Question:  Do you really need to crown baby teeth?

My Son is  seven and he has a large size cavity in one of his back molars.   I want to just have it filled since fillings under my dental insurance plan is covered.  However the dentist is saying that my son should have a baby root canal done and have the tooth crowned. Does this sound right?

Reply: Yes, there are cases where a dentist would suggest a root canal and crown to save a tooth even a baby tooth as they are important to save until the adult teeth start to come in. However,if you are concern with the treatment plan he/she is suggesting to you I would advise maybe getting a second opinion.

A person age is not a dominant or sole factor in determining oral health. Yet for some seniors they may have certain medical conditions, such as arthritis in the hand and fingers that may make brushing and flossing their teeth more difficult to impossible to preform. In addition needed medication for ones health, may and also affect oral health and may cause needed changes in their dental treatment.

When strictly talking about cosmetic dental care services it can be very difficult to find a dental insurance plans that offer benefits for this type of dental care. Cosmetic riders are sometime found in group dental insurance plans and can be added at an additional cost. However if you do not received dental benefits though your employer then you may want to review dental discount plans as an option to reduce the cost of cosmetic dental services. Under a dental discount plan you can receive 15 to 20 percent off the cost of cosmetic dental services as long as there are dentist in the plans network that provide such services.

Question: My son will be needing braces and the current dental plan we have though work does not offer benefits for braces.  I would like to get dental insurance that offers benefits for braces  that is affordable enough to buy.

Answer: If you are looking for an affordable dental insurance plan that will offer benefits for braces on minors I would suggest reviewing our dental HMO plans as they are low in cost and do provide some benefits for braces. If you have any questions please call our customer service line at 310-534-3444 M-F 8am-4pm as they will be happy to help.

When you are on a tight budget, it is important to maintain dental insurance so that you can manage your dental care cost. Many people feel that dental insurance is just too costly, and therefore go without hoping that they will not need any dental care services.

Although there are costly dental insurance plans, there are also many low cost dental insurance plans available. A more budget friendly dental plan would be an HMO dental insurance plan.  An individual HMO plan they can run around $7.00 – $25.00 a month, and for a family plan the range is around $15.00 – $40.00 a month.

Additional reason why HMO’s dental insurance plans are budget friendly: Generally under HMO dental insurance plans their benefits are based on a fee schedule. Providing you the cost for the different dental services covered under the plan before buying it. Letting you compare different HMO plans, in order to get the best price for the dental services needed.

If you already have a dentist you trust, you do not need to chance your dentist in order to have dental insurance. However what is important is knowing your own dental needs and what plans your dentist may be a provider in. Here are some tips that may help you when buying dental insurance.

* Talk to the person that handles the insurance and claims processing for your dental office. (This is normally the front staffing) Find out what plans your dentist is a provider of.

* Confirm the types of dental insurance plans they may be a provider of. Such as PPO, Indemnity’s, HMO and Dental discount plans. Knowing will help you in your search for insurance.

* If the dental office you are going to only accepts PPO’s or Indemnity insurance plans make sure to buy these types of plan ahead of time. Normally PPO’s and Indemnity insurance plans will come with waiting periods. Therefore buying these types of plans in advance is important in order to burn down any waiting involved in the plan.

Question: I hear that you can have two dental insurance plan working together in order to save you more money off your dental cost but I can not seem to find anything on it.  My dental office tells me they will only take one plan.  Not two.  So how do you get two plans working together?

Reply: First you would need to find a dental office that is willing to coordinate dual plans. Your dental office made it clear that is not something they will do.  With that said, many people that do use two plans, do so because both spouses have jobs with dental benefits and they list each other on their plans.  For dental office willing to take and use both plans this can help them save even more on the cost of dental care.

However as an individual you want to make sure that buying a secondary dental plan is really worth the cost. As in many cases doing so may just cause you more in insurance then any actual savings.   I would suggest if your current dental insurance is not providing you the benefits you are needing or wanting in a plan to find a dental insurance plan that fits your needs better.

Dental insurance is much like health you really do not want to go without even if you are not seeing a dentist as often as you should. It is best advise to see a dentist at least twice a year for your dental check ups and cleanings. Yet there are times when people may not go as often and they feel like there is no point in having dental insurance.

So why should you have dental insurance? Beyond the fact that most dental insurance plans provide preventive dental services (twice a year check ups and cleans) for free, what if there comes a time when you need to have larger dental care services. Dental care cost goes up greatly once you start needing fillings, crowns, root canal etc. Without a dental insurance plan in place you will have to foot the entire cost. An additional benefits to maintaining dental insurance is that the odds that you will visits the dentist regularly for your prevent care increases. Thus reducing your risk of having to have larger dental care services needs.

Question: I went to the dentist and was told I have a large cavity in my back molar. At the time I was to go back in two weeks to do a full evaluation but it was looking like I would have needed a root canal and crown done.  I did not have it done at the time because I my insurance was not active. Some time has passed since then and now I do not have current insurance for dental.  Is there any way to slow down the tooth decay?

Answer: Short answer No.  The only way to stop the tooth decay is to have a dentist do the filling and or root canal. Brushing at this point will not “slow down the decay” However, there are dental insurance options that do not have waiting periods and will help you with the cost of your needed dental care.  I would suggest reviewing our dental HMO insurance plans or even our dental discount plans as an option to help save money and get your tooth fixed.

There many be a time when you will need to use your dental insurance plan for more then just preventive services. So when you are in the process of buying a dental insurance plan think about possible future needs and what the plan may have to offer.

If generally all you need to have is the twice a year cleanings and check ups, you may never need large dental care such as root canals and crowns. Yet even the best of us can sometimes get a small cavity.

Most insurance companies will offer resin-based composite (white) filling for your front teeth or teeth that are within sight of your smile. However, for molars (back teeth) they may only cover for amalgam (silver) fillings. It is important to know this if you are wanting only resin-based composite regardless of the tooth being filled.

Why does you teeth feel dirty after sleeping?

Question: I brush my teeth after dinner.  Sure I am not going to bed right afterwords. However, it is like I am eating after I brush my teeth (which I don’t) and when I wake up my teeth just do not feel as clean as they were when I went to bed.

Reply:  While you are sleeping, bacteria grows and develops in your mouth. That’s the plaque your are feeling. That is why you need to brush your teeth twice a day (normally once in the day and once at night) to make sure that this bacteria doesn’t do you harm.

Shopping for dental insurance on line, makes it easier to compare different dental insurance plans at once. In addition many websites are able to provide quotes on dental insurance though different companies. The benefit of this is that you are not only reviewing one plan one option, but able to review multiple plans with multiple options.  When you come to an online website such californiadentalinsurance.com you are able to review many different plans though different companies affording you more options to best tailor fit your dental care needs.

However the possible down side of being able to review many different dental insurance plans at once is that it may become confusing. It is important to understand the plan you reviewing and it terms and conditions in order to buy the right plan for your dental care needs. We suggest first reviewing each plan seeing what they have to offer you. Then if there is something you do not understand about a plan or if you want to make sure the plan you are reviewing will best fit your current dental needs, we suggest calling customer services. At californiadentalinsurance.com we are always happy to help you with the different dental insurance plans we offer. You only need to call our customer service number at 310-534-3444 M-F 8-5.

Radiographic, or X-ray, examinations provide your dentist with an important tool that shows the condition of your teeth, its roots, jaw placement and the overall composition of your facial bones. X-rays can help your dentist determine the presence or degree of periodontal (gum) disease, abscesses and many abnormal growths, such as cysts and tumors.

In prior post we have talk about why it is not sound advise to wait until you need dental insurance to buy it. However let’s say that you do not have current dental insurance and you where advise that you need a dental crown. Then what do you do in order to cut your cost for having a dental crown? Luckily there are still is a dental insurance plans that will be able to help you right away.

Dental HMO insurance plans normally do not come with long term waiting periods. Dental HMO insurance plans are fee based and will normally state the cost of having a dental crown. This is not only helpful in order for you to have a crown but also lets you budget the cost of a crown much more easily since you will know what your cost is before having the dental service done.

Question About Periodontal Disease:  How do you know if you have the start of periodontal disease? I think I may have Periodontal issues but am not sure.

Reply: First let me start by saying if you feel you may have gum disease you should see a dentist as soon as possible to confirm if in fact you do and if you do start treatment.  However here are a few warning sings of gum disease to look out for

* Red, swollen or tender gums or other pain in your mouth.
* Bleeding while brushing, flossing, or eating hard food.
* Gums that are receding or pulling away from the teeth, causing the teeth to look longer than before.
* Loose or separating teeth.

Fact: Dental insurance will reduce your dental care cost at the dentist. So why is it that some dentist will advise their patient not to buy dental insurance. Stating it is not worth the cost. Normally there is three reasons for this:

1) The dental office you went to is not a provider of any dental insurance plans and therefore they feel you getting insurance will not help you any in having your dental work though them.

2) The dental office you went to is only a provider of PPO plans. Therefore if you do not have a current PPO plan in place they know that getting one now may not work out the best for you if you are having more the preventive dental care services. (This is because most PPO plans will have long term waiting periods for both basic and major dental care)

3) Because of one and two. A dental office is still a business. They more then likely not going to advise you to buy a dental HMO plan (that normally does not have waiting periods and are lower cost dental insurance plans) when they are not a provider of any. It not like the want to refer a plan that will take away business from them. This is not say that it is 100 percent wrong for a dental office to advise their patient not to get insurance if they do not already have some. After all if you put off getting dental insurance until you have larger dental needs and you want to stay with that office the fact is what they are saying could be correct in your current state.

However even if that is true and you are not wanting to change dentist. The question would remain is, is paying full cost for your dental services really want you want to do? What if a year from now you still need larger dental issues to be address. How much better off are your really when you still do not have current dental insurance. Therefore if you have a dentist you wish to continue to see think about getting a dental PPO or Indemnity plan that will let you stay with your current dentist. Even with the waiting periods it is important to think of not only want your current needs are but want your future dental needs may be.

Sweets: The better kid friendly options.

Cutting back on candy and sweets, is not only best for your dental health but good advise for overall health care in kids. Yet there are still some sweets that are the better choice options when providing sweets to your child.

* Try sugar-free lollipops and or other sugar free hard candies. These sweet treats are able to stimulate the production of saliva which helps to deter the growth of cavity-causing bacteria inside your mouth. And since they are sugar-free, it means that bacteria will not have anything to feast on inside your child’s mouth.

* Sugar-free chewing gum is another good sweet option. Like sugar-free lollipops and hard candies chewing gums is also another effect way to stimulate saliva production, and, at the same time, dislodge whatever food particles that might be stuck in between your teeth. When shopping for sugar-free chewing gum try and pick out chewing gum that contains xylitol, an alcohol sugar, which reduces the risk of tooth decay.

How gum disease can effect the time it takes for a woman to become pregnant

There are new studies  that are showing how it can take longer for a women with gum disease to become pregnant.  It is sad how many times good dental and and oral health care is underestimated. However,  new research is showing that for woman there is yet another reason to maintain good oral hygiene and dental health care.

This new research has shown that the presence of gum disease can by an average of two months extend the time it takes for a woman to become pregnant. For the first time researcher have been able to clearly  demonstrate the significant impact of poor oral health on the time to pregnancy in women who are trying to conceive.

Teeth In prior post we talk about porcelain veneers how they can help improve your smile as well as how your tooth is can still be at risk for dental decay. In order to prevent the risk of serious decay behind porcelain veneers, it is important to maintain good oral hygiene habits. Your dental habits should not change just because you now have porcelain veneers.

Make sure to brush your teeth twice a day, using an appropriate toothpaste recommended for the care of porcelain veneers. It is also important to floss every day to remove plaque from between your teeth. The side angle where the veneer meets the tooth becomes the most vulnerable approach in your teeth. When you visit your dentist, make sure you communicate any changes in sensitivity associated with your veneered teeth. Newly-sensitive teeth may be suffering from decay. With proper cared for veneers your teeth should remain healthy and the veneers on them should last a decade or more.

When having a dental veneer put on, the first step in preparing the tooth for a veneer involves removing dental enamel from the tooth surface where the veneer is to be placed. (Much like putting on a fake nail you sand down the nail surface) Even though your tooth will now have less tooth enamel to protect the interior of the tooth from attach by bacteria, when the porcelain veneer is applied to the tooth, it should be adequately protected. The seal formed between veneers and dental enamel or dentin is strong and water tight.

Porcelain veneers has non-stick qualities that make it harder for bacteria and food to adhere to them. Veneers are also resistant to attack by the acids that bacteria secrete, so cavities will not be able to form on the veneers themselves. However, tooth decay can form in the natural tooth enamel that remains behind the veneer. Once decay penetrates into the tooth behind the veneer, the concealing properties of porcelain veneers may prevent you from knowing about it until the damage reaches the tooth nerve, or pulp, leading to infection that may require removal of the tooth or a root canal. If the infection goes unchecked it can sometimes,threaten several teeth and even your jawbone.