Question: I have a toothache however I will not be receiving my dental benefits until another four months. This is why I am hoping to find dental insurance on a short time basis. I been trying to hold out until my benefits kick in at work,  but I do not think I can make. Can you advise if you have any dental plan that I do not have have to keep for a full year or more?  Thanks.

Answer: I would suggest looking at one of our dental discount plan options though Careington or Aetna Denta Choice +.  With a dental discount plan that start right way after buying them (within the next business day) and you can cancel at any time with a 30 writen request. HMO dental insurance plan normally want you to keep them for a year and PPO plan although you can cancel have waiting periods that will not help you with your toothach issue.

With health concerns about fat and cholesterol many people are having more of a vegetarian life style.  However there can sometimes be nutritional deficiencies that may reveal themselves during a dental exam.   Many adults vegetarians are very knowledgeable about their nutrition and are able to maintain their diets in a proper fashion. However, children and teenagers who put themselves on vegetarian diets without knowing enough about their nutritional needs, have a higher risk of potential for deficiencies.

Answer:  This is a question that comes up quite often whether asked online or over the phone, however, I will tell you there is no sure answer. The real reason why is because no one knows the condition of your teeth except you and your dentist. The second thing is what “best” means to you? Is it the best price, or deductible, or maybe you need coverage for orthodontics.

Anyway I found if you use the web site to compare the dental plans that would be your best start. At least you will have a bunch of dental plans and plan types to compare. Also remember if you have any questions about the plans that our website offers,  member services is always happy to help just call 310-534-3444 M-F 8am – 4pm

Teeth grinding or bruxism can be a bad habit that both kids and adults may have.  Stopping such a habit right away is important in protecting your teeth. Grinding your teeth can wear your teeth down over time. Teeth grinding can also cause your teeth to crack and brake.  Most often teeth grinding can be caused by stress and sleeping habits.     If your child is grinding their teeth in their sleep it can be harder to control. However there are dental night guard that can prevent grinding while sleeping. Talk to your dentist if you or your child grind your teeth.

When finding a new dentist people are turning to the internet.  More dentist are seeing that the phone book and word of mouth are not always enough to get them notice.   They are opening their practice to the online community.  By doing so it not only helps them get new patients they might not had have otherwise but provides added service to people who visit their sites.  Many dental office websites provide information on not only their practice but provide for  for increased knowledge of dental healthcare.  Dental offices may also provide specials on their website for dental services you may not get otherwise.

As trendy as having your tongue pierced may be, they are not always kind to your teeth.  Accidentally biting down on the metal stud can crack or even brake your tooth.   Lip piercing can also damage your teeth and gums when the metal rubs against your gums it can cause gum damage which can lead to tooth loss.  Tongue piercing also raises the risk of infections and sores.  Know the dental risks before having these types of piercing and if you have them make sure you see a dentist regularly to keep good dental health and to help lower the risk of damage to your teeth and gums.

There is an ongoing debate about the role of psychological disorder symptoms as risk factors for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain. Previous studies have associated depression and TMJ pain but large scale studies have not been performed. German researchers writing in The Journal of Pain evaluated community subjects and found that those with depression and anxiety had increased risk for temporomandibular pain upon palpation.

Regard of the type of contact sport your child may be in it is important that they wear a mouth guard in order to protect their teeth from accidental damage.    A mouth guard is a piece of molded plastic that protect the upper and row of teeth.  If your child plays a sport such as football, hockey, baseball, etc,  they are at risk of mouth injury. Wearing a mouth guard helps to reduce the risk of teeth getting chipped, cracked or even knocked out while playing.

When buying a dental insurance plan you may want to know about any cancellation clauses.  Some dental insurance plan such as HMOs will require that you buy it for  at least a year before they will cancel out the plan.  Where as many PPO dental insurance plans will let your cancel at any time (normally with a 30 day written request) they also generally have long term waiting periods that makes it not in your advantage to buy their plan and cancel before any of the waiting periods came up.  Review each plans terms and conditions carefully so that your buy the right dental insurance plan for your needs.

There can be several reasons to premature tooth loss,  however the primary reasons for premature loss of a child’s baby tooth is typically due to tooth decay, injury or lack of jaw space.

When tooth loss happen before the permanent teeth emerge, nearby teeth can tip or shift into the space now unoccupied. Therefore when the permanent tooth does try to emerge into it place there may not be enough room. The new tooth may emerge tilted, crooked, or misaligned, which can cause a new range of problems from interfering with proper chewing to causing TMJ issues.

If your child loses a tooth prematurely see a dentist right away. Your dentist may advise a space maintainer which will hold open the space left by the missing tooth.

Most people either know someone or are someone that have had bad experiences with their dentist or just simply are afraid of any pain that may occur.  Sometimes this leads to high anxiety for many that can make them avoid regular dental care because of anxiety and fear. However with  Conscious Sedation you will be able to be in a comfortable and relaxed state of mind.

Conscious Sedation Dentistry is administered by simply taking a pill, no need to worry if your body will act funny, because all body functions will remain completely normal. Advantages to conscious sedation is that  the pill is easy to administer, it’s safe and easy to monitor, and works well for most people and it can be given at a low cost.

Also unlike  anesthesia where a patient is completely unconscious, under conscious sedation  are able to respond to commands or questions.  With  conscious sedation there is no real reason why you should not take care of your dental health and see your dentist regularly.  Talk to your dentist about  conscious sedation and see if this is a good choice for you

There are still many people who do not know just how important baby teeth are to their children. Many people think that since baby teeth are replaced by adult teeth that dental care for baby teeth is not as important.  However that is wrong.  While it is true that baby teeth are only in the mouth for a short period of time they do play a vital role.

* Baby teeth help to reserve space for the adult teeth
* Baby teeth are need in order to aid in the development of clear speech.
* Baby teeth give the face it normal appearance.
* Baby teeth are needed in order to chew and eat food.

If baby teeth are not maintain with proper dental care damage can be cause to incoming adult teeth.  Dental decay in baby teeth are not only a painful issue for your child but can cause other over all health issues.   It is important to know that one should take care of baby teeth just as much as one should take care of their adult teeth.  Baby teeth may not last a life time but the role they play in your child development is just as important.

Dentist are worried that teenagers are putting their teeth and oral health at risk by trying dangerous do-it-yourself teeth-whitening techniques found on the Internet.  Too many teenagers uses  online tips of do it yourself teeth whitening since money and access to proper dental whitening care may not be in their reach.

However Children who are mixing  up quantities of different chemical and applying them for long periods of time are at risk of eroding their tooth enamel and damaging their gums. In turn increasing their risk of oral infection. The best course of action is to talk to your dentist about safely whiting your teeth or what over the counter product they my suggest to be use.

Many studies are showing that poor oral health care can effect your over all health.  However studies are showing that poor nutrition and affect the entire immune system, increasing susceptibility to many common disorders. People with lowered immune systems have been shown to be at higher risk for gum disease (periodontal disease). Additionally, research shows a link between oral health and systemic conditions, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

When buying a new dental PPO insurance plan it is important to understand any of the plans waiting periods for services to be covered and that not all extraction are the in the same class.

When reviewing plan benefits you may see under basic services extraction and or simple extractions and under major services oral surgery extractions and other oral surgery. This is important to note since this types of services under a PPO plan will normally have waiting periods basic services around six months and majors around a year or more.

Please keep in mind that each child is different and tooth eruption times can vary from child to child.  However, this will give you some idea of when your child teeth should be coming in by.

Primary Teeth Development Chart

Upper Teeth     When tooth emerges     When tooth falls out
Central incisor      8 to 12 months                        6 to 7 years
Lateral incisor       9 to 13 months                        7 to 8 years
Canine (cuspid)    16 to 22 months                     10 to 12 years
First molar              13 to 19 months                      9 to 11 years
Second molar        25 to 33 months                     10 to 12 years

Lower Teeth   

Second molar        23 to 31 month                         10 to 12 years
First molar             14 to 18 months                        9 to 11 years
Canine (cuspid)    17 to 23 months                       9 to 12 years
Lateral incisor      10 to 16 months                        7 to 8 years
Central incisor       6 to 10 months                        6 to 7 years

When dealing with dental PPO or Indemnity (Free choice of providers) insurance plans it is important to know that normally these types of dental insurance plans will often come with some type of deductible. A deductible is the amount of dental expense for which the beneficiary (you) is responsible before a third party (the insurance company) will assume payment of benefits.

New research shows that in a study of more the 4000 elderly adult in Japan, those who had few teeth and who did not use dentures or see a dentist regularly had a significantly higher risk for dementia onset than the participants who practiced better dental health practices.  The study was published in the April issue of Psychosomatic Medicine

Deciduous teeth are the first teeth a child gets often referred to as baby teeth or primary teeth. A child should see a dentist by the time the first deciduous tooth cuts though or no latter then by their first birthday

Dental disease is nearly 100 percent preventable yet fewer then 30 percent of people follow their dentist’s advice to brush and floss twice a day.  People are dropping the ball with their at home dental care habits.  In some state nearly 40 percent of people with dental  insurance still do not regularly see their dentist.   Early education about oral health care habits are important, and should be reinforced by parents, teachers and the community.