In most dental practice they employ digital x-ray technology, which produces 90 percent less radiation than the traditional method. In most cases the dentist will still use the protective aprons to minimize even the tiniest amounts of radiation that digital x-rays produce.

Here are some more facts: every year we absorb, from the earth’s atmosphere, 63 times the amount of radiation that annual regular checkup x-rays produce. That is just being on earth!

Some addition facts: one typical digital dental x-ray produces about two or three mrems (a scientific unit used to measure radiation.) Flying from New York to LA gives you 5 mrems, each way (that’s 333 times the amount of radiation of an x-ray for a round trip). You also get an additional 2 mrems per year if you sleep next to your partner (because our bodies produce tiny amounts of radiation constantly because we all have naturally occurring radioactive materials) Cooking with natural gas produces another 10 mrems.

However, you should ask your dentist about their X-ray practices if you have concerns about receiving dental X-rays.

Question: Is there dental teaching hospitals that give free dental care? I am in very bad shape and need major gum grafting care. I am low income and I do not have dental insurance for even basic dental care services let alone all I really need to have done.

Are there any teaching hospitals for dental care I can go to that would either be very low cost to me or free?  I am willing to drive almost anywhere but not sure how to go about finding places like them.

Reply: Often times even dental schools will charge you. Normally based on what you can afford to pay. You can search for dental schools in your area or however far you are willing to drive. Dental clinics may be more available but they may not be providing the dental services you need.  Again it would be just a matter of searching for clinics online.  You may also want to go to the American Dental Association website.  They also list special event days for free dental care as well as provide listing on dental clinics

What to do in a dental emergencies.

Even when you take the necessary preventive measures to protect your teeth by using properly fitting protective gear, such as mouth guard, when participating in sports dental emergencies can happen. If a dental emergencies dose occur, make sure to take quick action. Permanent teeth can often be saved, so it is essential to contact a dentist right away.

Although I am not consider as a low income individual, money is still tight for me like most people now a days.  I do not currently have dental insurance but I know I have a good amount of dental work that needs to be done.  I do not care if I get a dental plan or a dental insurance as long as it is low cost and will help to greatly reduce my dental cost with no waiting periods.

Reply: What you choose to buy may be based on what type of dental care services you are wanting. Dental discount plans you pay for everything but at a reduce cost to you. You received discounted saving for all dental services render by one of the plan provider.

Where as a low cost HMO insurance plans will normally have lower cost for services render they do not provide coverage for all dental services. You will want to compare the fee schedules of both types of plans in order to choose the one that will best fit your dental care needs.

Fillings That Not Only Fills Up A Cavity, but Also Regenerates the Tooth.

Maryland University School of Dentistry researchers have managed to fill a dental cavity using nanotechnology in a material that not only kills the harmful bacteria, but is also able to regenerate the tooth structure that is lost to decay. Professor Huakun Xu from Maryland University School of Dentistry, who led the new study, says that the new material not only limits the decay of the teeth, but also remineralizes the tooth.

Dental insurance is like most insurance plans, you want to have it in force before really needing it. Unlike auto insurance where in most state you are required to have it (mostly to protect other people and property you may injure or damage) dental insurance is typically not required unless in some cases for minors.

Therefore many adults will put off having dental insurance as they see it as an added expense. Yet since dental insurance plan like PPO’s often have restrictions on when benefits start for both basic and major dental care,  waiting until you need it in many cases is too late for the plan to really do you any good.

That is because dental insurance focuses on your preventive care, such as your office visits/check ups, cleanings and x-rays. Preventive dental care in most dental insurance plans is provided to you at little to no cost.  This is to help you maintain good oral and dental health and avoid having to need larger dental care services.  But insurance plans like PPO and free choice of providers plans will often make you wait for basic care such as fillings typically at least six months and even longer for major dental care such as crowns. You can see where waiting to until your tooth hurts to buy dental insurance may not be such a wise move on your part.

Wait at least a half hour after eating to brush your teeth. Studies show that brushing your teeth too soon after eating can damage them. Research done has shown that teeth corrode faster if they are brushed in the half hour after an acidic soft drink, which ‘stripped’ and demineralising them

My son has two teeth are badly decayed.  He needs to have them filled and crowned until he gets is adult teeth in.   I am getting a quote for the dental work needed at around $625.00 and that is for cheep crowns.

Right now I  do not have any dental insurance will getting dental insurance help me reduce this cost?  I am not sure it the price the dentist is quoting me really high or not.  But know I would have problems paying $625 right now.

Reply: I would suggest that you should buy dental insurance as it will help you with your dental cost for your son. At this point I would suggest an HMO dental insurance plan since they normally do not have waiting periods for dental services and you will want something that will not make you wait for services.  I suggest with an HMO plan however, since you need to choose a dentist in the net work make sure you call the dental office first to confirm they are still taking the HMO plan you are reviewing and that they have no problems working on a child.

Sports and Energy drinks level of acidity is increasingly responsible for irreversible damage to teeth, especially amongst adolescents and younger adults. This according to a report in the May/June 2012 issue of General Dentistry. Researchers looked at acidity levels in 13 different sports drinks and found levels varied greatly between both brands and different flavors of the same brand. Scientists immersed samples of tooth enamel in each beverage for 15 minutes and then replaced them in artificial saliva for two hours. The cycle was repeated four times per day for five days to mimic the equivalent of drinking four smart drinks per day. At all other times, the teeth were stored in the artificial saliva. After just five days, the damage was already evident, with energy drinks causing double the damage of more balanced sports drinks. Some fifty percent of US teenagers are reported to consume energy drinks and as many as sixty two percent consume at least one sports drink per day. Parents and young adults should be made aware of the downside to the heavily marketed products, says the report.

When you are wanting to buy a dental PPO plan for you and your family it is important to review each plans terms and conditions carefully. With a new baby you may be starting to look for dental insurance if you do not already have any in place. With regards to dental PPO insurance plan the sooner you buy it the better due to plan waiting periods.  Many people do put of buying dental insurance until it is time for their baby’s first dental appointment but, doing that may be a mistake if you need dental services that are within the plans waiting periods. Therefore think about buying a dental PPO plan ahead of time so that hopefully you will be past any waiting periods if there is needed dental care beyond preventive services.

Your part start at home by having good dental care habits you help your teeth last longer. Brush for a full 2 minutes, twice each day with a soft-bristle manual or electric toothbrush, and floss before bed. Drink tooth-friendly beverages, including plain water. (Soda and drinks with lemon and lime can erode enamel and weaken teeth.) Increase your production of saliva, which helps protect teeth, with sugar-free hard candy and gum. Avoid sugary food and drinks. See a dentist once each year—more often if you have periodontal disease or are still getting cavities

When nursing you want to avoid nursing a child to sleep or putting anything other than water in their bed-time bottle. Also, learn the proper way to brush and floss your child’s teeth. Take your child to a pediatric dentist regularly to have his/her teeth and gums checked. The first dental visit should be scheduled either when they cut their first tooth or no latter then their first birthday.

If you are looking for lower cost dental care services you may want to try university dental schools. Many charge 30 to 40 percent less than private dentists, and you’ll be treated by supervised students.

Question: I have dental insurance though work but can not add my son to the plan until open enrollment which is another eight months. Are there any PPO dental insurance plans that will accept a minor on the plan by themselves.

Answer: There are a few and we do have one such as Standard Life PPO will let you have just a minor on their PPO’s plans. However what you should keep in mind with any PPO plan is that most come with waiting periods you should be mindful of if you are going to add your son to your current work policy after the eight months come up.

Even if you have dental insurance it is not a bad idea to create an emergency dental fund, and put aside money every month. “Unpredictable things happen, and you have to have a way to pay for it.  If at the end of the year nothing happens take half of the funds in the dental emergency fund and take the other half as saved money.  Doing this each year to help pay for more costly dental care services.

According to a study that was published in the journal Cancer shows that people who have had dental X-rays are more likely to develop a type of brain tumor called meningioma than those who have not. However the study does not t prove that dental X-rays cause tumors. But it supports previous research about the connection. Dental X-rays have also been implicated in thyroid cancer. But there’s still significant doubt about the existence of any direct relationship between meningioma and dental X-rays, and dental professionals were quick to call for more research, saying the study was less than perfect.

Question: Is thumb sucking and pacifier habits harmful to a child’s teeth?

Answer: Thumb and pacifier sucking habits will generally only become a problem if they go on for a very long period of time. Most children stop these habits on their own, but if they are still sucking their thumbs or fingers past the age of three, a mouth appliance may be recommended by your pediatric dentist.

You may want to look into reviewing a dental HMO insurance plan. Dental health maintenance organizations, most often available in larger urban areas, can cost around $8.00 to $20.00 (depending on rating factors) a month for an individual. Insureds will normally get twice a year cleanings,x-rays and exams, at little to no cost, and pay a much less (compared to not having insurance) for fillings, root canals, and crowns.

Question: I am shopping out dental insurance for my daughter (who is 10 months) and I. My dentist takes the HMO California Dental Insurance plan 595 that I found on this website. Which is great since I think this plan overall is a good one. However my dentist dose not treat children under the age of five, and advise me to take my daughter to a Pediatric dentist. Will California dental cover for that because if not there is no point in buying this plan.

Answer: Yes you can pick your provider as your general dentist with in the plan and then get the referral for a Pediatric dentist with in the plan network for your daughter. Note however that Pediatric would be a specialist, and under the plan specialist coverage’s would be a 30% off the cost of specialist UCR charges.