Most dentists perform an examination of your mouth during a routine dental visit to screen for oral cancer. Oral cancer screening is an examination performed by a dentist  to look for signs of cancer or precancerous conditions in your mouth.     

The main goal of oral cancer screening at your dental check up, is to identify mouth cancer early, when there is a greater chance for a cure. To do this some dentists may use additional tests to aid in identifying areas of abnormal cells in your mouth.

Although medical organizations have disagree on whether healthy people without risk factors for mouth cancer really need oral cancer screening. No single oral exam or oral cancer screening test is proved to reduce the risk of dying of oral cancer. However, you and your dentist may decide that an oral exam or a special test is right for you based on your own risk factors. 
  
 

Drug use can have a negative impact on dental health as well as overall health. Patterns of oral health pathology attributed to methamphetamine users, for example, include rampant tooth decay, accelerated tooth wear, unexplained advanced gum disease, missing multiple teeth, and overall detrimental dental effects that are rapid and severe. These patients also often seek cosmetic dental treatment, such as veneers and whitening, which give dentists another opportunity to discuss suspected substance misuse, provide referrals for treatment, and encourage cessation of drug misuse.

There really is not much involve in taking care of your teeth and gums. Yet when you do not have proper dental care habits your oral health is put at risk.  Listed below are the simple steps you can take to making sure to maintain good teeth and gums. 

1)  Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.
2)  Floss your teeth at least once a day.
3)  Make sure to visit your dentist regularly for your checkup’s and cleaning.
4)  Eat a well-balanced diet.
5)  If you smoke, Quit. Smoking increases your risk for gum disease as well as increase your risk of having many other health issues. 

By practicing good oral health habits you greatly reduce your risk of having large dental care needs.

Question: I have one son and two girls. Even though both my husband and I have jobs, our jobs only offer the health insurance and no dental.  Due to this we have not had dental insurance for some time.  There for we been paying for our dental care out of pocket. I would now at this point like to get a family dental insurance plan that is not going to cost us more then $50.00 a month or so.  

Answer: With your budget in mind for a family dental insurance plan, I would suggest reviewing our dental HMO insurance options as our HMO would fit into your budget and in most cases be less then $50.00 a month.

In a prior post it talked about sugar consumption and it’s effect on our dental health. One sure way to reduce the risk of tooth decay due to excess sugar consumption is by reducing the amount of sugar you and your family consume. Instead of having soda or fruit juice have a glass of cold water. Water will not harm your teeth and is also good for your body. Make sure that you and your family members are seeing your dentist at least twice a year. Maintaining your dental checks ups helps to spot and stop any small dental issues before they become large dental care needs.

Most all dental insurance plans will provide some coverage’s/benefits for the treatment of gum disease.  When reviewing insurance plans you will find gum disease treatment either listed under Periodontics category in an HMO dental insurance plan or under majors services under most PPO and Indemnity insurance plans.    

Note: It is important to beware when buying a PPO and or an Indemnity dental insurance, that they will typically have waiting periods for majors dental care services.  Waiting periods can very depending on the plan but in general terms, they can run around a year to 18 months.

To treat gum disease condition, your dentists scrape off the tartar on the surface of your teeth and under your gums.  This type of dental service it normally call a deep cleaning. After having a deep cleaning done they may also have to use conventional antibiotics.  

Gum disease is a common condition among adults that occurs when bacteria form biofilms or plaques on teeth, and consequently the gums become inflamed. Some severe cases, called periodontitis, call for antibiotics.    

Many people have had some degree of gum inflammation, or gingivitis, caused by dental plaque. The gums get red and swollen, and they bleed easily. If left unchecked, the condition can progress to periodontitis. The plaque hardens into tartar, and the infection can spread below the gum line and destroy the tissue supporting the teeth. 

Question: I live in New Jersey I would like to be able to compare dental insurance plans to make sure I am getting the best coverage’s for the best price.  I see many dental plans that are costly but the coverage’s do not look all that good to me. 

Answer: Depending on your dental care needs and what you are wanting in a dental insurance plan higher price dose not always mean better coverage’s. There are many personal factors that need to be taken into account when buying a dental insurance plan that best fits your needs.   There are also two factors to take into account with regards to affordability. First the cost of the dental insurance plan, and second the plan benefits.  You may find a really low cost dental insurance plan but the plan benefits may be not as good as buying a plan that may cost a little more.   

I suggest reviewing the dental insurance and plan options we provide and calling our member services at 310-534-3444 if you should have any questions about our plans cost and benefits.

Question: I  looking for free to very low cost dental care help for my 2 year old son. I do not need to take him to a dentist right now, however I currently do not have any benefits for dental care and since I am a low income I get some state aid but not for dental.  Where can I take my son for free to really low cost dental care?  

Answer: For free dental care you would need to see when they are running the programs for free dental care.  You can find that on the American Dental Association web site they will normally have dates listed.  You may also want to look into going to any local dental schools they will normally charge you based on what you can afford to pay.  In addition I also suggest reviewing our HMO insurance plans or our dental discount plans as these are low cost dental plans that will help to greatly reduce your dental care cost.  

Question: I have two girls and we live in California.  Both my daughters have very good teeth, and I want to make sure they maintain their dental care.  I changed jobs for better pay but lost the dental benefits I use to have with the prior job.   Now I am looking for a good dental insurance plan that is still low in cost since I do not think we will ever need more then just your basic dental care.  

Answer: We have quite a few Dental insurance plan options in CA ranging from Dental Discount plans to HMO Insurance plans and PPO’s to Indemnity insurance plans. However if you are wanting a lower cost dental care for just preventive and basic dental care needs I would suggest reviewing our HMO plans though California Dental or Delta Dental both plans are lower cost plans with no waiting periods.  If you have any questions about our dental plan options please call our member services at 3210-534-3444 as we be happy to help 

According to The U.S. Surgeon General’s report on Oral Health in America. Employed adults lose more than 164 million hours of work each year due to dental disease or dental visits. Avoiding having to miss out on work due to dental care issues by having good dental habits at home and by seeing your dentist regularly.  

In addition if you do not currently have dental insurance for yourself and or family now is the time to really think about buying some.  Dental insurance will help keep your dental care cost more affordable and studies show people with dental insurance are more likely make and keep their dental appointments.

Question: I need to get dental insurance for my self and my 10 year old son. My question is when getting a dental insurance quote would I be looking at the family rates ?  Since it is for my son and I.   Or would I be able to get the couple prices since there is only the two of us.  Not sure if couple mean that you need to be husband and wife.   

Answer: Generally speaking dental insurance and dental plans would yet you choose the couple pricing for you and your son. Couple being two people. Husband and wife but also an adult with a dependent child. However, you should make sure by reading the plans summary, exclusions and limitations or by calling the customer service line and checking to make sure that the dental plan you are reviewing does what you want it to do.

Question: I have a really bad toothache pain in one of my back molars.  I have been babying it for some time but I can not take the pain any more.  I do not have and current dental insurance and I looking for a plan that will starts like right away, so that I can see the dentist about this terrible pain.  

Answer:  At this time for your current toothache pain you may want to look at a dental discount plan since those types of dental plans normally will start within the next business day. At least that way you will be able to see a plan dentist ASAP and get the discounted saving on having your tooth fixed.  Depending on the enrollment date of an HMO plan if you can put off your dental care until the first of the following month you may want to look into a HMO dental insurance plan. HMO’s normally do not have waiting periods or dollar maximum limits. You should be able to find an HMO that does offers free office visits, X-rays, and cleaning’s, that alone is going to really save you money.  

Question: I have a really good dental insurance plan though work.  However when I go to the dentist they bill me almost as much as my dental insurance company is paying. I never get any of my money back either. Some people tell me that the dental office I am going to seems to be dishonest were other people say this is very typical and that dental work is very expensive.  How would I know if the dental office is ripping me off or not.  Should I just go to a different dental office?  

Answer: It is hard to say without knowing the total cost of the services render and how your dentist is filing the claims.  First I would suggest find out what your total cost are for you dental care services. How can you know what your true cost is, if you do not know the total billing amount. If you still believe the dentist is not correctly charging you. Call your insurance company to verify the facts. See what your insurance company as paid out. Sometimes they pay less then what your are thinking they did.   If it shows that your dentist is over charging address the issue with the dental office first. Mistakes do happen and you want to at least clear up the matter with little hassle as possible.
  

In a prior post we had someone stated that they have a $2000.00 maximum limitation but had dental care cost of $2200.00.  They paid the dental office $200.00 thinking that should be the only cost for them to pay.  Yet was surprised that they received a bill for an additional $400.00.  Now there are a few ways this can happen but here are a few listed that could be the likely reason. 

1) They forgot about their plans Co-pay:  In most plans there are co-pays you need to take into account.  Such as the company will pay 50% for major dental care and your co-pay is the other 50% left.  Normally the dental insurance plan dose not pay out %100 of your dental care with the exception of preventive services that sometimes will be paid %100 however not always with in the plans first year. 
2) They forgot their deductible: Many PPO’s/Indemnity insurance plans have they can normally range from $50.00 – $150.00 per person per calender year.
3) They went over UCR: Most PPO’s/Indemnity insurance plans pay out up to UCR (Usual And Customary Rates) They may have also gone over this UCR cost. 

The reason in this cast could have been one or a couple of these factors.  Understanding how your dental insurance works, it terms and conditions will help you to avoid these types of unwelcome surprises.

Question: I have always had dental insurance either though my parents plan or it came with my job benefits. Now is the first time I do not have dental insurance and I am looking for an affordable private dental insurance plan I could buy in California.  

Answer: In California we provide 40+ dental insurance and dental plan options.  Affordability will very depending on what you may feel is affordable. However our lower cost dental insurance options would be our HMO’s though California Dental and Delta Dental. 

We also have low cost Dental Discount plans for your review though Aetna.  To review all our plan options just enter your zip code in the quote box provided.  If you should have any questions about the available plans please call our member services at 310-534-3444

Studies suggest that people who have dental insurance are more likely to make and maintain regular dental visits and check ups.  Having good preventive care helps to maintain your oral health and reduce your risk of having larger dental care needs. Most dental insurance plan provide preventive dental services free to little cost.  If you do not currently have dental insurance this is a great site to compare several plans so you can choose the best dental insurance and or plan for your own dental care needs.  

Question:  I am wanting to buy dental insurance and I am thinking about HMO’s since they are way more affordable and within my budget. I do not mind choosing a network provider but is there anything I should know to make choosing a network dentist easier.  

Answer: When choosing a network dentist within an HMO dental insurance plan here are a few tips you may want to keep in mind.

1) Call the provider to confirm they are still accepting the plan and new members
2) Make sure that you have more then one provider in the plan that you would be willing to go to.  This is in case you ever wish to change providers.
3) Ask the dental office any question that are important to you in choosing them as your dental provider.  Such as hours of operation, How far booked up they may be,  Their location, How long they been in practice etc.
4) You may want to ask if the dental office has their own web site.  That way you can find out more about their practice and services.