Part of why people are afraid of different things is because of the lack of understanding of what it is or what it is about.  Try to find out all there is to know about wisdom teeth extractions. There are many very good websites that go over the step by step process.  Also ask your dentist all the questions you have about the process and the care after the removal.

Tell your dentist about your fear and concerns.  This will help him explain to you how the process is not really all the scary.   One other resource  is a course this blog.  Many people have the same fears of the dentist and extractions.  There have been many good replies to those questions.  Try checking them out as well.

Question: I have a friend that likes to eat toothpaste, she does it all the time but I thought that would be bad for you.

Answer:  If your friend is eating tooth paste with fluoride. Fluoride is toxic. On most tooth paste with fluoride you can read a warning label. Note below:

ADA POSITIONS & STATEMENTS  ADA STATEMENT ON FDA TOOTHPASTE WARNING LABELS  The American Dental Association’s (ADA) Council on Scientific Affairs believes that one part of the warning now required on fluoride toothpastes by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could unnecessarily frighten parents and children, and that the label greatly overstates any demonstrated or potential danger posed by fluoride toothpastes.  The label language, “If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, seek professional help or contact a poison control center immediately” is now required on all fluoride toothpastes.

But the ADA, in a letter sent to the FDA last year, pointed out that a child could not absorb enough fluoride from toothpaste to cause a serious problem and that the excellent safety record on fluoride toothpaste argues against any unnecessary regulation.  Recent media coverage has focused attention on the safety of fluoride toothpastes, but the coverage has not revealed that the ADA limited the amount of fluoride allowed in ADA-Accepted toothpaste years ago for this reason.

In addition, back in 1991, the ADA began requiring that toothpaste manufacturers include the following language on all ADA-Accepted toothpastes: “Do not swallow. Use only a pea-sized amount for children under six. To prevent swallowing, children under six years of age should be supervised in the use of toothpaste.” The new FDA labels are consistent with the ADA statements, with the exception of the poison control warning.

The ADA warning labels were required to help reduce the risk of mild fluorosis, which is a cosmetic defect noticeable as very light spots on permanent teeth and develops only while the teeth are still forming. Fluorosis only occurs when more than the optimal daily amount of fluoride is ingested.

Through its ADA Seal of Acceptance program, the toothpaste manufacturers must submit clinical data to the ADA in order to meet its guidelines on safety and effectiveness. Additionally, all products with the ADA Seal must submit the product’s advertising and packaging for review so that consumers and dentists have assurance that the claims the product makes are supported by the clinical data.

Insurance companies do their best to ensure that their policyholders understand their plans and benefits, but it is up to an individual to make sure that they are making informed choices. The differences in the various plans you can choose from are:

The type of third party funding the plan.
Methods of selecting a dentist.
Compensation of the dentist’s services to you.
The calculations of benefits and payments.

Understanding these differences will enable you to make an informed decision when selecting a dental plan that is best for you or your family. It will also help you understand the insurance companies really do care about your dental health and want you to be informed of your choices.   Keep in mind the dentist is a reflection of the insurance company. They both are here to help you keep that pretty smile healthy.

Dental PPO: In a preferred provider organization (PPO), network dentists accept a contracted fee as payment in full instead of their usual fee. Covered patients pay a percentage of the contracted fee, which is called coinsurance, the insurer pays the rest and the percentage varies with each category of service, which is typically broken down into sets of procedures that are diagnostic and falls under preventive, basic, or major restorative. In theses types of plan you will typically have to satisfy a deductible or office co-pay, as well as have n annual maximum limitation and waiting periods(depending on the plan).

It is important that you understand the terms and conditions/limitation of a PPO plan. However one main benefit of a PPO plan is that they normally have a larger provider data base and in most PPO plans you are able to also choose providers not in the plan network, allowing you to choose and or stay with your current dental provider.

Does the plan give you the freedom to choose your own dentist or are you restricted to a panel of dentists selected by the insurance company? If you have a family dentist with whom you are satisfied, consider the effects changing dentists will have on the quality or quantity of care you receive. Because regular visits to the dentist reduce the likelihood of developing serious dental disease, it’s best to have and maintain an established relationship with a dentist you trust.

Who controls treatment decisions–you and your dentist or the dental plan? Many plans require dentists to follow treatment plans that rely on a Least Expensive Alternative Treatment (LEAT) approach. If there are multiple treatment options for a specific condition, the plan will pay for the less expensive treatment option.  If you choose a treatment option that may better suit your individual needs and your long-term oral health, you will be responsible for paying the difference in costs. It’s important to know who makes the treatment decisions under your plan. These cost control measures may have an impact on the quality of care you’ll receive.

Does the plan cover diagnostic, preventive and emergency services? If so, to what extent? Most dental plans provide coverage for selected diagnostic services, preventive care and emergency treatment that are basic for maintaining good oral health.

But the extent or frequency of the services covered by some plans may be limited. Depending upon your individual oral health needs, you may be required to pay the dentist directly for a portion of this basic care. Find out how much treatment is allowed in any given year without cost to you, and how much you will have to pay for yourself.

Diagnostic and preventive services are most frequently used services, and can help patients avoid more costly dental care resulting from advanced dental disease. HMO dental plans usually cover preventive services for little to no cost. PPO plans often cover between 80% and 100%, with the patient paying the remainder plus any deductible if the plan dose not waive it on preventive care services.

For diagnostic and preventive services as well as other types of procedures, the insurer will specify any frequency limitations and exclusions that apply to the coverage. Such as twice a year cleaning (one every six months) and one set of X-rays a year.  These limitations and exclusions are designed to prevent fraud and abuse, and protect patients against over-treatment.

Be sure to review your plan booklet to learn about these guidelines and what your estimated share of costs will be. If you are not certain about any aspect of your coverage, insurers usually offer easy to understand benefit summaries online, or you can contact your carrier’s customer service department. Your dental plan should be able to provide you with clarification on any of its policies or payment protocols.

Before buying a dental insurance plan make sure to read the terms and conditions of the plan so you have an full understanding of how the plan works and benefits you.   Making sure you understand a dental plan’s benefits, which may include co-payments, deductibles and annual maximums, is key to getting the most value from a dental plan and avoiding surprises.

Questions: I have bad breath, and would like to know what are the natural treatments for bad breath?

Answer: Having bad breath is a common complaint that afflicts many people. It is caused by the presence of bacteria in the oral cavity. Bacterial growth can occur due to many reasons, and in many places that may cause a foul odor to emanate from your mouth. Usually the most common reason is infrequent brushing leading to bacterial decomposition of leftover food particles in your mouth and in between your teeth.

Also, certain kinds of food like garlic and onion tend to make your mouth smell as they themselves have strong odors. The disintegrating food particles may cause foul odors to emanate from your mouth, from the skin of your tongue, the gaps in your teeth from under the gums.

Bad breath is caused by a variety of factors, the primary one being the breakdown of proteins from food particles in the mouth by bacteria. Certain kinds of food and drink are also responsible as they have strong smells as well, like onions, cheese, tobacco, and garlic.

Additional causes of bad breath may also be caused by throat infections, dental decay, worms in the intestinal tract, constipation, gum diseases, gastritis, and accumulation of food between the teeth. In short, any sort of bacterial build up in the gastrointestinal tract can lead to bad breath.

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 cot dental care for just preventive and basice dental care needs I would suggest reviewing our HMO plans though California Dental or PrimeCare 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 310-534-3444 as we be happy to help

Dental HMO: Most HMO plans requires enrollees to choose a dentist form the plan network of dental providers, for most dental care needs. Members may pay a co-payment normally based on a fee schedule (a fixed dollar amount) at the time of the visit, but they normally won’t have to satisfy a deductible or bump up against annual plan maximums.

A consumers may have a difficult time figuring out if their dentist is in-network or out-of-network. Some dental plans have multiple networks, and their dentists may participate in all or only some of them.

With a dental HMO insurance plan, members must visit their selected network dentist for treatment. If they visit another dentist, even if that dentist participates in the network in most cases the member will not be covered unless they switch to select that dentist as primary.

With a PPO plan, patients gain the flexibility to visit any licensed dentist, but can save the most money and extend their coverage by going to one of the plan’s select PPO network dentists.

For the first time, a new study has shown it is possible to use low-power lasers to spur stem cells in the body to make new tissue, in this case to regenerate dentin in teeth. The Harvard-led team says their work lays the foundation for a wealth of new clinical applications for healing wounds, regenerating bones and teeth, and more.

A survey of dentists in Massachusetts suggests that their confidence in treating patients with scleroderma may be related to their familiarity with the autoimmune disease. Dentists who reported feeling knowledgeable about scleroderma felt more prepared to provide care to patients with scleroderma, when compared to peers who did not feel as knowledgeable. Providing education to dentists may improve patient satisfaction and access to care, while simultaneously increasing dentists’ knowledge and comfort.

When buying dental insurance try researching a few different companies in order to narrow down your choices. You will want to look for important things like available features, tools, costs and co-pay prices. A few things you will also want to look for can include:

*  Customer service options: Do they have an FAQ section, email addresses, telephone numbers and online chat options to better serve their customers?

*  The amount of information available on their website: The more informed you are, the better able you are to make a wise decision.

*  Secure website: It is important that your information is protected as you apply for coverage. A secure site shows that a company cares about their customers’ privacy.

Many people have bad breath or suffer from chronic bad breath. If you suffer from bad breath you may be looking for ways to help manage the problem. If so, you may want to  consider a tongue scraper. Tongue scrapers are relatively inexpensive and available at most pharmacies.

Tongue scrapers are often touted as the way to improve bad breath, but there is very little research to show that they are any more effective than simply brushing the tongue with your toothbrush as part of your tooth brushing routine.  However, trying a tongue scraper can not hurt, and they are easy to use. Simply hold the scraper at the back of your tongue, and bring it forward, scraping gently but firmly along the tongue as you go.

One way to start when searching for dental insurance is by composing a list. Create a list of dental insurance companies you might be interested in. This is as easy as researching online and finding the most popular companies. You can also receive recommendations from friends, co-workers or family members. Try to list between around five companies that you may want to seek coverage from.  Also if you are trying to stay with a current dentist and or dental office ask them want plans they are a provider of so that you can search out information and buy the one you feel would be best for you and your family.

Ask about online services that may be available though the insurance company. Often times you will be able to access online information about benefits, claims, and the dental plans dental network of providers. Plus, online enrollment can save time and as well as money.

Many people know that colds, chickenpox, and even yawns are contagious, However did you know that dental cavities can be contagious too?

Sugar-laden candy bars are not the only cause of tooth decay. Tooth decay actually results when bacteria in your mouth feed on food debris and produce acid as a byproduct. This mix of food, acid, saliva, and germs clings to your teeth as a filmy substance called plaque, which can erode teeth enamel and cause cavities to form.

No matter what you eat, cavities will not form without the help of such bacteria. These germs can spread from mouth to mouth via shared food and utensils, sneezing, kissing, and more, according to Edward “Trey” Wilson, DDS, a dentist in private practice in New York City and New Hope, Pa. — making cavities contagious.

One common mistake that is made when buying dental insurance is not reading the plans limitations and exclusions. It is important to be aware of what the dental insurance plan excludes. Typically, plans can have up to 20 to 30 exclusions, limitations and restrictions. One example of an exclusion can be: Extractions or x-rays for orthodontic purposes which is typically excluded under many dental insurance plans.

When buying a dental insurance plan make sure to look at the carrier’s dental “in-network providers.” Ask how many dentists are in the network of approved providers. You want a wide selection of professionals in your region, so that if your want to change providers you will have that option available to you.