Reply: Many people may think it is okay to floss infrequently and better than not flossing. The fact is that it is more beneficial if you floss after every meal. That is two to three times a day. Part-time flossing does not provide adequate preventive dental care.
You may have heard your dentist state how important flossing is for good dental and oral health. By flossing daily, you can remove food bits stuck between your teeth, which helps prevent bacteria from collecting up against your gum line, which can cause gum disease, dental decay, and bad breath.
For children under five, it may be hard to find a general family dentist willing to work on younger children. Seeing a Pediatric dentist may be the best advice since their office is set up to help young children into their preteens. If you have current dental insurance, you should check if Pediatric dentists are covered under your plan. Some dental plans may provide benefits but at the general dentist level. Other dental insurance plans may be in a network-only plan; therefore, you want to ensure your dental insurance plan has a Pediatric dentist in its network.
Question: What is an excellent way to get your child used to going to the dentist?
Answer: One way to show your child that going to the dentist is a good experience is by taking them with you when you go to your dentist for a dental check-up. Ask your dentist if it is okay for your child to watch you have your dental check-up. That way, your child can become familiar with the dental process of having a check-up, but seeing mom or dad having their check-up and seeing how easy one is will make the process much easier.
Knowing when to add a newborn to a current dental insurance plan can be challenging. Unlike many major medical insurances, where your baby is added at birth, with dental insurance, you must make sure to add your child usually during open enrollment. For some, that may seem too soon as their baby may not have teeth. However, adding your child to your dental plan is better than waiting another year. The ADA advises children to see a dentist when they cut their first tooth (a baby’s first tooth cuts in around 6 – 8 months) but no later than their first birthday.
Should your Baby have Vision and Dental Insurance?
A child pediatrician will check babies’ eyes at their regular doctor visits, generally covered under your major medical (however, you should refer to your policy terms and conditions to confirm that). Vision insurance may be needed for a child if advised by your baby’s pediatrician (say if glasses are required). For dental, a child should have dental insurance before their first birthday. The ADA advises that a child should see a dentist when they cut their first tooth but by their first birthday. Dental care starts even before teeth come in, so insurance will help with the cost of seeing a dentist.
Researchers at the University of Leeds have discovered a pain-free way of tackling dental decay that reverses the damage of an acid attack and rebuilds teeth as new.
Researchers at the University of Leeds developed a revolutionary new way to treat the first signs of tooth decay. Their solution is to arm dentists with a peptide-based fluid that is literally painted onto the tooth’s surface. The peptide technology is based on knowledge of how the tooth forms in the first place and stimulates regeneration of the tooth defect.
Kids’ dental care can become costly once you get beyond a basic check-up and cleaning. Having dental insurance for you and your family will help make dental care more affordable, not only for preventive dental maintenance but for more extensive dental needs that may come up in the future.
On average, a family of four who see a dentist twice a year for office visits, check-ups, and cleanings can spend up to $100.00 each per visit. Add that up for the year; it is $800.00. However, the same family can buy a low-cost dental insurance plan ranging from $25-$30 a month and get free preventive care for everyone. Add the cost up, and it is only $300-$360 a year, which is an average savings of $440.00, just talking about preventive care services.
Saliva Test Can Dramatically Increase Oral Cancer Detection.
A Michigan State University surgeon is teaming up with a Lansing-area dental benefits firm on a clinical trial to create a simple, cost-effective saliva test to detect oral cancer. This breakthrough would drastically improve screening and result in fewer people dying of the world’s sixth most common cancer. Barry Wenig, the lead investigator on the project and a professor in the College of Human Medicine’s Department of Surgery, is working with Delta Dental of Michigan’s Research and Data Institute to compile study data and recruit dentists. The study will enroll 100-120 patients with white lesions or growths in their mouths and tonsil areas to test as part of the clinical trial.
Fish Oil Supplements May Help Treat Periodontal Disease.
Periodontitis (Gum Disease) affects more than half of adults. It’s linked to an increased risk of stroke and other heart problems. To evaluate whether fish oil supplementation could be an adjunct therapy for periodontitis, Dr. Alison Coates from the University of South Australia and colleagues from the School of Dentistry at the University of Adelaide in Australia reviewed evidence from eight unique studies involving humans.
Their review of these studies showed that improvements in clinical measures were common in all studies but were scientifically significant in two that used a combination of fish oil and aspirin. Although this is not conclusive evidence, intake of fish oil is recommended for health benefits beyond the teeth.
Parents and caregivers play a role in reducing the risk of early childhood caries in children.
Cavities in children ages 2 to 5 increased from 24 percent to 28 percent between 1988-1994 and 1999-2004 and are still on the rise. Parents and caregivers should provide a well-balanced diet but stop un-restricted, at-will consumption of liquids, beverages, and foods containing fermentable carbohydrates, which can contribute to decay after the eruption of the first tooth. Provide proper oral hygiene practices, such as cleaning an infant’s teeth after consuming foods and liquids containing fermentable carbohydrates. Periodically check your child’s teeth at home as directed by your child’s dentist. A baby should have their first dental visit by the time their first tooth erupts or by their first birthday
Early Childhood Caries is the presence of one or more decayed, missing, or filled tooth surfaces in any primary tooth in a preschool-age child between birth and 71 months. Whereas the term “Severe Early Childhood Caries” refers to “atypical,” “progressive,” “acute,” or “rampant” patterns of dental caries. A child’s teeth are susceptible to tooth decay as soon as they erupt. Many aspects of early childhood caries, such as baby bottle tooth decay, are recognized as one of the more severe manifestations of this syndrome.
There have been cases where people have died due to untreated dental infections. Dental care costs are one reason dental services get continuously delayed. Yet by having proper preventive dental care before more significant issues can develop, price does not have to be a factor. Many good low-cost dental insurance plans offer free to very low-cost preventive care services.
Another problem is that many people (even those with dental benefits) don’t take dental care seriously and will avoid even simple dental check-ups altogether. Stating that they do not have the time or their teeth are not hurting them, so why bother? Sadly, that is a typical attitude even regarding health care. Many people only see a doctor if something is bothering them. Preventive maintenance can save not only your teeth but your life as well.
What are supplemental dental insurance plans? Supplemental dental insurance plans are intended to fill the gaps in coverage that may be present in dental benefits offered as part of an existing health insurance plan. Some health insurance benefits packets provided through employment may not offer dental benefits; if they do, they are minimal. Picking up a supplemental dental insurance plan will help fill your coverage gaps. Generally speaking, such additional dental coverage is purchased to address out-of-pocket expenses for regular, annual visits to the dentist for teeth cleanings, routine X-rays, and other aspects of preventive care.
Many people don’t receive dental benefits through work and will go without. Some feel the dental insurance is not worth the cost since they may not see the dentist even once a year, let alone twice. Other people may feel the dental insurance cost needs to be lowered to buy independently.
For the people that only go to the dentist occasionally, it can be hard to convince them that seeing a dentist for twice a year checks and cleanings is essential even though many studies have proven that dental and oral health care can affect your overall health care as well. Having dental insurance is a way to be able to have your preventive dental care for free. Dental insurance will make going to the dentist worth it regarding cost factors. Preventive dental care services are much less than major restorative dental care, which may be needed if you are not seeing a dentist. Dental insurance will also make major dental care services more affordable.
Depending on the type of dental insurance dental plan you may want, you can rely on the cost factor for insurance. Not all dental plans are costly. There are many low-cost dental HMO insurance plans and dental discount plans. Both types of dental plans will help to make dental care much more affordable at an affordable cost.
Gum Disease in Elderly Linked to Low Protein Levels. In a new study published by Nature Immunology, low protein levels known as Del-1 may cause gum diseases in older people. The Queen Mary University of London researchers conducted the study on a group of young and old mice and found that low levels of Del-1 in older mice led to severe gum disease and bone loss. Del-1 has been found to make the immune system prevent white blood cells from sticking to and attacking the mouth tissue.
The Association Between Oral Health and Heart Health Researchers have discovered that the association between heart health and dental health is much stronger than previously imagined. New studies suggest that people with some dental issues can be at risk for developing heart disease and that medical and dental professionals should check certain clinical aspects.
The reason why you may have bad breath. Many people suffer from bad breath, and although food can directly explain why some may have bad breath for the day, what about chronic bad breath? Some reasons for chronic bad breath are:
Dry Mouth
Smoking
Routine illnesses: such as colds, sore throats, coughs, and sinus infections
Poor Dental Hygiene
Gum Disease
Tooth Decay
Chronic Diseases or Conditions
Medications
If you feel your bad breath is more than just the foods you eat, talk to your doctor and dentist for help controlling foul breath odor.
Dental Schools Help to Make Dental Care More Affordable.
Generally speaking, the cost to have a root canal and a crown can run as high as $2000. In most cases, the dentist will want his money at the time of service rendered. What are some options for dental care if you do not have that kind of money? Consider considering visiting a local university that has a school of dentistry. Many dental schools offer reduced-cost services to needy patients based on income. There is still a cost to restorative dental work, but it can help reduce costs significantly.
New Technology Provides Relief for Sensitive Teeth.
A new ingredient in toothpaste, developed by dentists, called Novamin, can dramatically reduce teeth sensitivity. Teeth become sensitive when the gum tissue recedes, or tooth enamel wears down, exposing a tooth’s roots. Roots contain small holes or tubules that lead to nerves. Novamin plugs up the holes cutting off contact with nerves and eliminating pain.
