How long has the dentist been in practice. When shopping for a new dentist it is important to know some back round information. One key question to ask and find out about is how long the dentist in question as been in practice. How many years has the dental practice been in the same location? Ask for references or use web sites such as Yelp, Google, Annie’s List. The more you know about the dentist and the dental practice the better off you will be.

A dentist may be the only person you need to know in reference to your oral health. However there may come a time where you will need to see a specialist.  It is a good idea to make sure that your dental insurance plan provides some benefits with regards to having dental work done by a specialist.

Often when shopping for dental insurance people are looking to get preventive dental care such as check ups and cleanings. Your twice a year basic cleaning is in dental terms called dental prophylaxis. Dental Prophylaxis is the scaling and polishing procedure performed to remove coronal plaque, calculus, and stains.

Teeth clenching is the clamping and pressing of the jaws and teeth together in centric occlusion, this is frequently associated with psychological stress or physical effort.

Because they are not caused by bacteria or viral agents, they are not contagious and cannot be spread locally or to anyone else. Treatment is directed toward relieving discomfort and guarding against infection. A topical corticosteroid preparation such as triamcinolone dental paste (Kenalog in Orabase 0.1%®) is helpful.  When should a physician be consulted? Consider consulting a physician if a mouth sore has not healed within two weeks.

Mouth sores offer an easy way for germs and viruses to get into the body, so it is easy for infections to develop. People who consume alcohol, smokers, smokeless tobacco users, chemotherapy or radiation patients, bone marrow or stem cell recipients, or patients with weak immune systems should also consider having regular oral screenings by a physician. The first sign of oral cancer is a mouth sore that does not heal

Estimates show about 1.1 million men and women suffer for eating disorders in the UK.  This figure is even thought to be higher since many people with eating disorders keep the problem secret.  A study done by University of Bergen in Norway, showed that patients who suffer from eating disorders, such as Anorexia and Bulimia, experienced substantially more dental health problems. For example, sensitive teeth, severe dental erosion and facial pain compared to people without eating disorders.

Women have hormonal fluctuations though out their life that can affect their gum health.  Periodontal disease is often a “silent” disease, many women do not realize they have it until it reaches an advanced state. However, at each stage of your life, there are steps a woman can take to protect her oral health.  Make sure to see your dental regularly for oral health check ups and practice good oral health care habits.

Eighty percent of the U.S. population between the ages of 10 to 20, most often women, get canker sores. The best available evidence suggests that canker sores result from an altered local immune response associated with stress, trauma, or irritation. Acidic foods (e.g., tomatoes, citrus fruits, and some nuts) are known to cause irritation in some patients.

Canker sores are different than fever blisters. They are small, red or white, shallow ulcers occurring on the tongue, soft palate, or inside the lips and cheeks; they do not occur in the roof of the mouth or the gums. They are quite painful, and usually last five to ten days.

Treatment of fever blisters consists of coating the lesions with a protective barrier ointment containing an antiviral agent, for example 5% acyclovir ointment. While there is no cure now, scientists are trying to develop one, so hopefully fever blisters will be a curable disorder in the future.

Gaps in-between teeth happen and normally when they are within our smile area for appearance’s people tend to want to have these gaps closed.  Many dentist will often use veneers to fix gaps in teeth, because they are natural looking.  Veneers are thin shell like coverings that cover the front and sides of the teeth.  They are matched to your natural coloring of your teeth.

One of the main advantage of composite filling would be aesthetics. Dentist are able to blend shades to create a color nearly identical to that of your actual tooth. Composites bond to the tooth to support the remaining tooth structure, which helps to prevent breakage and insulate the tooth from excessive temperature changes.

Fever blisters are contagious, from the time the blister ruptures until the sore is completely healed there is a high risk of spreading the infection. The virus can spread to the afflicted person’s eyes and genitalia, as well as to other people.

Fever blisters result from a herpes simplex virus that becomes active. This virus is latent (dormant) in afflicted people, but can be activated by conditions such as stress, fever, trauma, hormonal changes, and exposure to sunlight. When lesions reappear, they tend to form in the same location.

Studies show that severe gum disease can be associated with a higher risk of head and neck cancer cases caused by the Human Pailloma Virus (HPV). Researchers discovered that in comparison with patients with HPV-negative tumors, those with HPV-positive tumors had a considerably higher bone loss, which is a key element for developing severe gum disease.

According to the latest figures, over 6,000 people in the UK have oral cancer, a disease that claims nearly 2,000 lives. The incident rates of oral cancer due to HPV are increasing, with experts indicating that within a decade, HPV may rival tobacco use as the main cause for oral cancer. Other risk factors for oral cancer include smoking, excessive drinking and poor diet.

Fever blisters are fluid-filled blisters that commonly occur on the lips. They also can occur on the gums and roof of the mouth, however that is rare. Fever blisters can usually be painful. Pain may also precede the appearance of the lesion by a few days. The blisters rupture within hours, then crust over. Fever blister last about seven to ten days.

Question: My teenage son will be needing braces. I need to get a dental plan in place now in case it has waiting periods. My dentist told us that he should get braces with in the next year or two but he will also need to have his wisdom teeth pulled before then. So looking for a plan that offers both Oral Surgery and Braces for a minor

Reply: All our plan offer benefits for extractions and orthodontic services for children under the age of 19. We do have dental HMO insurance plans that do not have plan waiting periods as well as a few PPO’s. Read though each plan carefully to know if it has waiting periods or not. You can also call our member service number at 310-534-3444 as we be happy to help you with our dental insurance plan options.

I am a Individual who needs to see a dentist right away.  I have not seen a dentist in over three years.   Now however I have a tooth that is really hurting me and do not know how to go about finding a good individual dental plant that will help me with my tooth

Reply:  Since you have current larger dental care needs beyond a dental checkup and cleaning, I suggest reviewing our dental HMO plans we offer on this website.  Dental HMO plans are the more affordable insurance option but more importantly they do not have any plan waiting periods for major dental care needs.

My dentist is stating that my baby tooth needs to come out because my new tooth can not come out correctly.  The baby tooth is loose but it just has not came out. If my baby tooth does not come out then I have a dentist appointment in two weeks to take it out. I do not want to go to the dentist they will inject me in the gums to do the extraction. I do not want a shot in the gums.  

Answer: First if you do need to have the tooth pulled by the dentist the shoots to numb the area do not really hurt. Just close your eyes while they are doing that and try to relax.  You may also want to bring your I Pod or whatever you use to listen to some music that will help you relax while the dentist is pulling the tooth.  However if you want to try and have the baby tooth come out at home, then maybe eat an apple.  Biting into an apple may help to loosen the tooth more in order for it to come out.