The International and American Associations for Dental Research (IADR/AADR) have published a paper titled “Global Burden of Oral Conditions in 1990-2010: A Systemic Analysis.” The paper, written by lead author Wagner Marcenes, Queen Mary University, London, is published in the IADR/AADR Journal of Dental Research.

Billions of people across the globe are suffering from major untreated dental problems, according to a new report led by Professor Wagner Marcenes of Queen Mary, University of London, published in the Journal of Dental Research.

Professor Marcenes of the Institute of Dentistry at Queen Mary led an international research team investigating oral health as part of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2010 study.

A dental abscess is a complication of tooth decay.  Dental abscess an also result from tooth trauma such as a broken or chipped tooth.  Opening in the tooth enamel allow bacteria to infect the center of the tooth.  This infection can spread out from the root of the tooth and to the bones supporting the tooth if the tooth is not treated. The infection causes pus and swelling of tissues within the tooth, which will normally cause a painful toothache.

Consuming dairy products is vital to maintaining good overall health, and it’s especially important to bone health. But there has been little research about how dairy products affect oral health in particular. However, according to a new study published in the May/June 2013 issue of General Dentistry, the peer-reviewed clinical journal of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), consuming cheese and other dairy products may help protect teeth against cavities.

While healthcare continues to evolve, new research confirms that having good oral health is integral part of having good general health.  Studies has found that this link is even more important for any person living with diabetes.  According to the American Diabetes Association emerging research suggests that the relationship between serious gum disease and diabetes is twofold. Not only are people with diabetes prone to gum disease, but gum disease may potentially affect blood glucose control which contributes to the progression of diabetic conditions or diabetes complications.  Therefore if you have diabetes and are not taking proper care of your teeth and gums you may increase your chances of diabetes complications.

Are teeth the latest victims of bisphenol A? Yes, according to the conclusions of work carried out by the research team led by Ariane Berdal of the Universite Paris-Diderot and Sylvie Babajko, Research Director at Inserm Unit 872 “Centre des Cordeliers”. The researchers have shown that the teeth of rats treated with low daily doses of BPA could be damaged by this.  Analysis of the damage shows numerous characteristics that are common with a recently identified pathology of tooth enamel that affects roughly 18% of children between the ages of 6 and 8.

Question: I broke a few of my front teeth due to an accident I had over 15 years ago. I had a dental bridge but I have problems with it more then I should.  I thinking about getting teeth implants so I do not have to continue messing with it every two to three years. I am wondering about cost.

Answer: There is no one set price for dental implants cost will very from dentist to dentist, cost factors can include the cost of dental implant surgery, cost of the post, cost of the crown. In addition if needed, you may have cost for any synthetic bone material. Basic dental implant pricing and fees can range from around $1200 to $3000 per tooth. However if a patient required to have additional services such as a bone regeneration and sinus elevation, dental implants cost will be much higher.

Interleukin Genetics, Inc. (OTCQB: ILIU) have announced the online publication of the research study “Patient Stratification for Preventive Dental Care” in Journal of Dental Research. The study provides new insights into the prevention of periodontitis (gum disease) and the opportunity for significant advancement in the delivery of personalized, preventive dental care. Periodontitis affects 47 percent of the adult population.

Most dental insurance plan have some type of dental provider date base.  So a good start when looking for a new dentist is to use the provider date base your dental insurance plan provides. Also in some plans by using the plan network of dental providers you receive better benefits under the plan.  However you may still want to call the dental office to do further research on the potential dental office you have found. Here are a few tips on what to ask when searching for a new dentist.

1) Ask about the dentist educational background and credentials
2) Ask what you should expect during the first exam.
3) Ask to make sure if the office staff goes over the treatment options and cost before work is started. It is important to make sure you have the right information including what is covered by your dental insurance plan and your cost before making treatment decisions.
4) How does the dental office file out claims and what is expected from you at the time of service.  Some dental office may file the claim and bill you latter for any unpaid balances. Where as other dental office may make you pay in full at the time dental services are render, and have you file out your own claim so premium benefits are paid back to you.
5) Know the office hours and how patient emergencies are handled outside of regular hours.
6) Ask any additional questions that are important to you in choosing a dentist.

Question: I brush my teeth once a day I really do not see the need to do some more often.

Answer: It is advise that a person should brush their teeth at least twice a day. once in the morning and once at night.  By brushing your teeth in the morning you are killing germs left in your mouth and fighting not only plaque build up but bad morning breath.  By brushing your teeth at night you are removing food debris that was left on your teeth by eating throughout the day.  Also it is very important to make sure  your dental care habits do not stop at brushing. You need to floss at night every day too if you want to  maintain good dental habits and healthier teeth and gums.

When choosing a new dentist you are having to make a very important decision.  You are entrusting this new dentist (with whom you do not have any prior experience with), to help you take care of your dental and oral health. Therefore, before you can find the right dentist it is a good idea to have some basic criteria laid out that is important to you.  Here are some tips that may help you make a list.

1) Location: Finding a dentist that is close to home, work or school will help to make keeping appointments easier.  Also if the dental office is locally to you, you are more likely to maintain regular dental visits.

2) Special Requirements: What main requirement are you looking for in a dental office? There can be many personal requirements you will need a dentist to be able to provide, such as:

* A dentist who specializes in treating children
* A dentist who specializes in treating patient with dental fears
* A dentist who specializes in treating adults or children with special needs
* A dentist who has a handicap-accessible office
* A dentist who can provide language services or translations when needed.
* A dentist that provides a clean and friendly environment

3) Making Dental Appointments: When looking for a new dental office you want a dentist that is not so busy that you have to wait long periods of time to book an appointment.

4) Office Hours: Know the dentist office hours. You many not want a dentist that is only open M-F 8-5 if those also happen to be your working hours.  Many dentist have latter hours or open on the weekend so this something that is important to ask.

The newly discovered bacterium that causes gum disease delivers a one-two punch by also triggering normally protective proteins in the mouth to actually destroy more bone, a University of Michigan study found. Scientists and oral health care providers have known for decades that bacteria are responsible for periodontitis, or gum disease. Until now, however, they hadn’t identified the bacterium.

Porcelain veneers are often used in order to fix cosmetic complaints such as tooth Discoloration, small chips and gaps. However because porcelain veneers are often used for cosmetic purposes many dental insurance plans do not offer coverages on dental veneers. That said if you are thinking about having porcelain veneers check with your dental insurance plan ahead of time to confirm if you will receive any benefits.  If you do not you may want to look into getting a dental discount plan which will normally reduce the cost of porcelain veneers by at least 20 percent.

Porcelain veneers help to improve the appearance of teeth by correcting cosmetic complaints such as tooth discoloration, chips and gaps. Porcelain veneers are thin facades of a special dental ceramic that can be attached to the front of teeth. They generally, replace the entire tooth front and sometimes they even go up over the top of the tooth as well.   Because porcelain veneers are fitted only to the front of your teeth, they are not able to completely protect your teeth. They are not suitable for placing on a tooth that has received significant structural damage from decay, cracking, or previous fillings. In order to protect these teeth, you would need a dental crown.

After you buy a dental insurance plan of your choice, the best advise is to use it.  However here are some tips that you may want to make note of.

1) Know where you got your dental insurance.  With many of dental insurance plans being sold on line it is important to remember where you bough your dental insurance plan.

2) Know the contact number of the agent/website that you bough your dental plan though. In many cases if you have questions about your dental insurance plan you need to be able to contact the place you bought the plan from.

3) If you receive dental benefits though your employer, make sure to know the member service number for your dental insurance plan.  If you do not have that talk to the person that handles you employee benefits to get it.   Having the correct member service numbers for your dental insurance plan from the start will make things easier for you when and if you ever need to call about your dental insurance plan. So make sure you put this information somewhere you can easily access it.

Question: My child is three and is going to the dentist for the first time what can I do to make it less scary for her.

Answer:  Since your child is old enough to understand about going to the dentist, there are several things you can do to ease any anxiety she may have.  Such as:

* Give her a sneak peek. Take her with you to your next checkup to get her used to the sights and sounds, and let her watch you as you have your mouth check and or teeth cleaned. She will see that though the tooth polisher is noisy, it does not hurt.

* Make sure to choose a kid-friendly dentist. Pediatric dentists are trained in child development and understand how to make kids comfortable. Besides having an upbeat, patient manner, the dentist should add kid-friendly elements to the exam. Some provide sunglasses to block out the bright examining lights and toys to keep their minds off their mouths. Others use puppets to teach proper brushing, and offer post-exam treats like stickers. Ask your pediatrician for a referral.

* Make sure book the denal appointment at a time when you and your child are well rested. If you need to rush back to work or she is tired, the visit will be off to a bad start before you even arrive.

Sadly many people do not buy dental insurance until they have larger dental needs that need to be address right away.  It is not a good idea to put off buying dental insurance until a larger dental need arises.  However, since many people do,  it is important that you understand your current dental needs in order to buy a plan that will best fit your needs.

By putting off buying a dental insurance plan you may have to give up a few things in order to receive the dental treatment that is needed.   To give you an example of this:  Say you have a dentist you like to go to, however that dentist only accepts PPO dental insurance plans. Now your problem is that since you do not have a current dental PPO plan in force, you may have to change dental providers in order to get the needed dental care treatment.

Reason for this: Many PPO plans come with long term waiting periods that will effect the benefits received and what is and what is not covered at the effective date of the plan.  Lets say you do not want to change dental providers, then you are either having to pay the total out of pocket cost for your dental care or wait until the plan waiting periods are up.  If choosing to delay dental care treatment talk to your dentist and make sure that is a good idea.  Many times it is not sound advise to defer dental care when needed since it only helps to creates larger dental care needs.

Yet this can be avoided when buying dental insurance before larger dental care issues are needed.  In fact by having dental insurance in force you are more likely to see the dentist for regular dental checkups and cleaning thus preventing the need for larger dental care issues.

According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry they recommend that you take your child in for an initial dental visit at around 12 months. Other experts recommend waiting until she’s closer to two. Talk with your pediatrician about what is best for your child. Once she starts going to the dentist, you should aim for a checkup twice a year. Just remember: The main goal is establishing good habits early.

When shopping for dental insurance it is important to understand the benefits that are available for any specialist.  Plans such as HMO plans will normally provide around 20 – 30 percent saving off of their plan specialist after having a referral from the general dentist you are assigned to.   Under PPO plans their coverages are normally based off of percentage covered up to UCR based on general dentist cost.  This important to understand because you have a greater likelihood of having UCR fees when going to a specialist.