You will want to start cleaning your baby’s teeth twice a day as soon as the first tooth appears. Until your child is older around one you can use a soft wet cloth to clean your baby teeth and gums. Once your child is around a year you can then use a baby toothbrush.

Make sure you use non fluoride toothpaste and you only still need to use just a dab. I would not use any toothpaste with fluoride until your child can spit and knows not to eat or swallows the toothpaste. It is suggested that you take your child to see the dentist at  or around their first birthday

Tooth severe and continuous toothache, Fever, Sensitivity to hot or cold, Having a bad taste in your mouth or having bad breath and redness or swelling of your gums. Theses are just a few symptoms to having a tooth abscess. Note you do not need to have all of the symptoms to have a tooth abscess. I would advise seeing a dentist to confirm if it is an abscessed tooth or your wisdom tooth coming in. Either way a dentist will need to address the issues with you.

An abscessed is a painful infection at the root of the tooth or sometimes it is in between the gum and the tooth. You can get an abscessed tooth due to untreated tooth decay. However you can also get an abscessed if you have trauma to your tooth, such as braking or chipping your tooth, or if you have gum disease or gingivitis. If you think you have a abscessed tooth it is very important that you see your dentist right away. The abscessed or an infection may spread from the tooth root to the bone causing a much large oral health issue.

Flossing, One of the easiest things you can do for good Dental Health.

It may seem hard to believe but many people do not floss let along floss daily. Yet flossing is even more important the brushing when it comes to preventing gum disease gingivitis and tooth loss. Flossing your teeth is not so much about removing food bit that are such between your gums though it does do not. Flossing is more about removing dental plaque.  Dental plaque is what causes tooth decay, gingivitis and gum disease. Flossing every day between each tooth is an effective way to remove plaque and provide you with good oral health.

When thinking about using a waterpik instead of flossing here are some good pros and cons to consider.

Pros: Waterpiks are effective,  They can be faster to use the flossing,  Waterpik normally come with multiple wands and different color so different family member can have their own just like a tooth brush. Great for braces, Flossing with braces can be difficult waterpiks are offer suggested by Orthodontic dentist. Adjustable water pressure, You can get cordless waterpiks. Waterpik are good for people who may not floss well and are having gum issues.  Anything that will make you take care of your teeth and gums better is helpful. 

Cons:  Cost can be a factor since they can run as high as $50 – $60 dollars. They do brake down some not even lasting a year depending on how well you take care of it. Hard to always see what you are doing which can cause you to make a mess.  Looking in the mirror can also be difficult as the spray tends to go where you are looking.  They can be too noisy. Waterpik take up to much counter space which is bad if you have a small bathroom.  If you are not careful the time you save in flossing is taken up by have to clean sink and counter tops from water mess. If you are not careful they may over time loosen bridge and crown work. Over use like anything can cause more harm then good so make sure you use as directed. 

If you are not sure what is best for your oral health care talk to your dentist see what they suggest. Having good advise from your own personal dentist is worth taking in and thinking about as a deciding factor

Tooth decay is the destruction of the outer surface of a tooth from acid forming bacteria that is produced by food containing carbohydrates (sugars and starches). 

Tooth Decay Prevention: Brush your teeth twice a day with a tooth paste that contains fluoride. Preferably, brush after each meal and before bedtime to help reduce the bacteria from staying on your teeth for a certain length of time. 

You may wish to consider these helpful tips as well:   Floss your teeth daily to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. Check with your dentist regarding the use of a supplemental fluoride which strengthens your teeth and helps prevents tooth decay. Consider dental sealants which is a plastic like substance placed on the top of molars to protect the teeth from decay.
Use mouth wash with fluoride. Many of them kill 50% or more of the bacteria that cause tooth decay. Chewing gum with the ingredient Xylitol © may also kill some of the bacteria which causes tooth decay.

Your dental health care is very important and there are many ways to make sure you are doing all you can for your oral health care.  Simple things such as daily care like brushing your teeth at least twice a day making sure you flossing daily, using tarter control and gum care mouthwash. Your basic dental care you do for yourself is low cost and take very little time to do each day.

The next step is buy seeing a dentist at least twice a year for your check up and cleanings. Now cost can be a factor but it does not have to be. One way to control your dental cost is by getting a low cost dental insurance plan. Many dental insurance plan offer free to very low cost preventive dental care. The money you spend on dental insurance is well worth it. And by seeing your dentist regularly you will hopefully avoid any major dental issues.

However if you did need larger dental services having dental insurance in place will also help control your dental cost. Be thoughtful about your oral health and think ahead. Good dental care now make for good dental care in the future.

Helpful Tips About Teething and Massaging Your Infants Gums and Mouth.

One simple way to help your baby with teething pain is to massage their gums with your finger. This help to alleviate the tooth pain. Other teething idea is letting your child chew on a pacifier keeping a few in the freezer so that is is cool can also help to reduce teething pain. Other people also like to use a cold wet baby washcloth they are easy for baby to hold and they help to absorbs some of the drool that baby have while teething. Pain gel is another good option which help to numb baby gums for a short period of time

First here are some signs that your baby is teething. Drooling, wakefulness, being cranky more then normal, crying, biting and chewing. As well as having tender gums. Your baby may also be fussy when feeding. Over drooling my cause skin irritation around their mouth. Teething gums may look swollen and red, you may see little white dots or small opining where the tooth is cutting though. Although your baby may get loose stools while teething, look out for diarrhea and fever. Fever and diarrhea is not really a symptoms of teething, therefore should take you baby to the doctor for a check up since it is probably is not related to your baby teething.

Dental Insurance Review and why you should think ahead when getting dental insurance.

It may seem surprising that many people do not have dental insurance. Dental insurance benefits are not always offer though work so people do without until a major dental need arises. The problem with waiting until you need dental insurance is that by then it can be to let to get the type of dental insurance you want. People find out too late in order to stay with their dentist they may need to get a dental PPO plan.

However most dental PPO plans have long term waiting periods, so when not bought early on you may not get the coverage’s you are looking for. One thing I suggest is if you have a dentist that you do not wish to change find out what types of dental plans you would need  in order to stay with their dental office.

If you are with a dental office that only accepts PPO dental plans then you may want to think about getting a dental PPO plan now so you have a plan in place for your future dental needs whether it for preventive dental care or major dental care.

When shopping for dental insurance whether online or though an agent know all the facts about each type of dental plan before buying one. Mistakes happen when you are not clear on how a dental plan works. Buying dental insurance online is very easy and convenient but many times people do not read and understand just what it is they are buying.

Before hitting the submit button are you sure you understand the terms of the plan. Does the dental plan have waiting periods or yearly max dollar amount limitations. Is the plan in network dental providers only or can you go outside the network of dental providers. When is the plan effective. Did you call the dentist to confirm they are still accepting the dental plan in question? Is the plan you are reviewing a dental insurance plan or a dental discount plan? What are you dental needs and are you getting a dental plan that best fit them? Just taking the extra time to fully understand the dental plan  you are buying will save you from headaches and being upset latter on.

Dental PPO plans let you choose your own dentist.

Dental PPO’s and Indemnity plans let you choose your own dentist, for many people that can be a deciding factor on buying those type of dental insurance plans. For people that want to stay with their current dentist or to be able to choose their own dental provider these types of plans aloud for that.

Dental PPO and Indemnity plans are normally more costly then HMO’s dental insurance plans.  Are dental PPO’s and Indemnity insurance plans worth the cost? The answer is yes. If you know your own dental needs and understand the plans terms and conditions many people are quite happy with their PPO plans. Trouble comes when you buy any dental plan without fully understanding the plans limitations.

Are Individual PPO Dental Insurance Plans worth buying?

Some people may feel that getting dental insurance is not really worth the cost of having the plan. That may be true for some dental insurance plans if the person wanting it only wants the dental insurance for short term use.

Many people put off their dental care until they are in pain or having major dental issues. In turn getting upset when they find out that many PPOs or Indemnity insurance plans have limitations that will not be able to help them with their major dental needs right away. A dental PPO plan is not for those people that only only wants to buy a dental insurance plan to fix a current dental issue then turn around and cancel the plan once the dental issue if fixed.

Reason being is that dental PPO are designed to be long terms plans and not for sort term. The thing to try and keep in mind when thinking about buying a dental PPO or Indemnity plan is your long term dental needs. When getting these type of plans it would be a dental plan you would want to keep for at least a few years.

Safe and effective way to prevent cavities in kids are buy having dental sealants.

Dental sealants is a plastic coating which is applied to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth, where decay mostly occurs.  By going to a dentist a dentist would be able to put on dental sealants in order to help protect your children teeth. However even knowing this only about one-third of children ages 6 – 19 have sealants. Cost can be a factor and is why having a dental insurance and or plan in place will help out many people and their families. 

Flossing daily is very important in your oral health care.

Brushing is only half the job. You can brush all you want but if you are not flossing you are running a high risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Flossing only takes a few minutes out of your day and is a very low cost way of maintaining your oral health. Floss your children teeth until they can learn out to do so correctly on their own.

It hard to believe that many children and adult still do not take simple measure that have been proven to be effective in the  fight against oral diseases and another dental care issues.  By making these changes you are not only preventing oral diseases but reducing your dental care costs. Brushing your teeth at least twice a day for at least two minutes.  Make sure you are brushing your teeth correctly. Brush you teeth in small circles and not up and down or back and forth. Make sure you are brushing all your teeth including the back ones.  (What kids as they are learning to brush.  They tend to only brush the front teeth) Using toothpaste with fluoride as it is good way to prevent tooth decay and is cost-effective.  With young children however make sure you keep the toothpaste out of their reach. Use only a pee size amount of toothpaste or less if younger.  Otherwise do not use fluoride toothpaste until they learn to spit and not swallow.

When looking into getting dental insurance for bridges there are a few things to make sure of first. Whenever possible do not pull out teeth prior to having dental insurance.  Once you have teeth pulled it can be hard to find dental insurance that will cover for the bridge.  This is because many dental insurance plans have missing teeth clauses.  Meaning that if the teeth were missing prior to the plan effective date they do not cover for a new bridge to be put in. A good tip is whenever you do have a dental bridge put in keep your receipt.  That way if any time latter on you ever need to have the bridge replace it will be good to show just how long ago the old bridge was put in.  Some dental insurance plan will replace bridges, partials and denture only after you had your old one in for five or more years (Therefore they will normally ask for proof. )

If you have current missing teeth it does not mean you can not find dental insurance to help you fix  your smile.  Just read the terms and conditions carefully. Make sure the dental insurance plan you are buying is going to cover for the dental services you want.

I also suggest not to rule out dental discount plans.  With dental discount plan preexisting is not excluded including missing teeth. So for a low monthly cost of a dental discount plan you can have some saving off getting a dental bridge without any waiting periods or exclusions.  Whether you to have a bridge, partials and or dentures we are here to help you find the best dental plan that will work for you.  So please call our member service line at 310-534-3444 if you have any questions about any of our dental insurance dental plan options.

When looking for dental insurance that offer braces for adults make sure you read each plans terms and conditions carefully. Although there are dental insurance plans that will offer adult braces there are still many dental insurance plan that only offer Orthodontic dental services to minors.

Another thing to keep is that many dental insurance plans only offer coverage’s for basic metal braces. Metal braces may be find for a child but not so much when it comes to an adult. If you are looking for clear braces or invisaligns or any other specialty braces that are not covered under dental insurance then you may want to review a dental discount plan for your Orthodontic needs. On a dental discount plan they offer dental saving off any type of braces for any age group.

Therefore a dental discount plan would save you money on your Orthodontic needs as long as there is an Orthodontic dentist in the plan that does the type of services you are looking for. It is a good idea to call the dentist and confirm they are still taking the dental plan you may be reviewing.

For some people shopping for dental insurance can become confusing. They do not know if the dental services they want to have is cover under the plan they may be reviewing. How can you make sure that you are buying a dental plan that covers the dental service you may need. Know your ADA codes.

ADA codes are codes use by the dentist and the dental insurance company so that the insurance company knows what dental services is being provided. So when you are shopping for dental insurance ask your dentist for the dental ADA codes that they may be quoting for you whenever possible. Also it is possible that not all the ADA codes are listed on the company fee schedule so if you do not see call the company and confirm if it covered prior to buying the plan.