Question: I am told I need braces, I wondering for how long.  I do not really want them and if I have to have them would like it to be for a short period of time.   

Answer:  Ask the orthodontic dentist that you are seeing. He/She can normally tell how long they think it would take. If you have not yet seen an orthodontic then I would suggest looking for one that can give you a free consul 

Many dental hygienists across the country visit schools during the academic school year to teach youngsters about oral hygiene. It may be time to teach chewing instead, especially to the younger kids and particularly to young and expectant mothers. A few of the valuable benefits of chewing are listed below.  Chewing can be affected by insufficient nasal breathing (due to enlarged lymph tissue like tonsils and adenoids) and impacts the function of the following:

• Temporomandibular joint (TMJ)
• Muscle tension and tone
• Dental occlusion or malocclusion
• Saliva production or lack of
• Neurological or genetic disorders such as strokes, hemiparesis, hemifacial  microsomia, and traumatic brain injury

Dry mouth is the result of low-producing or non-functioning salivary glands. The often devastating condition known as xerostomia. Dry mouth has a number of causes, including medication use, radiation treatment for head and neck cancers, autoimmune diseases, diabetes and the process of aging.

Some of the first signs of gum disease is blood on your toothbrush, your gums may also bleed when you are eating and a bad taste in your mouth.   Some good news is that gum disease can be treated and even reversed with the correct dental care but the first thing you need to do if you have these symptoms is visit your dental office for a thorough check-up of your teeth and gums..

In a prior post we talked about the importance of flossing and having good at home dental care habits. Cleaning between our teeth is a critical part of good oral hygiene as it helps to prevent gum disease by helping to remove plaque from these areas.   

In recent years gum disease has been linked with general health conditions such as diabetes, strokes, cardiovascular disease, poor pregnancy outcomes and even dementia.

Our dentist will regularly reminded us about the importance of cleaning between our teeth with dental floss, but this recent study shows that an astonishing amount of us are failing to floss daily. Education is important, therefore teach your kids to floss and be clear about the benefits regular flossing can have. Flossing alongside with regular dentist visits and brushing twice a day will help keep your family teeth and oral health in good shape. Better at home dental habits also mean reducing your risk of having more costly dental care needs in the future.

According to a recent survey, it reveals that more than a quarter of us admit to lying to our dentist about our flossing and dental care habits. 
The study reveals that 27 per cent of us lie to our dentists on a regular basis, telling them that we floss every day. Astonishingly the findings also show that 14 per cent find cleaning the toilet more appealing than flossing every day. 

Your dental care should not be considered a luxury, it should in fact be considered a necessity. Inadequate dental care has downstream consequences, including infection, need for costly extractions and important cosmetic consequences.  Your dental care should be considered part of your overall health and well-being.  Make sure to have proper at home dental care habits and see your dentist regularly.

According to a new study, access to dental care by low-income Americans has become the exception, rather than the rule, as fewer dentists accept Medicaid.   More than two percent of all emergency department visits are now related to nontraumatic dental conditions, according to a study by researchers at Stanford University, the University of California-San Francisco, Truven Health Analytics and the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

According to a study done, previous research shows that many pregnant women do not seek dental treatment, even when a dental problem exists. Pregnant women have increased risk of tooth decay because of increased carbohydrate consumption and difficulties brushing their teeth because of morning sickness, gag reflex and increased gum bleeding. Therefore maintaining your oral health during pregnancy is critical.   

Maintaining your oral health is directly related to having good overall health. You should seek dental treatment when problems arises and maintain your regular dental check ups with your dentist even when pregnant.

According to a new study published in the August issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association It is safe for pregnant women to undergo dental treatment with local anesthetics.     

The study identified no evidence to show that dental treatment with anesthetics is harmful during pregnancy, and yet so many pregnant women avoid going to the dentist, according to study author Aharon Hagai, D.M.D.  The study was aimed to determine if there was a significant risk associated with dental treatment with anesthesia and pregnancy outcomes. They did not find any such risk.

When it comes to basic dental care services most PPO’s insurance plans review basic services as dental fillings and recementation bridge, crown or onlay. However benefits under basic services can very depending on the plan.  Also it is important to note that many PPO plans have waiting period for basic dental service on average six months but it can also very depending on the plan.  

One way to reduce your risk of having to have basic dental care needs is by maintaining good oral health care habits at home, and by seeing your dentist regularly for your dental check ups and cleaning’s 

Preventive dental care dose start at home by having good dental care habits. Brushing your teeth twice a day flossing daily and using a mouthwash that help fight plaque.  However preventive care dose not stop at just having good dental habits at home.  An equally important part of your preventive dental care needs is seeing a dentist at least twice a year for your dental check up and cleaning’s.  

Did you know that most dental insurance plans provide preventive dental care services at little to no cost to you. By having dental insurance you are able to maintain your twice a year check up and cleaning’s with little to no cost to you for you and your family.  Dental insurance also provides basic and major dental care services at a more affordable cost when needed. 

When you go to your dentist and he/she dose an oral cancer screening exam, your dentist will look over the inside of your mouth to check for red or white patches or mouth sores. Using gloved hands, your dentist will also feels the tissues in your mouth to check for lumps or other abnormalities.     If your dentist spot any lumps or other abnormalities they may use special tests in addition to the oral exam to screen for oral cancer. It is not clear if these tests offer any additional benefit over the oral exam. Special oral cancer screening tests may involve:

• Rinsing your mouth with a special blue dye before an exam. Abnormal cells in your mouth may take up the dye and appear blue.
• Shining a light in your mouth during an exam. The light makes healthy tissue appear dark and makes abnormal tissue appear white.

It is important to know that oral cancer screening can not detect all mouth cancers. It can be difficult to detect areas of abnormal cells just by looking at your mouth, so it is possible that a small cancer or precancerous lesion could still go undetected.

The goal of oral cancer screening is to detect mouth cancer or precancerous lesions that may lead to mouth cancer at an early stage. When cancer or lesions are found at the early stage they are easier to remove and have a larger chance of being cured.

Although no studies have proven that oral cancer screening saves lives, Some groups agree about the benefits of an oral exam for oral cancer screening where as other do not.

Yet people with a high risk of oral cancer may be more likely to benefit from oral cancer screening. Risk factors that can increase your risk of oral cancer include:

• Tobacco use of any kind, including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco and snuff, among others
• Heavy alcohol use
• Previous oral cancer diagnosis
• History of significant sun exposure, which increases the risk of lip cancer
  Ask your dentist whether oral cancer screening is appropriate for you.

Well like with many dental issues how to prevent them is by having good oral hygiene habits. And see your dentist regularly as often as advised.  By doing this you not only help to prevent dental abscessed but you do help to maintain over all wellness of your oral health.

If you think you may have an abscessed tooth here are some of the signs and symptoms. If you have some of these symptoms you should see your dentist ASAP 

1) A toothache that is severe and continuous.  

2) A Fever 

3) Pain when chewing 

4) Sensitivity to hot or cold food and or drinks 

5) Bitter taste in the mouth and foul breath 

6) Swollen neck glands 

7) Redness and swelling of the gums 

8) Swollen area of the upper or lower jaw

9) An open, draining sore on the side of the gum

Question: I not completely sure but I think I may have an abscessed tooth.  I do not current have dental insurance and with the cost of dental care I been putting off going to the dentist because I do not have the money for treatment.  Not sure what I can do but I am having some pain issues now.  

Answer: Sadly deferring dental care is never a good idea since as you can see it generally only leads to larger and yes more costly dental care treatment.  Yet you still have some options left too you.  

1) you can buy a low cost dental discount plan. They run around $10.00 a month. These plans will help reduce your dental care cost at plan providers.  They also normally are effective the next business day which is important since you should see a dentist right away before your infection start to spread and cause not only oral health issues but over all health problems.   

2) You can buy a lower cost HMO insurance plan like a discount plan you will need to go to plan providers but they normally will not have any plan waiting periods which is what you will want. However generally they are not effective until the next month of the month you are buying it in. Though they all have different cut off dates so make sure you know before buying the effective date so you can make a dental appointment right away.  

3) You can see about going to a dental school.  If you have any local dental schools near you this is a good way to get much lower cost dental care.  However, you may not be able to get in right way so that is something you will need to look into. 

4) See if there are any dental clinics near you.  generally dental clinics provide their dental treatment services at a lower cost.  Sometime their prices are based on what you can afford to pay.

Abscessed Tooth:  An abscessed tooth is normally a painful infection at the root of a tooth or between the gum and a tooth. It is most commonly caused by severe tooth decay.

However, some other causes includes: trauma to the tooth, such as when it is broken or chipped, and gingivitis or gum disease.  These problems can cause openings in the tooth enamel, which allows bacteria to infect the tooth pulp (the center of the tooth). The infection may also spread from the root of the tooth to the bones supporting the tooth.  If you think you may have a abscessed tooth is is imperative that you see a dentist right away.  Untreated dental abscessed are not only very painful but can lead to much larger health issues.