As we draw closer to the end of the year this is a reminder to use your dental benefits.  Many people do receive dental benefits though their employment but still do not visit the dentist and use the benefits they receive.  Also companies will tend to review the employee benefits offer and will normally make changes in the beginning of the year. Therefore it is best to take care of all your dental needs before any changes take place.

Dental discount plans are a great low cost option that does help you save money off all your dental services.  Even dental services that may not be covered by your dental insurance plan.  Such as cosmetic dental services, preexisting and adult braces to name a few.

A dental discount plan is also a good way to save money when you have dental insurance but are still within the plan waiting periods.   There are times when it is not advise to wait even when your plan may have waiting periods.  In cases like that getting a dental discount plan that offer savings within the next business day is well worth looking into

Proper dental care right from the start will make fore health teeth that will last your child lifetime.   The AAPD (American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry) recommends that a child should be seen by a dentist when their first tooth appears.

A good Pediatric dental office loves to see children in the office and will often provide a friendly visit for first-time patients. Many times children are shown around the office, they are shown dental instruments, have a ride in the dental chair and, if ready, a cleaning and check-up.  Making the visit to the dentist an enjoyable one.

My six year old son needs to have a tooth pulled in the back due to a large size cavity.  I am worried about him having to have tooth pulled so soon. I do not want him to start having dental fears do to having to have his tooth pulled.  What can I do to make sure he does not get up set with this process.

I was also advise I may want to look into getting dental insurance but not sure what type of dental insurance would would best for us.  I live in Los Angeles California can you advise which would be the better plan for me to get?

There are good benefits to fruit juice, however just like soda they can still be harmful to your child teeth.  According to the head of a leading Dentistry University in Australia, juices, contain citric acid which can dissolve the hard structures of your teeth, especially the exposed roots and the enamel, which leaves the inner parts of teeth exposed. This, in turn, leads to tooth sensitivity.

The healthiest drink you can give your child is water but you do not have to stop all other drinks. Give limited amounts of fruit juice and soda and have your child drink out of a straw to limit contact on there teeth.

My eight year old has crooked teeth.  They are baby teeth but I worry that he may need to have braces for his adult teeth since his baby teeth are so crooked.  I do not have dental insurance that offer benefits for braces and I am not sure if I should get dental insurance now for braces or wait until the dentist tells me he needs braces.

I have a three and a half  year old that should be seeing a dentist. However our local general dentist will not see kids under six.  I do not have dental insurance and if my son has to see a Pediatric Dentist then I would like to get some dental insurance to help me with the cost.  HMO dental insurance plans are what I can afford,  so do they offer benefits if you see a Pediatric Dentist?

Supplemental dental insurance is an individual or family insurance policy purchased to cover a portion of the dental costs. Supplemental dental insurance will normally not cover the entire dental care procedure.

If you have a primary dental insurance plan that you purchased or your employer provided, the supplemental dental policy typically covers the remaining dental bill.  For example, if the dental plan policy covers half of the dental cost, the secondary or supplement dental insurance plan should cover the remaining balance of your dental procedure.

A supplement dental insurance plan may also be purchased to cover the dental charges when there are annual dental benefit plan limits or exclusions.

Many children like to be able to show their independence by doing tasks, such as brushing their teeth, on their own. Even if your child is still not correctly brushing you should let them brush their teeth either before or after you have correctly brushed their teeth.  This can be done in steps in a way to teach your child how to brush correctly.  Letting them have some time to brush their teeth too may make it fun for them.  More a child wants to brush their teeth the better.

By the time your child is around six they should be able to correctly brush their teeth on their own. When you are confident that your child is capable of brushing alone, you may want to buy an timer and time your child’s brushing to make sure they are brushing for the recommended two minutes. Do a final inspection of your child mouth. This gives you a chance to check for any teeth that have been missed, visually show your child the area and demonstrate how he should brush in that area too.  And remember to praise your child on a job well done.

Did you know that cheese can help you protect your child teeth from tooth decay?  By offering your child a piece of cheese after a meal or snack the cheese helps neutralizing the harmful acids from the mouth. In addition, cheese helps to make tooth enamel stronger and becoming a perfect barrier that will protect from tooth caries.

Babies can start teething as soon as three months but normally for most babies teething beings around six to seven months.  The first teeth that will usually appear will be the lower incisors (front teeth).
As your child grows and develop more teeth, you can use a toothbrush that is designed for your child’s age. Avoid using toothpaste that contains fluoride until your child is old enough to understand that swallowing the toothpaste should be avoided.

For both kids and adults dental check up consist of more then just X-rays and cleanings.  The dentist is looking at more then whether or not you have any cavities or if you been flossing good enough.  Dental check ups include oral cancer screenings. By going to the dentist for your check up the dentist or hygienist is also checking for any signs of oral cancer.

Oral cancer is a serious dental disease in which claims lives on a daily bases.  However it is often highly curable if diagnosed and treated in the early stages. Many people do not have regular dental check ups due to lack of having dental benefits though their jobs and or due to cost of dental services. In some cases you can not afford not to go to the dentist.

Tooth erosion is the wearing away of your tooth enamel by acid.  Tooth enamel is what protects the outside of your tooth.  However high amounts of acids in food and drinks that one may consume can cause tooth erosion.

Here are a few signs to look out for,  talk to your dentist if you should have one or more of this waring signs.   Discoloration of your tooth or teeth. Sensitive teeth, Rounded looking teeth or your the tips of your teeth looking transparent in color (mainly your front teeth).  There are more advance signs of tooth erosion which would include cracked or cracking teeth.  Rough feeling spots on the tooth surface.  Extremely sensitive teeth and tooth decay.

Oral hygiene is just as important to infants as to children and adults.  Even though a baby may not have teeth you still need to provide for daily oral hygiene for your infant.  Infants require daily oral hygiene, because the tissues in the mouth require cleansing to prevent irritation and infection.

Thrush is a treatable fungal infection caused by yeast that often appears in areas of the mouth that may have torn tissue, due to the constant sucking of a pacifier, bottle, or during breastfeeding. The tiny tears remain moist, and if not removed, the yeast can cause this painful condition

Fresh Start Surgical Gifts’ Dental Clinics provide for free restorative and orthodontic dental procedures as well as preventative dental education for disadvantaged infants, children, and teens suffering from physical deformities and other conditions. Dental Clinics are held 13 times annually and treat approximately 20 children at each Clinic

Parents can normally have very busy day and so it easy to forgot things at time.  Kids can be just as busy doing their kid stuff and forgetting to brush their teeth often happens. By using a brushing chart it will help your kids to remember to brush and floss their teeth on a daily basis, plus it will also give you a little reassurance that this important task is not being forgotten.  You can find tooth brushing charts free on line or you can make them yourself.

It is estimated that the average American drinks nearly 600 cans of soda person per year.  Studies shown that soft drinks is a causing factor to adult’s and children’s tooth decay. The problem with soda in regards to dental health is that many sodas contain acids and sugars that could erode tooth enamel over time. Even diet soda contain phosphoric acid and/or citric acid and still cause dental erosion — though considerably less than their sugared counterparts.

According to researchers from the University of Maryland Baltimore Dental School, drinks that especially aggressive to erode tooth enamel are light-colored soda (such as Sprite and Mountain Dew) and canned iced tea (such as Arizona Iced Tea)

If you are a soda drinker root beer products did the least damage. Other safer drinks for teeth would be water, brewed black tea, and black coffee all showed minimal tooth enamel damage.

Another helpful tip to soft drink, drinkers would be to drink soda out of a straw which will help to reduce soda’s contact with your teeth.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, dental decay in the United States in children ages 2-5 increased by 15.2 percent.  More and more children are having to see the dentist for tooth decay. Some suggested reason for the increase of dental carries in young kids include: Socioeconomic status of the family, Medical history, Dietary Habits, and lack of proper dental care.

Many parents try and limit the amount of soda their child drinks, but sports drinks can be just as harmful to their children’s  teeth.  Most sports drinks are quite acidic (pH 3-4) and if taken to excess, may lead to dental erosion and demineralization. One study found that 57% of 11-14 year-olds had evidence of some dental erosion.

Even though New Jersey is known for their pharmaceutical and biotechnology progress, they long lagged in what public health officials call one of the 10 biggest health advances of the last century fluoridating its water.

While 72 percent of Americans get their water from public systems that add fluoride, just 14 percent of New Jersey residents do, placing the state next to last, ahead of only Hawaii, and far behind nearby New York 72 percent.

While a bill in the Legislature would change that, requiring all public water systems in New Jersey to add fluoride to the water supply, similar bills have failed in the state since 2005.