Teeth grinding (Bruxism) is a common problem in adults as well as children.  In fact according to a study three out of ten children grind or clench their teeth.  This is usually due to losing teeth, jaw growth or other discomforts such as allergies. Kid also grind their teeth in response to stress and by taking measure to reduce or stop stress can help solve the problem.  However make sure you talk to your child dentist and inform him or her that your child is grinding or clenching their teeth.

Feds consider less fluoride in water. Although fluoride in drinking water is credited with dramatically cutting cavities and tooth decay too much fluoride in drinking water is causing Flurosis (white spots or streaking) This is one reason why the federal government has announced plans to lower the recommended limit for fluoride in water supplies. Which is the first change of its kind in nearly 50 years.

Mercury amalgam filling or other wise know as silver filling are made up of almost 50 percent mercury which can make some people sick. Having mercury filling replaced with porcelain fillings makes for a healthier and stronger restoration option.

Many dentist are no longer using the old amalgam filling option but in the past these filling were commonly used. If you have questions about your silver or amalgam filling talk to your dentist and see if replacing with porcelain is a good option for you.

Due to baby boomer aging the number of older adults are increasing. Therefore more people are facing tooth loss more commonly among the elderly. One Survey taken estimates that 37 millions Americans will need dentures by 2020.

In an article taken from the Journal of Oral Implantology reports on an alternative treatment to dentures. The “All-on-Four” therapy uses four implants to support a fixed prosthesis, and the patient’s new teeth can be put in place the day of surgery.

The All-on-Four treatment maximizes the use of available bone and allows immediate functionality. Four implants are placed two near the front and two near the back of the dental area. These support a fixed, full-arch prosthesis that is put in place the same day as the surgery. The success of this therapy is judged not only by its comfort and usability for the patient, but also by its longevity.

A panel of multi-disciplinary experts convened by the American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs issued a report containing clinical recommendations that ugar-free chewing gum, lozenges and hard candy including xylitol or polyol combinations, and a prescription varnish with chlorhexidine and thymol could be beneficial in preventing cavities when used as adjuncts to a comprehensive cavity prevention program which includes the use of fluoride-containing products.

In Chicago IL a landmark meeting brought together experts from both medical and dental professionals. The Diverse disciplines got together for the purpose of understanding and advancing awareness of the oral and systemic health link. The mission was to bridge the outdated communication gap between the two disciplines.

Prescribed CPAP is considered to be the standard in sleep apnea treatment, more people are opting to use a lightweight dental appliance that keep the airway open, which helps ensuring a restful night sleep. For people with sleep apnea that are not using their prescribed CPAP machine or can’t tolerate it discuss oral appliance therapy with their doctor.

My husband currently has a dental bridge, however it is old and needs to be replaced.  However If we can afford to get him dental implants we rather have implants compared to a new dental bridge.   We know they can be costly and they are not covered under our current dental plan. Are there any dental plans that provides some coverages towards the cost of dental implants?

Answer: Many dental insurance plans do not provide dental benefits towards the cost of dental implants.  You may want to review dental discount plans as a way of reducing the cost of having dental implants.  If a dental discount plan has a dentist that does implants then the savings can run around 15 to 20 percent.

Is Changing Each year, despite the risks of any surgical procedure, millions of healthy, wisdom teeth are being extracted from young patients. Even though many dental insurance plans cover the removal of wisdom teeth, there very little scientific evidence supporting the routine extraction of wisdom teeth. In fact some countries have abandoned the practice of pulling out wisdom teeth unless necessary. Talk to your dentist and go over all factors of pulling wisdom teeth then do what you feel is best for you or your child.

It is perfectly normal for infants to suck on their fingers and thumbs. Most baby will stop by age of two. If your child does not, try to discourage finger and thumb sucking after age four. Prolonged thumb sucking can create crowded, crooked teeth, or bite problems. As your pediatric dentist for ways to address a prolonged thumb sucking issue.

Most dentist advise that a baby should see a dentist by the age of one. In the past many people did not take their child to see a dentist until they were much older normally between two and five years old. So why take your baby to see the dentist so early?

The reason why early dental prevention is important is that dental problems can begin early. One main concern is early childhood caries or BBTD. Your child risks severe tooth decay from using a bottle during naps or at night or when they nurse continuously.

The sooner the dental visit, the better the chance of preventing dental problems. Baby teeth are important since children with healthy baby teeth can chew food easily, learn to speak clearly, and smile with confidence. Starting your child now on good dental habits can lead to a lifetime of good dental habits and oral health care.

Research is suggesting that pregnant women getting dental X-rays are more likely to have underweight babies. This new study is the first to link dental X-rays with low birth weight and full-term babies. However do not cancel your dental appointment. Dentist already know to not take unnecessary X-rays of pregnant patients. Maintaining dental care during pregnancy is important since poor dental health is neither good for you or your baby. Just beware and let your dentist know if you are pregnant or could be pregnant, so proper precautions can be taken

Teething Symptoms:  Here are some signs that your baby is teething..  Drooling, wakefulness, being cranky more then normal, crying, biting and chewing. As well as having tender gums. Your baby may also be fussy when feeding. Over drooling my cause skin irritation around their mouth.

Teething gums may look swollen and red, you may see little white dots or small opining where the tooth is cutting though. Although your baby may get loose stools while teething, look out for diarrhea and fever.  Fever and diarrhea is not really a symptoms of teething, therefore should take you baby to the doctor for a check up since it is probably is not related to your baby teething.

I am an independent contractor out here in Phoenix AZ.  My medical insurance is though my wife plan she get at work.  However we do not have dental insurance. We would like a dental PPO plan so we can see our dentist but do all PPO plans have long term waiting periods.

Answer: Most dental PPO plans do come with plan waiting periods average is 6 months for basic dental services and 12 months for majors with preventive dental care being effective at the effective date of the plan.  However waiting periods will very depending on the plan and you may find a dental PPO plan that does not have waiting periods. Though make sure you read the plans terms and conditions.  Often times PPO plans without waiting periods are limiting your coverages in other ways within the first year of the plan.

My husband has a child from a previous marriage.  He has been order to get the dental and medical insurance for his son. He has his son on his medical insurance plan that he gets from work.  However since he does not have dental insurance he has to get a dental insurance plan for his son.

The problem is we wanted to get him an affordable HMO dental plan since it offer good coverages for his son dental needs and it offers a low month rate cost for the plan.  However is X is saying that is not good enough she wants him to get this PPO plan that will cost $68.00 a month since they will not let a minor be on the plan by his self.   I am mad as a wet hen that she is only doing this to upset my husband and to force him into adding her onto the plan. We will not buy dental insurance like that so she has to be listed.  Is there any PPO plans that will only write a minor on the plan?

Answer: Yes we have two PPO insurance companies that will let you have just a minor on the plan. All the Nationwide programs you see and the Standard Life dental plans. Both offer PPO and will work for your needs.

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Children Musical instruments may have germs that are bad for your health. Parents should make sure their child woodwind and brass instruments are properly cleaned after playing. One such study done looked for germs in a total of 117 distinct testing sites, including mouthpieces and reeds, internal chambers and cases of the instruments and found more than 400 bacteria, 19 yeasts and 58 molds that could risk a musician’s health.

With more people turning to alternative medicine people are finding out that clove oil may help to alleviate toothache pain. If you choose to use clove oil it can be applied with a cotton swab or q-tip to the affected area. You can normally find clove oil in most health food stores.

However although clove oil is safe to use in small amount, however in large quantities it can be hazardous causing liver and respiratory problems. One should also keep in mind that it help to relieve toothache pain but does not fix the problem as to why your tooth is hurting in the first place. Whenever you are experiencing toothache pain you should see your dentist.

Be proactive in your child oral health care routine. Healthy baby teeth will lead to healthy adult teeth and good dental habits. Here are some easy tips on baby dental care.

1. Brush your baby teeth twice a day using a child tooth brush
2. Use only a smear of children toothpaste
3. You can get a child tooth brush in many places such as local pharmacy/drug store or a large supermarket.
4. An easy way to brush you child teeth is by having them sit on your knee with their head against your chest.
5. Brush their teeth like you would your own in small circles. Making sure to brush each tooth
6. Have you child watch you brush your teeth. This set a good example and shows them how to start brushing their teeth on their own when they are ready to do so.
7. When taking your child to the dentist make it a fun day and keep things light. It will make it easier for them to go to the dentist and lessen any chance of dental fears.

Some people still do not feel that baby teeth are all that important to worry about, and therefore do not always give proper dental care to their child/baby. Still other people do not know that dental carries on baby teeth can cause tooth decay on the underlying adult teeth yet to coming in.

Baby teeth play an important role in your child development because they aid in chewing, reserve space for permanent teeth, help with speech development, and help the face retain its normal shape. It is estimated that 90% of people in the US have at least one cavity and that 75% of people had their first cavity by the age of five.