Periodontitis, a form of chronic gum disease that affects nearly half of the U.S. adult population, results when the bacterial community in the mouth becomes unbalanced, leading to inflammation and eventually bone loss. In its most severe form, which affects 8.5 percent of U.S. adults, periodontitis can impact systemic health.

More then 130 million Americans do not have dental insurance.  Those that are lacking insurance tend to put of dental care due to cost.  Even though early childhood is a critical time period for kids to learn effective dental health care habits, many parents can not afford their needed dental care.   Many schools in effort to help children build strong dental health care habits, reach out to volunteer dental hygienists and dentist that are willing to visit their school and provide dental education and free dental screenings.  See if your child school is active in having such programs available.

Question:  I think I may have gingivitis. Truthfully i know I have not taken really good care of my teeth and I only brushed them when I felt like it. Even though my teeth look normal my gums seem to be receding and when I brush my gums bleed a little. Can I reverse this on my own?

Answer:  You can reverse the gingivitis but not on your own. I strongly suggest you see a dentist. A dentist will be able to tell if you have gingivitis or if it has progress into a larger issue. The dentist will determine what course of dental treatment is needed, but generally speaking you may need to have at least a deep cleaning.  Yet regardless of what is done by the dentist he or she can not help you without your doing your part.  You must start having proper dental care habits at home in order to reclaim healthier teeth and gums.

Healthy Families is a low cost insurance for children and teens. Healthy Families provides health, dental and vision coverage to children who do not have insurance and can not qualify for free Medi-Cal.   The Federal Government has recently issued the 2012 Federal Income Guidelines. Healthy Families has new income guidelines this year.  For a child to qualify for Healthy Families, one of the requirements is that the family’s monthly income (after applicable deductions) must fall within the program guidelines.

About three out of every four people have teeth that are sensitive to hot, cold, sweet or sour foods and drinks.  This happens when the hard outer enamel layer on teeth and the softer underlying dentin wear away, stimulating the nerves inside. There are some sugar-free gums and special toothpastes can may help to reduce tooth hyper-sensitivity.   However if you do have sensitive teeth make sure to address that issue with your dentist.

Taking inspiration from Mother Nature, scientists are reporting an advance toward preventing the tooth sensitivity that affects millions of people around the world. Their report on development of the substance, similar to the adhesive that mussels use to attach to rocks and other surfaces in water, appears in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

Having good dental care habits established early on could help avoid dental issues in the future.  Good oral health care is more the just having healthy teeth. According to the Surgeon General oral health is integral to general health care. However, sadly many parents may not realize proper dental care, like traditional medical care should begin in infancy to prevent the development of disease.

The American Dental Association advise new parent to have the first dental visit before the child first birthday. Pediatric dentist are specialist in treating children dental care needs. The dentist has the same goal in mind for your child dental health care “Prevention” With maintenance, routine check-ups and cleanings on a regular basis it will help prevent larger dental care needs.

Twelve million Germans suffer from periodontitis, an inflammation that can lead to the loss of teeth if left untreated. A new diagnostic platform enables the pathogens to be detected quickly, enabling dentists to act swiftly to initiate the right treatment.

Dental care cost can be high even just preventive dental services without dental insurance can cost over $150.  Where as most dental insurance plans provide preventive dental care for free.    Keep in mind you have an obligation to pay as agreed to the dentist any dental service provided. If you can not afford dental treatment do not agree to have any dental care until you are able.  Dental insurance helps in making dental care more affordable so you do not have to put of needed dental care services.

A new research report published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology shows how the bacteria known for causing gum disease–Porphyromonas gingivalis–manipulates the body’s immune system to disable normal processes that would otherwise destroy it.  Specifically, the report shows that this pathogen prompts the production of the anti-inflammatory molecule Interleukin-10 (IL-10)…

After having your wisdom teeth extracted it is important to maintain good oral hygiene, since the best way to provent infection is by keeping your mouth clean.   You will want to clean your mouth after each meal beginning the day after surgery.

Make sure to brush your teeth with a soft bristle toothbrush after meals and at bedtime. Should bleeding resume after brushing, repeat the use of gauze as described by your dentist. Do not rinse your mouth the day of surgery.

After anesthetic or I.V. sedation, you will want to start with only liquids. Also while your mouth is numb, you should avoid hot liquids or foods. Have soft food on hand such as applesauce, pudding or jello.

Once numbness wears off you can progress to solid foods, chewing away from the surgical sites. Avoid foods like nuts, sunflower seeds, popcorn, etc., which can get lodged in the socket areas.

Sadly mouth and throat cancer is rarely diagnosed in the early stages due to that the symptoms for mouth and throat cancer do not normally appear until the cancer is advanced.  Another proper with diagnoses is that mouth and throat cancer symptoms can be mistaken for something else such as a toothache.

Yet sometimes mouth and throat cancer can be spotted early during a routine exam by a doctor or dentist. Many dentist will advise their patients to regularly look at your mouth in a mirror at least once a month to check for symptoms. Some of the most common symptoms are a mouth sore that fails to heal, or a pain in the mouth that does not go away

According to a new study from the US, people who drink more than 4 cups of caffeinated coffee a day have half the risk of dying from mouth and throat cancer as people who drink it either occasionally or not at all.

However do not run to your coffee maker just yet.  Researchers also say that their findings need to be confirmed by more research, and for now this initial finding should just be received as good news for coffee drinkers.

Question:  My son is not yet two but I want to take him to see a pediatric dentist.  I currently do not have dental insurance for him.  I would like to get some insurance in place before I take him to see Pediatric dentist.  Although dental PPO plans say I can go to any dentist I want the cost of dental PPO plans are really just to much for me right now.

Answer: There are dental HMO plans that will cover for plan specialist if refer by their general dentist but they normally will only cover a percentage of the cost for specialist running around 20 to 25 percent.  You would need to make sure the plan has a pediatric specialist in their network before buying one and confirm what your saving is under the plan for plan specialist.

Another option would be a dental discount plan. Although you still need to go to network providers you are able to go straight to any specialist and save on average 20 percent.

Family dental insurance plan works absolutely for those who desire coverage for family members.  A family dental insurance plan is one of the most popular supplemental options for overall medical insurance policies.  Family dental insurance plan is a very great way to cover your family, at reduced costs and greater benefits.  Most people that have an individual or family dental insurance plan have it provided to them under an employer-sponsored group dental insurance plan.

 Question:  I live in LA CA and I am  finding it hard to find a dental insurance plan that fits my family budget and specific dental care needs.  We do need  some major dental care and I want to keep my cost as low as possible.   I want more then a dental discount plan due to the amount of dental care we need, I do not feel a dental discount plan will not work well for us.

Answer:  A good dental insurance plan to get that help keeps your family dental care cost low and is much more affordable would be dental HMO insurance plans.  You do need to choose a dentist within the plan network of providers but these type of dental insurance plans are much more budget friendly.  I suggest reviewing the different HMO plans this website has to offer.

Traces of beeswax filling inside a tooth in a prehistoric human jawbone have given scientists a rare glimpse of early dentistry. Team leaders Federico Bernardini and Claudio Tuniz, of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Italy, worked with researchers at Sincrotrone Trieste and other centers in Italy and Australia to analyze the 6,500-year-old “human mandible”.

Coconut oil, a natural antibiotic when digested, destroys the bacteria that cause tooth decay, researchers at the Athlone Institute of Technology, Ireland, reported at the Society for General Microbiology’s autumn conference at the University of Warwick, England, today. They added that the antibiotic component in digested coconut oil could be added to dental care products.