If you have an indemnity dental insurance plan or a PPO dental insurance plan the chances are you may have a deductible.  The deductible is what is changed by the insurance plan before they pay for claims.  The dollar amount of the deductible can very but normally it is around $50 per person per year. Sometimes if there is no deductible there is an office co-pay each at each dental visit.  Make sure you check with your dental plan so you can be fully aware of your coverages.

A public service ad released by the Oregon Dental Association is attempting to  teach kids how to brush properly in a fun way by releasing an educational video spoofing the rap song “Teach me how to Dougie.”  Spoof of Rap Song Being Used to Teach Kids to Brush Properly  Titled “Teach Me How to Brushy”, the video features local celebrities, a rapper and kids singing and dancing and at the same time imparting the correct way how to brush your teeth.

Canker sores are different than fever blisters. They are small, red or white, shallow ulcers occurring on the tongue, soft palate, or inside the lips and cheeks; they do not occur in the roof of the mouth or the gums. They are quite painful, and usually last five to ten days.

Your child first dental appointment can be exciting, but for many parents they are not sure what to expect.  In general the dental office will gather information from you to determine the individual dental needs your child has.   At that point X-rays and a complete oral exam will be done by the dentist to  determine what course of dental treatment may be needed.  The dentist will also go over the proper preventive dental care that is needed from home in order to maintain your child good oral health care.

Treatment of fever blisters consists of coating the lesions with a protective barrier ointment containing an antiviral agent, for example 5% acyclovir ointment. While there is no cure now, scientists are trying to develop one, so hopefully fever blisters will be a curable disorder in the future.

Yeasts cause difficult-to-treat mouth infections hence are killed using silver nanoparticles in the laboratory, discover scientists. These yeast infections, caused by Candida albicans and Candida glabrata target the young, old and immuno-compromised. Professor Mariana Henriques, University of Minho, and her colleagues hope to test silver nanoparticles in mouthwash and dentures as a potential preventative measure against these infections.

Fever blisters are contagious, from the time the blister ruptures until the sore is completely healed there is a high risk of spreading the infection. The virus can spread to the afflicted person’s eyes and genitalia, as well as to other people.

It is important to understand your dental insurance plan and to know what is covered and what may not be. There are dental insurance plans that have limitations such as yearly max dollar limits and deductibles. If it a new plan you may also have plan waiting periods.  Other plans that do not have these types of limitations may have provider limitations making you stay within the plan network of dental providers.

Many plans may also limit the amount of one type of dental service you can  have with in the year. Common examples of this would be one set of X-rays per year, 2 cleaning 1 every 6 months.  However many times plans will limit the number of crown you may be able to have such a 5 crowns per year.   Another thing to keep in mind is that for the most part dentist are not basing their decisions for treatment on what is or is not covered by your dental insurance plan.  A dentist may advise dental services that are not covered or that is limited in coverage.

If you want to say within your plan coverages, then you need to advise your dentist ahead of time.  They may still suggest services not covered by your plan but at that point you can address the reasons why. The dentist job is to be committed to taking care of your teeth, not to worry about your dental insurance. So before dental services are render you should make sure what is covered by your plan and what is your cost. That way you avoid any surprises along the way.

Fever blisters result from a herpes simplex virus that becomes active. This virus is latent (dormant) in afflicted people, but can be activated by conditions such as stress, fever, trauma, hormonal changes, and exposure to sunlight. When lesions reappear, they tend to form in the same location.

Scientists have come up with a novel technique for treating decayed tooth to end painful fillings.  Experts are testing a pain-free way dealing with rotten teeth that dispenses with the dentist’s drill.  New Crowing Technique for Treating Tooth Decay.  It is also done without the need for anaesthetic jabs and appears to be more effective than a conventional filling.

The results of pilot studies have been so promising that the NHS has pumped 3million dollars into a nationwide study of the technique, which involves sealing decay in, rather than scraping it out, the Daily Mail reported.  However, the technique is only suitable for milk teeth and so for children, rather than adults.

Fever blisters are fluid-filled blisters that commonly occur on the lips. They also can occur on the gums and roof of the mouth, however that is rare. Fever blisters can usually be painful. Pain may also precede the appearance of the lesion by a few days. The blisters rupture within hours, then crust over. Fever blister last about seven to ten days.

Unless you have a dental HMO plan where most dental services are based on a fee schedule that lays out your cost for the different dental services, (therefore avoiding the claims filling process) you are having to fill out claims forms.  Knowing your cost for dental services can be difficult since most PPO and Indemnity plans pay claims based on a percentage up to UCR (Usual, Customary & Reasonable) rates.

Your dentist may provide you an estimate based on your plan stated coverages but there is no guarantees that will be your total cost.  In order to make sure you know what your cost is going to be have your dentist submit the treatment plan to your insurance company as a quote only before dental services are started.  That way the dental insurance company can be able to state what is covered and for what amount. Stopping the guessing game before it starts.

More than 50% of elementary school children in U.S have tooth decay and cavities which may need fillings.  For nearly four decades, dentists have been using tooth-colored fillings that contain derivatives of the chemical bisphenol A.  Dental Fillings in Children Connected to Risk of Anxiety, Depression

Recent research has revealed that these non-metal fillings can up the risk of behavioral problems in children. The study however has pointed only to a potential connection and there is no conclusive evidence yet that BPA causes any behavioral changes in children.

It is important to understand that regardless of your dental insurance plan it is up to you to know your coverages and what is and what is not covered.     Many people just assume that the dentist is only providing dental services based on what their plan offers.  This is not always true.  In fact many dentist do not even know what their patients have for dental insurance.  The dentist job is not to worry about your insurance but to provide the best dental care to patients.

With that said it is up to you to let the front staffing know you wish to stay within your plan coverages.  If dental services are being suggested that is not part of your plan you will want a good reason why. Believe it or not most dentist are not trying to charge you for higher cost dental care just to get more money from you.  Ask your dentist why he/she is suggesting that course of treatment. If it not within your budget or you want to stay with in your plan coverage go over your options with your dentist at that time.  Dentist are not mind readers. Many are more the happy to work with your plan limitations as much as possible as long as they are aware of them.

If you have a dental insurance plan where claims need to be filed, then find out ahead of time how the dental office processes this type of claim made services. With the down turn in the economy many dentist are requiring payment is paid in full at the time services are render. Knowing how the dental office handles claims will prevent you from having any unhappy surprises. Keep in mind dental offices that do file claims and wait for payment do so on your behalf it is not a requirement.

Shark Teeth have built-in toothpaste.  The outside of shark teeth is made up of fluoride, the active component of most toothpaste.   Although human teeth are covered in a different mineral, both shark and human teeth are equally hard.  Sharks never get cavities, and are able to replace their teeth multiple times throughout their lives. An in-depth look at shark teeth has found that they contain fluoride, the active ingredient of most toothpaste and dental care mouthwashes.

Food texture can create issues for your teeth. Sticky substances seem to find their way in-between your teeth and along your gum line. The bacteria in your mouth interacts with the sugars to weaken your tooth enamel. Therefore avoid such candies as toffee and anything gummy (such as gummy bears) If you do eat this type of treat be extra diligent with your flossing and brushing afterwords.

I live in NY and dental insurance is very costly. I am looking for either a low cost dental insurance plan or an alternative to dental insurance that can help me with my dental cost.

Answer: You may want to either review dental HMO insurance plans we have to offer in New York though Healthplex or Assurant or our dental discount plan though Dental Save.  You can see all these plans by entering your zip code in the quote box provided.

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.

I would like to get an inexpensive dental insurance plan for my six year old son.  I do not have much money, and I am only looking to get dental insurance for my son dental health care.   He has been to the dentist once and without insurance it was very costly, I worry that he may get new cavities or something.  Can you advise if you have any dental plan that can help me afford proper dental care for my son.

Answer: Dental HMO insurance plan are normally the more affordable dental insurance option however they will also normally require at least one adult on the plan with a minor. Making you pay for a couple plan instead of an individual plan for just your minor son. Cost for a couple plan can range around $15 to $30 a month depending on the plan.

Another cost saving option would be a dental discount plan. Many dental discount plan will let you buy the plan for only a minor. They can range around $7 – $15 a month depending on the plan. A dental discount plan is a good low cost way of reducing your dental care cost.

I have a job where in about another four months I will be receiving dental benefits. However currently I have a toothache. Is there any short term dental insurance plans I can buy to help me with the cost of fixing my tooth?

Answer: Try looking at getting a dental discount plan.  They normally start within the next business day of buying the plan on line and normally as long as you pay the plan on a monthly bases you can cancel the plan (with a 30 day writen request) at any time.