Question:  I am covered under my moms dental insurance, I believe she has MetLife PPO..I am looking for dentist in the area and I was calling around to make sure they accepted our insurance. I called one place and they said that as long as the dentist is in the network, then all the prices for the dentist are all the  same. I was like, in that case there is no need in me calling the next few people to find out who is cheaper. Is this correct that all dentist offer the same prices if they are inside the network?

Answer: Generally speaking with PPO plans, dentist that are in the plan network have agreed to cost some what.  Meaning that when going to a plan provider they are normally going to be within the company’s UCR range (Usual Customary and Reasonable).   Compared to when you go to an out of network provider you run a higher risk of having UCR fees.  This will encourage you to use plan providers compared to going to dentist that are not providers of the plan. With some dental PPO plans they go a step further they reduce your coverages/benefits if you choose to go to a dentist who is not a provider. You would need to check with your policy to confirm this.

Dental insurance can help you manage the costs of yours and children’s dental care needs. It seems like the cost of just preventive dental care services keeps going up. Making it harder and harder to see a dentist for just your basic care.

However did you know with most dental insurance plans preventive care such as cleaning’s, X-rays, and checks ups are little to no cost?  Even basic dental services such as fillings are low in cost with most dental insurance plans.

Although some of your major dental care cost such as crowns, root canals and extractions can still be costly they still cost less when you have a dental insurance plan in place.

Arginine, a common amino acid found naturally in foods, breaks down dental plaque, which could help millions of people avoid cavities and gum disease, researchers at the University of Michigan and Newcastle University have discovered.

Alexander Rickard, assistant professor of epidemiology at the U-M School of Public Health, and colleagues, discovered that in the lab L-arginine—found in red meat, poultry, fish and dairy products, and is already used in dental products for tooth sensitivity—stopped the formation of dental plaque.

Dental Erosion is When: The enamel (the hard, protective coating of the tooth) is worn away by exposure to acid, when that happens it leaves the sensitive dentine area of the tooth exposed. Dental erosion of the enamel can result in pain, particularly when consuming hot or cold food.

The enamel on the tooth becomes softer and loses mineral content when we eat or drink anything acidic. However, this acidity is cancelled out by saliva, which slowly restores the natural balance within the mouth. But if the mouth is not given enough time to repair itself (because these acid attacks are happening too often) the surface of the teeth is worn away.

Soft drinks are the most significant factor in severity of dental erosion, according to a new study published in the Journal of Public Health Dentistry.

Anything with a pH value (the measure of acidity) lower than 5.5 can damage the teeth. Diet and regular sodas, carbonated drinks, flavored fizzy waters, sports drinks, fruit and fruit juices are all known to be harmful to teeth if they are consumed too often.

If you are going to drink these types of drinks limit the contact they have on your teeth by drinking though a straw.  Also think about substituting that type of drink out with water when ever possible. Water is not only good in the fact it causes no damage to your teeth but it also great for your body

There are a few treatments options for Fluorosis such as porcelain laminate veneers, enamel microabrasion, and direct composite veneers.

1) Porcelain Laminate Veneers:  In this procedure, less than 1 millimeter of the front surface of the tooth is shaved away.  The dentist takes an impression, and then a dental lab makes a veneer that looks great and fits perfectly into the spot that was shaved away by the dentist.

2) Enamel Microabrasion is the In this method of fluorosis treatment, the dentist treats the tooth with acid and then sands away a tiny layer of enamel off of the tooth using pumice.

3) Direct Composite Veneers.  This procedure is similar to the porcelain laminate veneers mentioned above.  However, after shaving down the front of your teeth, the dentist doesn’t take an impression to send to the lab.  The dentist simply repairs the tooth using white composite filling material.

Once you find a dentist and or dental office you like and trust it can be very difficult to change providers just because you also want to have dental insurance to help control your dental care cost.

However you do not have to do this. There are many good dental insurance plan that let you choose and or stay with  your current dentist. These plans are called Indemnity plans. You will see these types of dental insurance plans on our website as Free Choice – Use Your Own Dentist plans.

That because Indemnity dental insurance plans do not have providers they let you choose whatever dentist you want to go to.  One thing to keep in mind though with Indemnity dental insurance plans is like PPO’s dental plan they to normally come with waiting periods.  So it is best to buy these types of dental insurance plan before you have a toothache to take care of.

Going to the dentist might have just gotten a little less scary for the estimated 1 in 68 U.S. children with autism spectrum disorder as well as children with dental anxiety, thanks to new research from USC.

In an article published on May 1 by the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, researchers from USC and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) examined the feasibility of adapting dental environments to be more calming for children with autism spectrum disorder.

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 offer member services is always happy to help just call 310-534-3444 M-F 8am – 4pm

Your child dental and oral health is important to maintain not only for healthy teeth and gums but for overall wellness.

According to past studies done: In California alone, 504,000 children missed at least one school day in 2007 to a toothache or other oral problems.

Appearing in the September 2012 issue of the American Journal of Public Health: Ostrow researchers had previously documented that 73 percent of disadvantaged kids in Los Angeles have dental caries, the disease responsible for cavities in teeth. The new study shines light on the specific connection between oral health and performance in school for this population, said Roseann Mulligan, chair of the school’s Division of Dental Public Health and Pediatric Dentistry and corresponding author of the study.

Oral care products containing a natural chemical that stops bacteria harming teeth could help prevent decay, a study suggests.

The compound – known as trans-chalcone – is related to chemicals found in liquorice root. The study shows that it blocks the action of a key enzyme that allows the bacteria to thrive in oral cavities.

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.

Dental insurance coverage for children is an essential health benefit.  According to studies dental health is linked to your overall wellness. Also studies have shown that people with dental insurance tend to visit their dentist regularly, maintaining their dental health care needs.

Dental care cost is stated as a main factor as to why parents and their kids do not see a dentist as much as maybe they should. Since that is the case having dental insurance help control their family dental care cost, there by making it possible for them see their dentist regularly.

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine have unraveled one of the mysteries of how a small group of immune cells work: That some inflammation-fighting immune cells may actually convert into cells that trigger disease.

Their findings, recently reported in the journal Pathogens, could lead to advances in fighting diseases, said the project’s lead researcher Pushpa Pandiyan, an assistant professor at the dental school.

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.

DentalInsuranceKids.com provides you with more the just one company one type of dental insurance plan. In most states we provide dental insurance plans though several companies offering PPO’s, Indemnity and HMO’s insurance plans in addition to dental discount plans as a low cost alternative.

You are able to get free dental plan quotes from our website in order to compare many different plans and choice the plan and plan type you feel is best for you and your family. We also provide a member service line 310-534-3444 for you to call if you have any questions about the plans we have to offer.

Dental health researchers report that clinical minimally invasive treatments require the elimination of dental caries-infected tissues in order to stop the progression of bacteria to the pulpal chamber and maximize the reparative potential of the remaining partially demineralized tissues.

There is a children’s dental crisis currently going on in this country. Many children are not going to the dentist because their parents can not find affordable dental care. That is a unfortunate because basic dental checkups, cleanings, fluoride applications, and sealants can help to prevent early tooth decay and gum disease in children.

However one of the main ways to make dental care more affordable is by having dental insurance in place.  As a family dental insurance is important part of keeping your dental care cost low. If you do not receive dental benefits for you and  your family though work, there still many good low cost dental insurance and dental plan options to choose from.  Review what our website has to offer and if you have any questions about our dental insurance and dental plans options call our member service line at 310-534-3444 as we be happy to help you pick the right plan for you and your family.

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.

A new study suggests that states may not save as much money as anticipated by eliminating adult dental coverage under Medicaid.

The study from University of Iowa researchers looked at California, which decided to end adult dental coverage under Medicaid in mid-2009. Some 3.5 million low-income adults in the Golden State lost dental benefits.

The researchers found those adults made more than 1,800 additional visits annually to hospital emergency departments for dental care after losing the benefit. In all, California spent $2.9 million each year in Medicaid costs for dental care in emergency departments, up from $1.6 million before the state eliminated the adult dental care benefit. That’s a 68 percent increase in costs, when factoring inflation.