Your baby will probably have at least a few teeth by the age of one. You will want to be on the lookout for tight teeth, which have no spaces in between. These teeth will need to be flossed daily.  Your baby’s dentist can show you how to correctly floss your baby teeth. 

Studies done show that children who begin dental care by age one have fewer fillings than those whose parents wait until age two or three. Getting to know a dentist at this age will help baby be more comfortable with him or her in the future, and you will get helpful guidance about how to manage habits (pacifiers and thumb-sucking, for instance) as well as tips on what to do if your baby bumps a tooth. 

Supplemental dental insurance is an individual or family insurance policy purchased to cover a portion of the dental costs. Supplemental dental insurance will normally not cover the entire dental care procedure. If you have a primary dental insurance plan that you purchased or your employer provided, the supplemental dental policy typically covers the remaining dental bill.

For example, if the dental plan policy covers half of the dental cost, the secondary or supplement dental insurance plan should cover the remaining balance of your dental procedure. A supplement dental insurance plan may also be purchased to cover the dental charges when there are annual dental benefit plan limits or exclusions.

When should your baby see a dentist ?

Reply: When your baby cut his or her first tooth a visit to the dentist is in order.  Therefore  you may want to start checking around early on for a dentist who is comfortable taking care of your children.  Consider choosing a pediatric dentists or a dentist that in a family dental practice. You can ask your friends or pediatrician for a recommendation to a good dentist that you can feel comfortable with taking your child too.  

Dental implants are the wave of the future and people who have received them are much happier with them than traditional dentures. It is important to note that severe health problems may keep you from getting dental implants. In addition to being successful, a person will need to be highly committed to oral health. Very seldom do implants fail but poor care will make it much more likely.

Great innovations over the last few years have improved dentistry. It used to be when your teeth went bad you had two choices dentures or gums! Thankfully, today there are more choices; inventions like dental implants have completely changed people’s lives. However not all people are good candidates or can afford them. Keep in mind there is a wide range of costs for the implants from $1000 to $3000+. This depends mostly on how many implants you are going to have done.

Partial or Single Tooth Implant: If all you need is a single tooth replacement, the procedure will of course be less invasive. For one you will only need one fixture so there will be less stress on the jawbone and you. Here is the procedure. A hole is drilled for implant insertion. A titanium screw type device is placed in the above-mentioned hole. Healing time, the jawbone will heal and adhere to the implant. A device called an abutment is attached to the implant. A crown is placed on top of the abutment.

There are several dental insurance polices that offer discounts for dental implant procedures to help you reduce your cost. Before you purchase a dental plan be sure it will cover you. Call and ask. Then call the dental office and confirm they will do the implant. Sometimes you need to see a dental specialists and many of plans have restrictions, waiting periods, and limitations.

Toothaches are one of the most dreaded pains in the world. The throbbing and stabbing in your jaw can feel like ancient Chinese torture. With thirty-two available for potential aches and pains causes and remedies for toothache pain can be very helpful. We have tried to look at a few causes and treatments for toothaches. Toothache pain can be described several ways and providing this information will aid your dentist should you need to see one.

For more information on toothache remedies see http://www.californiadentalinsurance.com/california-dental-insurance-articles/toothaches.html

What to Do When Teething Begins 

Prior to teeth you should get into the habit of wiping your baby gums with a finger brush or a clean soft washcloth.  Doing this will help keep your baby gums free of bacteria which can hide and cause cavities to emerging baby teeth.  When the tooth does cut though, clean it with a washcloth or baby toothbrush moistened with water. Do it after your baby’s morning meal and before bed so it becomes part of his or her regular routine. The last thing in your baby’s mouth before bed should be a toothbrush or water. 

I have a dental abscess I went in to see the dentist and was told I would need to have a root canal but that he could not do anything until the abscess was cleared and gave me antibiotics.  Yet I am still in a great deal of pain and the antibiotics is not helping. 

Reply: It is normal to have some pain when dealing with a dental abscess.  The antibiotics was not really given to help to relive the pain, but to clear the abscess. If the pain is so bad that you can not take it then speak to your dentist and see if they can issue you a pain medicine prescription. When you have an abscess most dentist will not remove or do a root canal until the abscess is cleared. That is why taking the antibiotics as directed is important in order to clear the abscess faster.

I have a horrible toothache but I do not want to go to the dentist because I have dental fears that stop me from seeing a dentist  Is there anyway I can get pain killers from my doctor?

Reply: You may be able to get pain killers from your doctor. However please note: You can take all the pain killers you want, this will only get rid of the pain. Not the problem.

A HORRIBLE toothache means there is something wrong with your tooth. A pain killer will not fix your tooth. Only a dentist can do that. Being scared of a dentist is an issue that dentist can understand.

Tell the dentist of your concerns they are there to help you and if they know that you are scared they will explain to you what they are going to do. Knowing what is happening helps relive fares. Dentist really are not out to hurt anyone. They try and make what they do painless as possible. If you do nothing but mask the pain you are only going to have a bigger issues, and in the end have to see a dentist anyway. Why put yourself though that?

DENTAL INSURANCE PLAN DISCLOSURE: This is not an attempt to describe the dental benefits and its’ contents but merely used as a sales tool for the purpose of product illustration. The website and its’ owners cannot make recommendations as to whether any illustrated product may meet the users’ particular needs. Therefore, the suitability of the product is the final determination of the user of this website.

The use of this website is acceptance of the sites’ privacy statement. Coverage is not in effect until an application is signed, transmitted, payment received and approved by the underwriting company unless otherwise specifically stated. A physical and/or background inspection may be done to verify the information provided. The quote(s) will be based up on the underwriting information you supplied and the quote(s) is/are subject to change upon inspection and review by the underwriting company.

The underwriting company reserves the right to determine the final coverage, premium and acceptability If you have any questions regarding the information collected, please contact the agency. All quotes are provided by DEL AMO Insurance Services, Inc,. DBA: InsComp Insurance Services and/or one of it’s affiliated agents, brokers, agencies, brokerages, and/or companies Lic: 0B93601 Agent David Blunt, Lic: 0638553. Commercial use by others is prohibited by law. No portion of any news or information from this website may be photocopied, faxed, mailed, distributed, transmitted, published, broadcasted, duplicated, or re-distributed in any manner for any purpose without prior written authorization of its’ owner.

I only Dip/Chew three to four times a week. Is chewing really all that bad on my teeth? After all I still brush my teeth twice a day.  

Reply: Just because you are not smoking tobacco does not make it any less harmful to your dental and oral health. Using tobacco can harm your health, including your teeth and gums, in a number of ways such as:  tooth discoloration and gum disease to throat, lung and oral cancer and, ultimately, death.  Smokeless tobacco users can also experience: Bad breath, decreased sense of smell and taste and they are at a greater risk of developing cavities

The California Delta Dental Plan DD55 HMO DeltaCare policy is a good plan to consider in California. California Dental Insurance website sells this plan for individuals and families . The cost to join runs as low as $6.73 but you will need to pay the full year up front as this is required by the dental company.

Some of the exclusions and limitations are posted on the website but here are a few:

This dental insurance plan provides coverage for one year. To enroll yourself or other eligible dependents you pay the annual premium and a one time enrollment fee. You choose your dentist from the online dentist directory during enrollment. Coverage is effective for 12 months and renewal is required to continue coverage.

Delta Dental must receive the enrollment materials by the 21st day of the month for coverage to be effective the first day of the following month. If Delta Dental receives the enrollment materials after the 21st day of the month, coverage will become effective the first day of the second month. This Enrollment and Payment Authorization Form and your check or money order, if applicable, must be received by the 21st day of the month for your coverage to be effective on the first day of the following month.

Disclosure Form/Contract

Detailed disclosure of plan co-payments, limitations and exclusions.

See the Delta Dental insurance disclosure form —  click on the “Download Schedule of Benefits” image above.

A full refund of Premium, including the one time enrollment fee, is available if the written request for refund is made within the first month of the Contract Term. Thereafter, requests for Premium refund will be pro-rated based upon the number of months remaining in the Contract Term subject to the following conditions:

The one-time enrollment fee is not refundable after the first month of coverage.
You, or your covered dependents, have not received any Benefits under the DeltaCare® USA program.
There is at least one month remaining in the Contract Term.
Coverage is based on a full calendar month. There are no partial month refunds.

Coverage for an enrollee will terminate as of the date enrollment is cancelled under the terms of the Disclosure Form/Contract. However, we will continue to provide benefits for completion of any treatment in progress (less any applicable co-payment). Cancellation of enrollment of a primary enrollee will automatically cancel the enrollment of a dependent enrollee. Any cancellation is subject to the written notification requirements set forth in the Disclosure Form/Contract. If coverage is voluntarily discontinued, you and your eligible dependents may not re-enroll during the 12-month period immediately following the voluntary termination.

You must receive treatment from your selected network facility in order to receive benefits. Your facility may refer you to a network specialist for specialty care treatment. Specialty care treatment received from a dental school clinic may be provided by a dental provider, a dental student, a clinician or dental instructor.

You will receive a list of up to 100 DeltaCare USA network offices nearest to you. The number of dental providers displayed depends on the address and availability of dental providers in that area. After making a selection from the results list, note the office number to include on your enrollment application. Once you are eligible on the plan, you will receive an identification card and an Evidence of Coverage booklet describing your benefits.

You can make an appointment once you have received confirmation of your enrollment.

If you are currently enrolled in the DeltaCare USA program, you may transfer to another facility by completing the online customer service request form. Delta Dental must receive the DeltaCare USA enrollment materials and/or facility change request by the 20th day of the month for coverage to be effective the 1st day of the following month.

Aetna Dental Access is a network dental discount plan available in each state including California. That way you can transfer your dental benefit services to another state if you moved. It is especially helpful in California because there are a lot for dentists in the network and the Aetna name is fairly well known.

There is a different ADA schedule for each state so be sure your zip code is correct otherwise you may show up at the dental office and their charges may different than what you have. Here are some of the limitations or the fine print:

This schedule is only to be used as a guide to determine approximate prices for dental services in the geographic area noted. The fee schedule amount reflects average fee information currently available on the Aetna Dental Access system. Individual dentist fee schedules may differ. We make no guarantee as to the accuracy of any particular fee amount. In order to determine the specific rates for a dental provider, you should contact the dental provider directly.

Dentists participating in the program network have agreed to make certain dental services and supplies available to you on a discounted service basis. The term discounted service means a dental service that is available to you at a reduced cost from fees normally charged by the dental provider and for which you are solely financially responsible. All payments to dental providers are due and payable at the time of service, unless another payment arrangement is mutually agreed upon between you and the treating dental provider. You shall be subject to the treating dental provider’s late payment and other office policies.THIS PROGRAM IS NOT AN INSURANCE PLAN and we do not make payments directly to healthcare services providers. It is a discount program and you are obligated to pay for all healthcare services at time of service. You will receive discounts for healthcare services from those providers who have contracted with the plan.

Why is it that on the low monthly insurance plans that I can afford, they do not let you go outside of their network of providers. The dental insurance plan that let you do that are so costly I can not afford them. I am upset about this because my dentist I have been going to has always helped me.

Reply: The lower cost plans are typically HMO’s dental insurance plans that are provider only plans. Which means you have to choose a dentist from their network for the plan to be valid. The company that provides an HMO has negotiated cost of all the services provided under the plan with the plan dentist. This help control cost and there by helps to keep the cost the plan lower and more affordable.

However they are not helpful if you wanting to stay with a dentist that is not a provider of any HMO plans. Which then you would want to look at PPO plans that do let you choose from their network of dental providers or go out of network (sometimes a reduce benefits, higher cost or both) These types of dental insurance plan tend to cost more a month then HMO’s

I just got an upper expander put on two days ago and besides the fact that my mouth is sore and it is hard to eat right now I also am taking funny. It is like I have a lisp now. How long will this all last?

Reply: It may take while for you to adjust to having the expander in but I would not let it trouble you. The important part is that you are fixing your dental care need

My teeth are yellowish and my eye teeth are very pointy and slightly crooked.   Also about a year ago I lost a tooth which I did not really mind since it had a black spot on it.  The thing is now I have a gap that is in the back of my mouth. Do you think braces will fix this or do I need to have them pulled?
Reply: Braces will help to straighten out your teeth, but will not help with whitening them or fixing pointy eye teeth.  From what you are saying there dose not seem any reason to have  your teeth pull.  Just ask your dentist about whitening options and what opens you have for your pointy teeth.

Acid Reflux and Dental Care — There are many people that are dealing with Gastroesophageal reflux disease which is relatively a common condition. Acid Reflux is when the stomach acid are refluxed up, which may cause problems to your esophagus as well as your oral health and teeth if left untreated. With regards to the one oral health care acid reflux can cause enamel erosion. Which can lead to tooth decay and other dental issues. Acid reflux can also cause bad breath issues. It is important to speak to your medical doctor as well as your dentist, when dealing with Acid Reflux disease. Let your dentist know that you are dealing with acid reflux. That way the dentist will know to check more carefully for signs of tooth enamel erosion as well as wear on fillings.

You may want to see a dentist more the just twice a year if you have constant acid reflux issues. Stomach acid will quickly damage teeth if you do not stay on top of your oral health care. See a doctor to get help in controlling your acid reflux and see a dentist regularly to maintain your teeth health. Here is a good tip that may help you when you do get acid reflux and it comes up in your mouth. Immediately after do not brush but rinse with baking soda. Baking soda will help neutralize the effects of the stomach acid that comes up into your mouth. You may want to start keeping a record of food that make you more sensitive to getting acid reflux and try to limit yourself on those foods.

Question: I have a two year old that will need to start going to the dentist for dental check ups.  I do not get dental insurance though my job only medical. Can I get dental insurance just for my son as I do not really need it.   

Answer: There are some dental insurance that will write a policy for a minor where as others do not it dose depend on the plan.  I suggest looking into dental insurance for a couple (you and your son) because even you should see a dentist at least twice a year. If you have any questions about the available dental insurance plans we have to offer please call our member service line at 310-534-3444 as they be happy to go over the plans with you. 

For this question you will want to have your pediatric dentist evaluate the fluoride level of your child’s primary source of drinking water. If your child is not getting enough fluoride internally through water (especially if the fluoride level is deficient or if your child drinks bottled water without fluoride), then your pediatric dentist may prescribe fluoride supplements.

We offer over 30 dental insurance and discount dental plan options in most states. In addition to that we have dental plans and dental insurance that also comes with vision care.  If you are wanting both dental and vision you will want to review our dental discount plans though Aetna or our dental insurance plans though AmFirst.  If you have any questions please call our member service line at 310-534-3444 as they will be happy to help.