Heart attack     
• Stroke     
• Rheumatoid arthritis and other bone/joint problems     
• Complications in the treatment of diabetes

We have all had moments where we put off something important. All kinds of things can get pushed aside and even forgotten because we are simply not ready to tackle them yet. But when it comes to your oral and dental health, procrastinating is the last thing you should do.   

Time can be precious, but so is your oral health. Being proactive about your dental care will benefit your smile. It will also benefit your pocketbook and result in a more positive experience with your dentist.    

When you put off essential dental care, that could mean a more invasive and more expensive procedure in the future. But when you seek help early, right at the beginning of a problem, you can receive more conservative dental treatment.    

Some of the most common things that are put off are treatment for gum disease and cavities. But treatment for both is much easier and more cost effective when it happens early.

Even dentists and dental associations don’t agree. The study, published in the British Dental Journal, looked at the brushing advice given by dental associations across ten countries, toothpaste and toothbrush companies and in dental textbooks.

They found a wide range of recommendations on what brushing method to use, how often to brush and for how long. The researchers found no clear consensus between the various sources, and a ‘worrying’ lack of agreement between advice from dental associations compared with dental textbooks.

Question: I have a cavity no insurance in pain and want something done now about it

Answer: Then a dental discount plan may be want you will want. I will help to reduce the cost of having a filling and starts the next business day from buying in online at our website. To see the dental discount plans available just enter your zip code in the quote box provided above.

Did you know that studies indicate that gingivitis is nearly a universal finding in children and adolescents. However, advanced forms of periodontal disease are more rare in children than adults, but can it can occur.

Question: My fiancee has been experiencing a lot of pain when chewing lately, and I suspect he has a cavity.  He does not have any dental insurance and I know fillings can be pricey without insurance. Would it be a good idea to buy dental insurance separately/independently? Do you know of any other affordable options when it comes to needing dental services? Thank you.  

Answer: I would suggest looking to either a low cost HMO dental insurance plan since normally HMO plans will not have any waiting periods.  If your fiancée is past the sign up date and can not wait another month for and HMO plan to start then the next option would be a dental discount plan as they too have no waiting periods but will normally start the next business day from buying the plan online.    

Another option would be to seek out going to either a dental clinic or a dental school. Both then to adjust their cost as to what you can afford to pay but they do not always take everyone and it can be on a walk in bases meaning they do not always make appointments. You would have to call and ask these types of questions to make sure.

In a prior post we talked about cost of fillings.  Yet there are additional cost that can not be forget because they are services you would need to have prior to having a filling.    

Usually  there are initial exam cost and without insurance that can range around $20-$100. Then there are the dental X-rays cost which can range around $10-$250. X-rays are normally required in order to determine the extent of the decay before a dentist will perform a filling procedure.     These types of services under a PPO plan would normally fall into their preventive care. Most PPO plans pay 80-100 percent on the cost of preventive services. In addition in most cases preventive care does not have waiting periods.   

With HMO insurance plan in many cased these types of services are free or at a very low cost.  You can really start to see just how much having dental insurance saves you money on your dental care needs.

Question:  I have a back tooth that been hurting off and on and I think I may have a cavity.  However right now I do not have dental insurance is it too late to get some and if not will it cover for a filling right away?  

Answer: No it is not to late to get dental insurance as long as you do not start dental treatment before buying dental insurance.  As for waiting periods many plans do have waiting periods for basic services (fillings being basic) normally around six months. However you may want to review dental HMO insurance plans as they normally do not have waiting periods or a dental discount plan since they do not have waiting periods and are normally effective the next business of buy the plan on line ( well at least the discount plans we sell do )  In order to review the dental insurance and plan options we have available just enter your zip code in the quote box provide above.

If you want to use dental insurance to help cover some of the cost of having braces, you should sign up for dental insurance before getting the braces put on. The reason for that is most dental insurance plans exclude benefits for work currently in progress.  If you have current dental insurance check with the plans benefits to confirm your coverage’s.  Some plan do not offer benefits for orthodontic treatment yet it is offend assumed they do.

A study done by researchers at the Newcastle University, UK reveals adding enzymes from seaweed microbes to toothpaste and mouthwash may offer protection against tooth decay.

They had been studying Bacillus licheniformis to see if it could clean ships’ hulls.  But they now believe that it could protect the areas between teeth where plaque can gather despite brushing.   Their lab tests suggested that the microbe’s enzyme cuts through plaque, stripping it of bacteria that cause tooth decay.

A filling is typically a two-part process in which the dentist first removes the decay then fills the remaining tooth with a protective material. Dentists’ fees are based on the type of filling material used and the number of surfaces needing a filling in a single tooth.  Without dental insurance even basic services like fillings can become costly quickly.  

Here is and example on the average cost for an silver amalgam filling (which is the cheapest filling type you can get.) For A silver amalgam (metal) filling without insurance on one or two surfaces can cost $50-$150; three or more surfaces can cost $120-$300 or more.    

Yet if you choose a PPO insurance plan, most PPO’s plans will pay up to 60-80 percent of the filling cost. Based on the lower coverage of 60 percent that is still a saving of $30-$90 on one or two surfaces and a saving of $72 – $180 on three or more surfaces.  However many PPO plan have waiting periods for basic care normally around six months but can be longer or shorter depending on the plan.     

With an HMO insurance plan they are normally fee based with no waiting periods to give you and idea of cost under one such plan that we offer though California dental their cost for amalgam filling runs from $15 – $28 for 1-4 surface filling. However keep in mind HMO plans are normally fee based so each plan will be different but you can see how much based on this example you are able to save by having dental insurance in place.

In past posts we talked about all the different types of dental insurance and plans that to offer benefits for orthodontic treatments.  If you are going to have or will need braces buying a dental insurance and or dental discount plan is key in reducing your dental care cost.  Yet it is important that you buy a dental insurance and or plan before starting any orthodontic services or it is too late since most dental insurance and even dental discount plans will not provide benefits and or saving if work is current in progress.

When you start Researching dental plans for braces you will first, decide if you want a dental insurance plan or a dental discount plan. With a dental insurance discount plan you will normally get a certain percentage off your dental visits and orthodontic care. Under PPO’s or Indemnity dental plans you have a broad range of orthodontic dentist to choose form since often times these types of insurance plans either let you choose your own provider or go out of network. However note that benefits for orthodontic services can be limited.   

Under an HMO insurance plan often times they may state a cost for braces based on a two year time period. If you need braces for longer then two it then becomes UCR (Usual, Customary and Reasonable) at that point. Under and HMO plan you have to choose a plan provider since there is no out of network   benefits. 

Under a dental discount plan. Generally dental discount plans will save you up to 20 – 25 percent off the cost of any type of braces you may want for any age. Dental discount plans are normally the lowest cost plans ranging around 10.00 a month for and individual and $15.00 month for a family.  Like and HMO you ave to choose providers that are in the plan network.  Yet a dental discount plan is a good way to save money with fewer limitations.

If you are a parent that just been told by your child general dentist that him/her will be needing braces, do not assume that your current dental insurance plan provides benefits for orthodontic services.    

Make sure to take a look at your individual or employer sponsored dental insurance plan to see what coverage you have for braces and orthodontic care. If you find you have no or little coverage you may want to begin researching other dental insurance plans.

If you are an adult that needs to have braces, it can be disheartening to find out that many of the traditional orthodontics insurance (such as PPO’s) typically does not cover the cost of adult braces.  If they do they may still come with long term waiting periods and be limited in the benefits provided for orthodontic care.    

You may want to review a dental discount plan as an option.  Most dental discount plans offer up to 20 percent off the cost of braces regardless of age. When you take into account that braces can cost on up to $5000.00 or more that is a saving of $1000.00 not bad for a $10.00 a month plan.  In order to review both your dental insurance options and dental discount plan options just enter your zip code in the quote box provided above.  And remember if you should have any questions about the dental plans we offer just call our members service line at 310-534-3444 as they will be happy to help you.

When shopping for insurance for Orthodontic dental care keep in mind that not all dental insurance plans include orthodontic coverage’s and those that do, dose not always cover all types of braces. Also anther factor is if it is an adult waiting braces make sure the plan covers braces for adults. Some plan will only offer braces for children up to age 19.

However with that said there are still many affordable dental insurance plans and dental plan that will help you save money off the cost of having braces. Just make sure you read each plan terms and conditions so that you buy the plan that best fits your dental care needs.

According to a study in the February 2007 issue of the Journal of Periodontology, smoking can harm the integrity of dental implants and cause them to fail more often than in a nonsmoker.

Researchers from University of Murcia in Spain investigated if smoking impacts the ability of a dental implant to succeed. They found that smoking is a risk factor with regard to tooth loss and dental implant failure.

Developed by a Japanese scientist is a new microscopically thin film which helps to prevent tooth decay,  make the tooth appear whiter, and put and end to sensitive teeth.

The “tooth patch” is a hard-wearing and ultra-flexible material made from hydroxyapatite, the main mineral in tooth enamel.   Shigeki Hontsu a professor at Kinki University’s Faculty of Biology-Oriented Science and Technology in western Japan stated The “tooth patch” is the world’s first flexible apatite sheet, which we hope to use to protect teeth or repair damaged enamel.