Question: My fiancée has been experiencing a lot of pain when chewing lately, and I suspect he has a cavity.  He does not have any dental insurance and I know fillings can be pricey without insurance. Would it be a good idea to buy dental insurance separately/independently? Do you know of any other affordable options when it comes to needing dental services? Thank you.

Answer: I would suggest looking to either a low cost HMO dental insurance plan since normally HMO plans will not have any waiting periods.  If your fiancée is past the sign up date and can not wait another month for and HMO plan to start then the next option would be a dental discount plan as they too have no waiting periods but will normally start the next business day from buying the plan online.

Another option would be to seek out going to either a dental clinic or a dental school. Both then to adjust their cost as to what you can afford to pay but they do not always take everyone and it can be on a walk in bases meaning they do not always make appointments. You would have to call and ask these types of questions to make sure.

According to a survey around 2600 babies in the U.S. each year are born with a cleft palate and over 4000 babies are born with a cleft lip with and without a cleft palette.

Although at this time the exact cause is not known, there are some steps you can take before and during your pregnancy to help reduce your child’s risk of having a cleft Lip. There have been studies that suggest that smoking can cause a cleft lip and or cleft palatter.

Although there is no good reason to smoke if you are thinking about having a child then quitting smoking would be best.  Make sure to eat healthy before and during your pregnancy. While there have not been any studies that show that poor died has been linked to the occurrence of a cleft lip, per-pregnancy diabetes has been show to increase the risk.

In a prior post we talked about cost of fillings.  Yet there are additional cost that can not be forget because they are services you would need to have prior to having a filling.

Usually  there are initial exam cost and without insurance that can range around $20-$100. Then there are the dental X-rays cost which can range around $10-$250. X-rays are normally required in order to determine the extent of the decay before a dentist will perform a filling procedure.

These types of services under a PPO plan would normally fall into their preventive care. Most PPO plans pay 80-100 percent on the cost of preventive services. In addition in most cases preventive care does not have waiting periods.

With HMO insurance plan in many cased these types of services are free or at a very low cost.  HMO plans also normally do not have any plan waiting periods. You can really start to see just how much having dental insurance saves you money on your dental care needs.

Tip number seven is very important in order to avoid BBTD (Baby Bottle Tooth Decay) If your child likes to go to sleep or nap with a baby bottle or sippy cup make sure to only fill it with water. Any other type of liquid can start to cause tooth decay.  If your child is thirsty before bed time offer water.  If you do provide any other drink such as milk or juice make sure to brush their teeth before they go to bed.

A filling is typically a two-part process in which the dentist first removes the decay then fills the remaining tooth with a protective material. Dentists’ fees are based on the type of filling material used and the number of surfaces needing a filling in a single tooth.  Without dental insurance even basic services like fillings can become costly quickly.

Here is and example on the average cost for an silver amalgam filling ( which is the cheapest filling type you can get.)

For A silver amalgam (metal) filling without insurance on one or two surfaces can cost $50-$150; three or more surfaces can cost $120-$300 or more.

Yet if you choose a PPO insurance plan, most PPO’s plans will pay up to 60-80 percent of the filling cost. Based on the lower coverage of 60 percent that is still a saving of $30-$90 on one or two surfaces and a saving of $72 – $180 on three or more surfaces.  However many PPO plan have waiting periods for basic care normally around six months but can be longer or shorter depending on the plan.

With an HMO insurance plan they are normally fee based with no waiting periods to give you and idea of cost under one such plan that we offer though California dental their cost for amalgam filling runs from $15 – $28 for 1-4 surface filling. However keep in mind HMO plans are normally fee based so each plan will be different but you can see how much based on this example you are able to save by having dental insurance in place.

A good way to avoid tooth decay is to offer your kids healthier snacks such as fruits and vegetables. Stay ways from sticky or sugary snacks like candy, cookies and artificially flavored fruit snacks.

Question:  I have a back tooth that been hurting off and on and I think I may have a cavity.  However right now I do not have dental insurance is it too late to get some and if not will it cover for a filling right away?

Answer: No it is not to late to get dental insurance as long as you do not start dental treatment before buying dental insurance.  As for waiting periods many plans do have waiting periods for basic services (fillings being basic) normally around six months. However you may want to review dental HMO insurance plans as they normally do not have waiting periods or a dental discount plan since they do not have waiting periods and are normally effective the next business of buy the plan on line ( well at least the discount plans we sell do )  In order to review the dental insurance and plan options we have available just enter your zip code in the quote box provide above.

Dental discount plans are a great way to reduce your dental care cost.  For people that have dental insurance for work but are stuck waiting for open enrollment to add their baby to their plan, buying a dental discount plan can be very helpful.

Most dental discount plans start within the next business day of buying it. They do not have long term waiting periods therefore if you need to take your baby to see a pediatric dentist you can do so and save money. Another plus is with most dental discount plans you can buy it just for baby and not have to be force into buy a family plan if you do not need one.

If you want to use dental insurance to help cover some of the cost of having braces, you should sign up for dental insurance before getting the braces put on. The reason for that is most dental insurance plans exclude benefits for work currently in progress.  If you have current dental insurance check with the plans benefits to confirm your coverages.  Some plan do not offer benefits for orthodontic treatment yet it is offend assumed they do.

Juice can be healthy for growing kids but it can also damage baby teeth. The sugars found naturally in whole fruit and vegetables do not normally cause tooth decay.

Yet, when the juice is extracted from the fruit, or vegetable, the natural sugar is released. Once these sugars are released, they can damage teeth, especially if fruit juice is drunk frequently. Fruit juice still provides healthy benefits, just limit juice to one cup with meals.

In past posts we talked about all the different types of dental insurance and plans that to offer benefits for orthodontic treatments.  If you are going to have or will need braces buying a dental insurance and or dental discount plan is key in reducing your dental care cost.  Yet it is important that you buy a dental insurance and or plan before starting any orthodontic services or it is too late since most dental insurance and even dental discount plans will not provide benefits and or saving if work is current in progress.

Most dental insurance plans do provide dental benefits for pediatric dentist. However benefits received for pediatric dental care may be limited.  Such as with many dental HMO plans the schedule cost is for the general dentist within the plan network. For their net work specialist (such as pediatric dentist) they provide around a 20 to 30 percent savings.

Where as many PPO plans show they pay out certain percentage depending on whether the dental service is a preventive, basic or major.  But that is normally based on UCR (Usual, Customary and Reasonable) rates of a general dentist and not specialist therefore you may get hit with UCR fees.

Having dental insurance is one of the best was to reduce your dental care cost. Yet it is important to understand the coverages to make sure you are buying the right plan for you and your family

When you start Researching dental plans for braces you will first, decide if you want a dental insurance plan or a dental discount plan. With a dental insurance discount plan you will normally get a certain percentage off your dental visits and orthodontic care. Under PPO’s or Indemnity dental plans you have a broad range of orthodontic dentist to choose form since often times these types of insurance plans either let you choose your own provider or go out of network. However note that benefits for orthodontic services can be limited.

Under an HMO insurance plan often times they may state a cost for braces based on a two year time period. If you need braces for longer then two it then becomes UCR (Usual, Customary and Reasonable) at that point. Under and HMO plan you have to choose a plan provider since there is no out of network benefits.

Under a dental discount plan. Generally dental discount plans will save you up to 20 – 25 percent off the cost of any type of braces you may want for any age. Dental discount plans are normally the lowest cost plans ranging around 10.00 a month for and individual and $15.00 month for a family.  Like and HMO you ave to choose providers that are in the plan network.  Yet a dental discount plan is a good way to save money with fewer limitations.

If you are a parent that just been told by your child general dentist that him/her will be needing braces, do not assume that your current dental insurance plan provides benefits for orthodontic services.

Make sure to take a look at your individual or employer sponsored dental insurance plan to see what coverage you have for braces and orthodontic care. If you find you have no or little coverage you may want to begin researching other dental insurance plans.

Normally by the time your baby is one year old you can start brushing baby’s teeth twice a day. Generally after breakfast and before bed time.  Many dental experts will recommend toothpaste that is fluoride free, however discuss your options with your dentist and or pediatrician.

If you are an adult that needs to have braces, it can be disheartening to find out that many of the traditional orthodontics insurance (such as PPO’s) typically does not cover the cost of adult braces.  If they do they may still come with long term waiting periods and be limited in the benefits provided for orthodontic care.

You may want to review a dental discount plan as an option.  Most dental discount plans such as Careington offer up to 20 percent off the cost of braces regardless of age. When you take into account that braces can cost on up to $5000.00 or more that is a saving of $1000.00 not bad for a $10.00 a month plan.  In order to review both your dental insurance options and dental discount plan options just enter your zip code in the quote box provided above.  And remember if you should have any questions about the dental plans we offer just call our members service line at 310-534-3444 as they will be happy to help you.

In order for your baby to maintain healthy teeth and gums it is important to make and keep your baby’s well doctor appointments. That way your pediatrician can check baby’s mouth. If your child is at high risk for tooth decay, the pediatrician will be able refer you to a pediatric dentist.

When shopping for insurance for Orthodontic dental care keep in mind that not all dental insurance plans include orthodontic coverages and those that do, dose not always cover all types of braces.  Also anther factor is if it is an adult waiting braces make sure the plan covers braces for adults. Some plan will only offer braces for children up to age 19.

However with that said there are still many affordable dental insurance plans and dental plan that will help you save money off the cost of having braces.  Just make sure you read each plan terms and conditions so that you buy the plan that best fits your dental care needs.

Once your baby cuts their first tooth, you can then start to gently brush the tooth with a soft bristled toothbrush made for babies.  It is not absolutely essential to use toothpaste to clean your baby’s teeth. The most important part of keeping baby’s teeth clean is the brushing action itself.

If you want to use toothpaste, then make sure to choose one that is designed specifically for infants, because they contain very little, if any fluoride. The American Association of Pediatric Dentistry guidelines suggest that babies under the age of two receive no fluoride at all.