Question: Looked for a dental insurance plan that would cost no more then $30.00 a month. Is there any dental insurance plans that would fit within my budget

Answer: I would say most HMO dental insurance plan would fit that budget for an individual. We offer dental HMO plans in most state. Check out what we have available to you in your state by enter your zip code in quote box provided. Call our office at 310-534-3444 M-F 8am – 4pm

Do it Your Self Teeth Whitening Techniques Putting Teens Dental Health At Risk.

Dentists are worried that teenagers are putting their teeth and health at risk by trying dangerous do-it-yourself (DIY) teeth-whitening techniques found on the Internet.

Children who are mixing up quantities of chemicals and applying them for long periods are at risk of eroding tooth enamel, damaging gums and increasing risks of infection. Ironically the erosion may expose the yellow-colored dentin that lies beneath the enamel.

Periodontal disease linked to increased risk of kidney disease

In a study of blacks with normal kidney function, those with severe periodontal disease developed chronic kidney disease (CKD) at 4 times the rate of those without severe periodontal disease. The study that will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2014 November 11-16 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA.

A dental extraction is the removal of a tooth from the mouth. Extractions are performed for a wide variety of reasons. Such as when tooth decay destroys enough of the tooth structure to prevent restoration. This is one of the most frequent indication for extraction of teeth. Periodontal disease (gum disease) and dental trauma are other reason why one may have to have a tooth extraction

A simple saliva test may reveal deadly diseases early enough to treat them The study, the most comprehensive analysis ever conducted of RNA molecules in human saliva, reveals that saliva contains many of the same disease-revealing molecules that are contained in blood. It was published online today by the peer-reviewed journal Clinical Chemistry and will be published in the journal’s January 2015 special print issue, “Molecular Diagnostics: A Revolution in Progress.

Question: Is Root Canal Work Really so Bad ?

Reply: Well according to research, root canal work is not as bad as people think when compared to other dental procedures. A self-reporting of people dental health suggests that patients find the procedure no worse than other dental work which overturns the popular belief that root canal work is the most unpleasant dental treatment.

Question: I will be getting some medical insurance but not sure if that just includes dental care too. Does health plans come with dental? How fast can I use the dental if it does? I want something for my dental care now.

Reply: In many cases health insurance dose come packaged with dental but not always. You would have to check with the plan you will be getting to confirm that. If the medical dose come with dental insurance how fast it start and if there are any waiting periods would again depend on the plan. I have no way of advising you about that other then to suggest you carefully read though the information provided to you.

If you do need dental insurance and since you are wanting something that would not have waiting periods at that point I would suggest looking for a dental HMO plans as these are lower cost insurance plans that typically do not have plan waiting periods for dental care services.

In most states we offer dental HMO plans as well as some Dental discount plans which also start right away with no waiting periods. Just enter your zip code in the quote box provided to review the insurance and plan we have available to you

An army of micro-robots can wipe out dental plaque

A swarm of micro-robots, directed by magnets, can break apart and remove dental biofilm, or plaque, from a tooth. The innovation arose from a cross-disciplinary partnership among dentists, biologists, and engineers.
A team of engineers, dentists, and biologists from the University of Pennsylvania developed a microscopic robotic cleaning crew. With two types of robotic systems — one designed to work on surfaces and the other to operate inside confined spaces — the scientists showed that robots with catalytic activity could ably destroy biofilms.

Such robotic biofilm-removal systems could be valuable in a wide range of potential applications, from keeping water pipes and catheters clean to reducing the risk of tooth decay, endodontic infections, and implant contamination. Source: University of Pennsylvania

Question I know I will be needing to have at least two teeth pulled due to them being broken/decayed. I do not have dental insurance currently and from what I can tell there are waiting periods for extractions, and I do not want to have to continue to wait. So about how much do extractions cost?

Reply: Well cost will vary from dentist to dentist. There is no one set price for dental care that all dentist charges. Not knowing your state also make is hard to give some cost range. In addition depending on the placement of the tooth will and which tooth is being extract will also effect the cost of extractions. To try and give you some idea:

An average tooth removal (non surgical) able to be done by a family/general dentist can range around $75.00 to $300.00 a tooth. Where as a surgical extraction utilizing anesthesia can run around $185.00 to $700.00 a tooth.
You can see how price can vary.

I would suggest looking for an HMO insurance plan in your area as they typically do not have waiting periods like many PPO’s plans and they will help you save money on the cost of having your needed dental care done by a plan provider.

Another cost saving options would be a dental discount plan as they do typical do not have waiting periods and will help you save money on any needed dental care service provided by a plan dentist.

This website sell both HMO and Dental Discount plans in most states. Just enter your zip code in the quote box provided to review all the available dental insurance and plan options. If you have any questions please call our office at 310-534-3444 M-F 8am-4pm

Study Shows Tooth Loss Linked to an Increased Risk of Dementia

According to a study of 1566 community-dwelling Japanese elderly who were followed for five years, the risk of developing dementia was elevated in individuals with fewer remaining teeth.
Their findings emphasize the importance of dental care and treatment, especially in terms of maintenance of teeth from an early age for reducing the future risk of dementia.

Question: I have a dental HMO insurance plan were I have to choose a dentist in the plans network of providers. I live in an area where I had about a dozen dentist to choose from so I picked the dentist that was closest to me. The issue I have is that the dental office was not a clean as I would like. Also the staffing was rude to me and I had to wait over 45 minutes after my appointed time. I did not mind the dentist he did good work. It is kind of hard to mess up on a cleaning since that is all I needed. I am upset that even though my plan let me change my dental office I was out another month before the change would go though. I wanted them to credit me the month since I am not able to use the plan but they would not. I think they should since it is the plans fault for having bad dental offices on their list. Mad about waiting and would like to complain about this dental office so that other people do not have to pick them. Do I tell the insurance company about my troubles?

Reply: It is not unheard of that dental appointments run late. A suggest to help avoid that in the future is to call about an hour before your dental appoint to confirm if they are running on time.

I not sure what the real issue is. Is it with the dental office or the insurance company? You stated you did not like the staffing of the dental office and the place was not as clean as you would have wanted it to be. Yet the dentist was nice enough and did a good job. Therefore you had some work done at the time of the visit. However due to the issues you had it sounded like to me that you had the insurance company change your provider. Typically a change would go though like that the following month. Unless there is a dental issue that needed to be address ASAP it really should not be an issue due to you already having your preventive care done.

How are you out any benefits? I really do not see the issue with the insurance company. As far as the dental office I guess you can complain to the dentist about the staffing and how the place was not clean but since you change to different provider I do not see the point of complaining. I hope the new provider is a better fit for you

Question: I am 23 and my work dose not offer any dental insurance. I need an affordable dental insurance plan for an individual. I am willing to spend $30 or so a month but finding only plans that are $50 or more.

Reply: Depending on the State you are in cost for insurance will vary. Yet it seems as you may be reviewing dental PPO’s vs HMO’s insurance plans. You may want to search for dental HMO’s plans as they do tend to be less costly per month well within your $30.00 budget for an individual. Check out your insurance plan options on this web site just by entering in your zip code provided and clicking on start quote. If you have any questions about the plans that are provided to your for your review please call our office at 310-534-3444 M-F 8am-4pm

Question: I am shopping for dental insurance but I am past the point of confusion. I looked at dental discount plans and they do not seem to cover major things like root canals, crowns and extractions. However full coverage plans like PPO are just to costly for me and I can not afford them. Is there any thing in between some type of insurance that is cheap like a discount plan but offer you better coverage’s.

Reply: Not knowing what dental discount plan you may have been looking at, I would say maybe you did not fully understand it. Dental discount plans for the most part will provide reduce and or discounted cost for all dental services render by a plan provider. Therefore generally things like root canals, crowns and extractions do receive a discount under the plan as well.

With regards to PPO plans. Though we do not use the term “full Coverage” they do provide preventive, basic and major dental care services however typically with waiting periods on basic and major dental services and yes these plans do tend to be more costly especially when compared to a non insurance product like a discount dental plan.

I would suggest that you may want to review or see if there are any dental HMO insurance plans. Dental HMO plans are a more affordable cost insurance plan generally without waiting periods. However you do need to choose a plan provider.

Most dental insurance plan have some type of dental provider date base.  So a good start when looking for a new dentist is to use the provider date base your dental insurance plan provides. Also in some plans by using the plan network of dental providers you receive better benefits under the plan.  However you may still want to call the dental office to do further research on the potential dental office you have found. Here are a few tips on what to ask when searching for a new dentist:

1)Ask about the dentist educational background and credentials
2) Ask what you should expect during the first exam.
3) Ask to make sure if the office staff goes over the treatment options and cost before work is started. It is important to make sure you have the right information including what is covered by your dental insurance plan and your cost before making treatment decisions.
4) How does the dental office file out claims and what is expected from you at the time of service.  Some dental office may file the claim and bill you latter for any unpaid balances. Where as other dental office may make you pay in full at the time dental services are render, and have you file out your own claim so premium benefits are paid back to you.
5) Know the office hours and how patient emergencies are handled outside of regular hours.
6) Ask any additional questions that are important to you in choosing a dentist.

When searching for a new dentist make sure to know what their business hours are and how they deal with dental emergencies.  The reason you want to confirm their business hours is that you are more likely to make and maintain regular dental visits when the practice has hours that works around your time frame.

Someone that has to take time off from work will tend to put off their dental care needs. Check if the dental office is open on a Saturday or if they provide latter hours during the week.  In cases of emergencies know what their practice is.  Will they take a walk-ins or get you in that same day or the next in case of an emergency. Knowing this ahead of time will help make choosing a dental provider that is best for you and your needs.

Avoiding cavities by cleaning your teeth correctly.

This may seem straight forward but you can avoid your children having dental decay by making sure they have the right brushing and flossing habits.  The first step to dental care and good oral health comes from home.
Make sure your children are brushing and flossing correctly.  That means brushing for at least two minutes two times a day.  I suggest that if they have a full breakfast, lunch and dinner they should brush after every major meal.   Your child should also learn how to floss.  Flossing need s to be done once a day.

Now I am not one to say do not give sweets to kids because the fact is tooth decay can happen with any food item if good brushing habits are not in place.  However it is a good idea try and avoid food that can be harmful to tooth enamel.. Food like sour candy, soda, even too many fruits with acids like oranges or orange juice can be harmful. Be mindful of these types of food as they can over time wear down tooth enamel that  helps protect the tooth from decay. And do not forget the importance of seeing your family dentist at least twice a year.  Prevention is the key to keeping your dental cost low.

There are several causes of headaches behind the ear.  A headache behind the ear refers to any pain that originates from that specific area of the head. Though headaches themselves are very common, headaches that occur exclusively behind the ear are fairly unusual.

This type of headache pain can have several causes from nerve injury to dental problems. The cause of the headache behind the ear will determine symptoms and treatment.

With regards to dental problems. 
The temporomandibular joints (TMJ) can cause aching behind the ear and it usually accompanied by jaw pain. The temporomandibular joints are the ball and socket joints of the jaw. These joints can become inflamed and painful. While most people with TMJ inflammation feel the pain in the jaw and behind the ear, others may just experience a headache behind the ear.
TMJ can be caused by:
stress
teeth grinding
arthritis
injury
jaw alignment
If you feel you maybe having TMJ issues talk it over with your dentist. As a dentist will be able to confirm if in fact that is the case and help treat it. 

Tooth Decay: Tooth decay is the destruction of the outer surface of a tooth from acid forming bacteria that is produced by food containing carbohydrates (sugars and starches).

Tooth Decay Prevention: Brush your teeth twice a day with a tooth paste that contains fluoride. Preferably, brush after each meal and before bedtime to help reduce the bacteria from staying on your teeth for a certain length of time. You may wish to consider these helpful tips as well:

* Floss your teeth daily to prevent tooth decay and gum disease.
* Check with your dentist regarding the use of a supplemental fluoride which strengthens your teeth and helps prevents tooth decay.
* Consider dental sealants which is a plastic like substance placed on the top of molars to protect the teeth from decay.
* Use mouth wash with fluoride. Many of them kill 50% or more of the bacteria that cause tooth decay.
* Chewing gum with the ingredient Xylitol may also kill some of the bacteria which causes tooth decay.
* Visit your dentist regularly
-Maintain dental insurance and or a dental plan to keep your dental cost low.

Tooth decay in children is an occurring health condition.  Due to dental issue children miss 52 million hours from school every year. If dental problems are left untreated children will develop further health problems.  30% to 50% of children between 4 and 5 years old already struggle with tooth decay.

There are many reason for this problem but a few are due to the fact that dental benefits are not provided though the parents employer.  Some parents fail to acknowledge the important of early dental care for kids. Children of low income families are more predisposed to developing tooth decay and Dental care cost is too expensive for children.