Picking a dentist office that best fits your needs and then needs of your family is important.  Here is tip number five to help you narrow down your choices.

5) Flexible Hours:  Does the dentist office provide flexible hours. In order to go to the dentist regularly, you need find a dental office that provides flexible hours that can fit into your own schedule. Many people can not always take time off from work in order to keep or make a dental appointment.  Therefore know the office hours,  There are dentist that do work on Saturday or have latter office hours in order to be more available to their patients.   If it is not easy for you to book an appointment, the less likely you will maintain your regular visits.

When choosing the best dentist for you and your family do not forget tip four.

4)  Communication with the Front Staff:  Make sure you have clear communication with the front staffing. In most cases it is the front staffing that handles payments and any financial arrangements (when necessary) and not the dentist.  If the dental office offers a payment plan for services render, make sure you have full understanding of the requirements.    If you have a PPO dental insurance plan make sure you understand how the dental office files out the claims.   Will the dental office file your claim and charge you for any remaining balances or do you have to pay in full for services render and get reimbursed from the insurance company?

Tip number three in helping you find the right dentist for you and your family.

3) Communication with the Dentist:  Make sure the dental office has dentist that provide clear communication. When needing dental services it is important to understand clearly what is needed and be suggested to for as a treatment plan.  Therefore it is important  to have a  dentist can explain things to you  in a manor that is understandable.  Part of  good communication is understanding that it goes both ways.  It is up to you to ask questions if something is unclear. Many people do not ask questions, yet get upset latter when things do not go the way they expected.

Tip Two on choosing the right dental office for you and your family.

2) Attitude Counts:  You want to go to a dental office that has staff that has a good attitude.  When you walked into the dental office did the front staff welcome you?  Where they friendly?  The front staff may not be the providing the actual dental services,  but they are the people you have to deal with when booking appointment and filing claims. Therefore a dental office that has professional front staff support is important to your overall dental visit.  If you do not like the way you are treated by the front staff you may tend to avoid going to your dental appointment regardless of how good the dentist may be.

When trying to find a dentist that can best fit your dental needs here tip one of seven tips that may be able to help you with your search.

1) Make sure the dental office you are going to looks clean. Generally when you first walk into a dental office you may only see the front waiting room and front desk, if what you see makes you think it is messy, sloppy or dirty think again about booking a appointment. If the dentist office is not trying to make a good first impression how clean is the rest of the place?

There is a lot that factors into the cost of orthodontic care, such as overhead ( which includes orthodontic staff, facilities and associated office costs) cost of actual hardware (brackets, wires, adhesives and attachments), In addition you have laboratory fees for diagnostic models or services.  So you can see as the cost of salaries, health care coverage, utilities, and supplies go up, so does the cost of braces.

Yet it does not stop there, recently there is new additional factor, which increases the cost of providing orthodontic treatment.  That is the new tax that is part of the new Obamacare health care plan.  There is a new 2.3% medical device tax.  Yes, that cost will likely add up to at least $175 more than the present fee.

There is a new field of dental therapists that may be changing dental care for those in need.  With nearly 17 million children are not getting proper dental care. Some of the reason are dental care cost is too high for many families, as well as many dentists do not accept Medicaid nationwide. In 2009 there were 830,000 visits to emergency rooms for dental problems that could have been prevented with proper preventive dental care.

With the Affordable Health Care law more children will become eligible for dental care. One expert said, taxpayers will benefit from fewer trips to the hospital. Better dental care also could improve school attendance. For example, in just California more than half a million children missed school in 2007 because of dental problems.

California and other states are searching for new ways to help meet the demand, including the use of dental therapists. However, many dentists do not agree with that decision. They say dental therapists do not have enough education and training to perform surgical procedures such as filling cavities or pulling teeth.  In 2005 Alaska became the first state to use dental therapists. Minnesota authorized the new profession in 2009. The first graduates of their dental therapy programs began practicing last year.
California, New Hampshire, Oregon and Connecticut are considering creating programs for dental care therapists.

In hopes that it will make it easier for you to pick a dentist that you can feel comfortable with and go to at least every six months, here is tip number five

5) Location:  Location can be an issue.  It is nice to be able to find a dentist that is close to your home or work since most people do like convenience.  However, don’t let convenience get in the way of finding the right dentist for your specific needs, including office hours, emergency hours, policy on missed appointments, and most importantly a willingness and desire to handle your special needs as a patient.

Here is tip number four of five on finding the right dentist for you and your family.

4) Know what dental insurance plans are accepted:  If you have dental insurance make sure the dentist accepts your dental plan. Also be sure to have a clear understanding on how the dental office files claims.

In hopes of  making  it easier for you to pick a dentist that you can feel comfortable with and go to at least every six months here is tip number three of five.

3) Know just how busy a dental office is. It is not so nice to have to wait months in order to book a dental appointment for your dental care needs. So make sure to ask how far up their booking goes so you know ahead of time if they are too busy for you.

Here is tip two of five in hopes that it will make it easier for you to pick a dentist that you can feel comfortable with and go to at least every six months.

2) Know the dental office business hours.  Not all dental offices operate on a 9-5 M-F schedule. In fact, it’s the norm to find dentists that don’t operate Monday or Friday or that have varying schedules on a day-to-day basis. This is great for the dentist, but sometimes not so great for patients who have strict schedules to follow. On the brighter side you may be able to find a dental office that also provides weekend and evenings hours.

Dental insurance plans such as PPO or indemnity aloud you to pick and choose your own dentist,  however finding the right dentist for you and your family is important.  Finding a dentist online is the number one method of finding a dentist today.  Yet, finding a new dentist can be a daunting task.  Here are some tip number one of five  in hopes that it will make it easier for you to pick a dentist that you can feel comfortable with and go to at least every six months.

1) Online provides you the ability to review patient reviews.  Many people leave dentist reviews on Google, Yahoo, Bing as well as in dentist directories, and in business directories. Informed patients use these reviews to make a decision as to whether or not the dentist in question is worth contacting.

Many adults do without dental insurance until they have kids. There are a few reason for this but primary it because as an adult you may have proper dental care habits with good teeth and feel you can pay cash for your twice a year dental visit.

Things can be different once you have a child.  Child dental care can become expensive quickly so having insurance is a good way to reducing the cost for their dental care needs.

However when buying dental insurance for a young child under age six you will want to make sure that either the plan you are buying lets you go to any dentist you want or that there are dentist within the plans network that is able to provide services to young children. Not all dental office are kid friendly.

Buying a dental insurance for yourself or your family will help you save money on your dental care cost. However the an important key when buying dental insurance that can best fit your needs,  is knowing the facts about the plan first.

Such as if you are going to buy an “in-network” dental plan know how many dentists are in the network of approved providers. You will want to buy a plan that offers a wide selection of professionals in your area.

Know the plans limitations and exclusions. Typically, plans can have up 30 to 40 exclusions, limitations, and restrictions. Such exclusion can include the “missing tooth clause,” which excludes any dental work on teeth next to a missing tooth that is pre-existing.  Make sure you understand the claims process if you buy a dental PPO or Indemnity insurance plans.  Will the dental office be filing the claim or are you having to pay in full and wait for reimbursement from the company.  Knowing all the facts of the dental insurance plan and how it works will not only save you money but hassle latter on.

Fruit, yogurt, citric and soft drinks, may seem like harmless, but improper consumption and overuse may lead to devastating and permanent damage to teeth. It’s known as tooth erosion, the break down of tooth structure caused by the effect of acid on the teeth that leads to decay.

According to David Bartlett, BDS, PhD, he stated at the Academy of General Dentistry’s 55th annual meeting back in 2007,  That early diagnosis and prevention of the effects of tooth erosion are fundamental to keeping teeth healthy for life.

Dental enamel is the thin, outer layer of hard tissue that helps maintain the tooth’s structure and shape while protecting it from decay.  According to Dr. Bartlett Sipping or holding acidic drinks in the mouth before swallowing increases the risk of erosion on dental enamel.

Adults may make many decisions based on what they feel they can afford at the current time.  For the most part putting off buying a new pair of shoes, cell phone, video game, etc. until you can better afford it is a good idea.  Yet what about dental insurance?  Many adults either put of buying dental insurance or never buy dental insurance primary due to cost factors.   Stating dental insurance is too costly and if need be they can pay for the cost of getting a dental cleaning done.

Doing the Math: If you add up the cost for twice a year checkups and cleanings, for a single, couple or  family of three or more,  preventive dental services (without dental insurance) can range for a single person around $200 – $400, Couple $400 – $800 and Family of three $600 – $1200 a year. Now lets just say more then just preventive dental care services are needed.  Cost for fillings, crowns, extractions and root canals can start getting in to $1000 plus range on just one individual.

However, say you buy a lower cost dental insurance plan such as an HMO dental plan. Dental HMO plans can range around  $8.00 – $20.00 for a single  $12.00 – $35.00 for a couple and $15.00 – $45.00 for a family a month. At first on the high range this can seem costly. Yet most HMO plans provides benefits for free preventive dental care services such as office visits, oral evolutions, X-rays and basic cleanings.  You can see  how on just preventive dental care services, by having dental insurance you are already saving money on your dental care needs.   In addition when larger dental care needs are necessary, having dental insurance will cut the cost in (most cases) by half or more.

If cost is a factor as to why you do not have current dental insurance, then odds are you may not seeing a dentist regularly due to the same issue. Yet by deferring your dental care you run a much higher risk of needing larger more expensive dental care services in the future. So you would be much better off budgeting a low cost dental insurance plan now then trying to figure out how you are going to pay for dental care without it latter on.

Children and adults should see their dentist as least twice a year or as often as advise by their dentist. Many people think that the twice a year checkup is just about looking for tooth decay and getting a basic cleaning. Yet the dental checkup goes beyond that and the dentist is doing more then just checking your teeth for tooth decay.

During your checkup appointment, your dentist will likely evaluate the health of your gums,  examine your mouth for any indications of oral cancer, diabetes or vitamin deficiencies, Your dentist will likely look at your gums, mouth, tongue and throat in addition do not be surprised if your dentist also examines your face, bite, saliva and movement of your lower jaw joints (TMJs).

Parents will want to establish a dental home for baby by twelve months of age. Babies should start seeing a dentist regularly by age one and establishing where your child goes for their dental care early on is important.

The initial visit should include thorough medical and dental histories, a thorough oral examination, performance of an age-appropriate tooth brushing demonstration, and prophylaxis and fluoride varnish treatment if indicated.

It is best suggested that an infant should receive an oral health risk assessment from his or his primary health care provider or a pediatric dentist by six months of age. The oral health assessment well evaluate the infant’s risk of developing oral diseases of soft and hard tissues, including caries-risk assessment, provide education on infant oral health, and evaluate and optimize fluoride exposure.

Research has suggested that compounds that give colorful fruits their rich hues, especially berries, promote health and might even prevent cancer. But for the first time, scientists have exposed extracts from numerous berries high in those pigments to human saliva to see just what kinds of health-promoting substances are likely to survive and be produced in the mouth.