Question: My five year old daughter has dental caries.  She currently need four filling an a possible baby root canal.  I have dental insurance but it does not cover much and I have already maxed out it 1000.00 yearly limit.  I found this is easy to do when your child’s teeth keep getting cavities.

Answer: You could look into buying and HMO dental insurance plan that dose not have any waiting periods for the services you daughter needs.  Or buy a another PPO plan with a high yearly maximum limitation then just $1000.00. However, that would mean you may have to deal with waiting periods that will not help you with your daughter current dental care needs.  I would also suggest calling your current dental insurance plan and seeing if you can increase the maximum limitation without restarting the plan.

Journal of Oral Implantology – Your jaw bones affect how you look, breath, eat, and speak, making reconstruction important for any jaw defects. Surgeons have more tools than ever to tackle such cases, but these may not be enough to ensure the jaw is fully restored. In the end, it’s all about form and function.

The authors of an article published in the current issue of the Journal of Oral Implantology described a step-by-step process to completely reconstruct the jaw using a bone graft and an implant-supported denture. Their case report is one of only a few studies that focus on the final, prosthetic phase of the process and a technique known as a free-flap fibula graft.

Question: I am 28 years old and been wanting to get braces to fix an overbite issue.  I try enrolling in a dental insurance plan to save money on adult braces only to find out after the fact they do not cover for orthodontic treatment for adults.   I need recommendations for a dental insurance plan that can help me today.

Answer: Any of our dental discount plans options will provide you with at least a 20% saving off any type of braces for at any age.  We also have HMO options that do provide for adult braces.  In order to review all our dental insurance and plan options just enter your zip code in the quote box provided. Then call our member services at 310-534-3444 if you should have any questions about the available plans

A team of scientists in Japan that is working on growing multiple, fully-functional teeth and implanting them in mice. Tooth development in humans is a complex process that depends on what’s called the “tooth germ.” This is a mass of cells formed early in life from the ectoderm and ectomesenchyme in the jaw. In the early stages, these germs are relatively simple in structure and the team from the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology and Tokyo Medical and Dental University led by Takashi Tsuji hit on the idea of taking one germ, dividing it, and then growing new, multiple teeth in the laboratory.

Your child’s first teeth usually begin to cut through the gums at about six months of age, although the timing can vary among children. All of your child 20 primary teeth should come in between the ages of six months and three years. Your child will lose his or her primary teeth between the ages of six and 11.

Periodontal disease is a common condition that ranges from simple gum inflammation to a serious disease causing major damage to the soft tissue and bone that support the teeth, and loss of teeth.

Periodontal disease has also been linked with heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, as well as oral, esophageal, head and neck, pancreatic and lung cancers. Previous studies have suggested that chronic inflammation could provide the link.

Some of the risk factors for periodontal disease include:

• Genetic predisposition
•  Smoking
• Hormonal changes in girls and women, which can make gums more sensitive so that it is easier for gingivitis to develop.
• People with reduced ability to fight infection due to diseases such as diabetes or treatment for cancer are also prone.
• Medications that limit the flow of saliva can also leave the mouth vulnerable to infections.

The short answer is Yes, both vision and dental care is very important for a baby. With regards to dental a baby should see a dentist at the sign of their first tooth. Maintaining dental health for your child will not only be good for the oral health but overall well being.  With regards to vision. Babies can have issues with their vision you never know what could happen. You may need to take your child to a Optometrists for appointments

University of Georgia research has found that inorganic mercury, which was previously thought to be a less harmful form of the toxic metal, is very damaging to key cell processes.

This study is the first to compare the effects of inorganic and organic mercury compounds at the biochemical, physiological and proteomic levels in any model organism, according to the study’s lead author Stephen LaVoie, a microbiology doctoral student. Published in December in the Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry, the research looked at how inorganic and organic mercury affected specific molecular processes.

A few years from now millions of people around the world might be walking around with an unusual kind of glass in their mouth, and using it every time they eat.

Engineers at Oregon State University have made some promising findings about the ability of “bioactive” glass to help reduce the ability of bacteria to attack composite tooth fillings – and perhaps even provide some of the minerals needed to replace those lost to tooth decay.

You want to start cleaning a child’s teeth when the first tooth is visible, because teeth are susceptible to decay as soon as they appear in the mouth.  Wipe the baby’s teeth and gums clean after every feeding with a soft, damp wash cloth.

Be mindful of BBS (“baby bottle syndrome.”) with is a leading cause of tooth decay among young children. When an infant is allowed to drink from a nursing bottle containing milk, formula or fruit juice during nap time or at night, the baby often falls asleep with the bottle in his or her mouth.

Exposure to the sugars and acids in these liquids that pool around the teeth can cause discoloration and tooth decay.  Make sure to clean your child’s teeth after each feeding and, if necessary, give him or her a bottle filled only with water at bedtime or during a nap.

Oral and dental health care start from birth. It is very important to provide good oral health care to your child right from the start.   According to The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, they recommend bringing your child to the dentist before his or her first birthday. Generally at this initial visit, the dentist will:

* Check your child’s teeth for decay and signs of early developmental problems;

* Explain how to care for your child’s teeth, and answer any questions or concerns you might have.  Your child should see a dentist once every six months in order to maintain good oral health and to help your child develop a positive attitude about the dentist.  Here are some additional tips

* Take your child with you when you go in for a check up so he/she can get used to the dental office and its staff.

* Avoid using negative words such as “needle” and “hurt.”

* Play dentist to familiarize your child with what takes place during a visit.

* Ask your dentist how he or she explains procedures to children.

* And answer your child’s questions honestly and sensitively.

One should always make sure they have the best at home dental care habits. Here are some tips that may help you.

1) Floss your teeth do not use toothpicks.

2) Brush your teeth gently. Brushing your teeth too hard or using a hard bristled toothbrush can damage your tooth enamel.

3) Make sure to follow directions carefully when using teeth-whitening products. They can be bad for your teeth if used improperly or too often.

4) As a reminder if you need pointers on the right way to care for your teeth, just ask your dentist.  Your dentist will gladly go over proper at home dental care.

Several theories have attempted to explain how our teeth manage to withstand the huge stresses we inflict on them every day of our lives. Now a new study shows how mineral nanoparticles and surrounding collagen in tooth dentin respond to stress in a way that prevents cracks from spreading inside teeth.

Your saliva takes care of acids in the mouth that erode your teeth. It also helps restore tooth enamel. However, if you have a dry mouth caused by a drug side effect or a health condition, the acids stick around longer, causing more damage to your teeth.

According to a recent survey, it reveals that more than a quarter of us admit to lying to our dentist about our flossing and dental care habits.

The study reveals that 27 per cent of us lie to our dentists on a regular basis, telling them that we floss every day. Astonishingly the findings also show that 14 per cent find cleaning the toilet more appealing than flossing every day.

Dry mouth is the result of low-producing or non-functioning salivary glands. The often devastating condition known as xerostomia. Dry mouth has a number of causes, including medication use, radiation treatment for head and neck cancers, autoimmune diseases, diabetes and the process of aging.

Millions of people in the US suffer with dry mouth, a very uncomfortable feeling of insufficient saliva in the mouth that can lead to serious health problems. Now, there is the promise of relief, as a new study shows how with the help of silk fibers it may be possible to generate new salivary glands out of stem cells.

According to a new study, access to dental care by low-income Americans has become the exception, rather than the rule, as fewer dentists accept Medicaid.

More than two percent of all emergency department visits are now related to nontraumatic dental conditions, according to a study by researchers at Stanford University, the University of California-San Francisco, Truven Health Analytics and the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

When it comes to basic dental care services most PPO’s insurance plans review basic services as dental fillings and recementation bridge, crown or onlay. However benefits under basic services can very depending on the plan.  Also it is important to note that many PPO plans have waiting period for basic dental service on average six months but it can also very depending on the plan.

One way to reduce your risk of having to have basic dental care needs is by maintaining good oral health care habits at home, and by seeing your dentist regularly for your dental check ups and cleaning’s

Preventive dental care dose start at home by having good dental care habits. Brushing your teeth twice a day flossing daily and using a mouthwash that help fight plaque.  However preventive care dose not stop at just having good dental habits at home.  An equally important part of your preventive dental care needs is seeing a dentist at least twice a year for your dental check up and cleaning’s.

Did you know that most dental insurance plans provide preventive dental care services at little to no cost to you. By having dental insurance you are able to maintain your twice a year check up and cleaning’s with little to no cost to you for you and your family.  Dental insurance also provides basic and major dental care services at a more affordable cost when needed.