Although one of America’s favorite morning and afternoon beverages may be coffee and tea, they have compounds called tannins, which can cause unsightly stains and discoloring of your teeth. Therefore to avoid staining your teeth try and limited the amount of coffee and tea drinking throughout the day. If you are going to be drinking coffee and tea do so with a straw to limited contact with your teeth. Avoid slowly drinking these types of drinks, it can be fun to hang out at the local coffee house and babying the one cup of coffee during your hour or more stay but it is not so fun for your teeth.

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HMO’s insurance plans, also known as “capitation plans,” operate like their medical HMO cousins. This type of dental plan provides a comprehensive dental care to enrolled patients through designated provider office. A Dental Health Maintenance Organization (DHMO) is a common example of a capitation plan. The dentistry provider is paid on a per capita (per person) basis rather than for actual treatment provided. Participating individual and family dentists receive a fixed monthly fee based on the number of patients assigned to the office. In addition to premiums, client co-payments may be required for each visit.

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

Pros: Water piks are effective, and faster to use the flossing. Water Piks come with multiple wands in different  colors. Great for braces,  Flossing with braces can be difficult water piks are often suggested by Orthodontic dentist.  They come with  adjustable water pressure. Cordless water piks are available. Water piks are good for people that may not floss well. Anything that will make you take care of your teeth and gums better is helpful.

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There have been many benefits linked to drinking green tea. With regards to your teeth, green tea provides a natural source of antioxidant compounds that help to prevent plaque from accumulating on your teeth. There by reducing the risk of dental cavities and bad breath. In addition some green teas also contain fluoride that can further help to prevent tooth decay. You will want to check the label for this before buying.

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In prior posts, we talk about the different causes of dental fears and ways to address each one. In the end, regardless of what is causing your dental anxiety and or fears one main way to cope with them is by discussing your fears with your dentist.  Dentist are not mind readers. If you do not talk to them and let them know you have dental fears the need to be address they can not help you with them. When a dentist knows your fears he or she will be better able to work with you to determine the best ways to make you less anxious and more comfortable. If by chance you have a dentist that does not seem to take you or your fears seriously it is time to find a another dentist that will.

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Another form and dental anxiety that people can have, is caused by embarrassment of how their teeth may look. This can be a bit of a vicious circle. A person who is too embarrassed to see a dentist do to the way their teeth may look, is not getting the dental care needed to make their teeth look better. In turn, causing their teeth to look worse over time due to lack of dental care. Which in turn can cause even more embarrassment and loss of self-esteem. There are many reason why someone may have bad looking teeth either due to poor dental hygiene habits, medical reasons or medication being taken. Where as personal hygiene habits can be improved, medical conditions or medications that are effecting your dental health may not change. That is why it is even more important to have proper dental care from a dental professional.

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It is common for people with dental fears and anxiety to have feelings of helplessness and loss of control. After all when sitting in a dental chair with your mouth wide open, you are not normally able to see what is going on. A way to help address this fear is good communication with your dentist. Letting your dentist know about your dental fears is important so that they are able to take the time needed in addressing your fears with you. The dentist will be able to tell you what he or she is doing while doing it, so that you are not left feeling like you have no control over what is going on. If you feel like you need a break, just let the dentist know so you can relax a little before continuing.

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When looking into getting dental insurance for dental bridges try to make note of the following:  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 bridge.work. 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 wil not cover for a bridge to be put in. Is is very important to know before buying any dental insurance plan. There are dental insurance plans that have waiting periods.  Making you wait a year or more before they offer major dental services.  If you buy a plan without knowing the terms you may find out it does not work for you when the time comes.  If you are not sure, call and ask the company prior to buying the plan.

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Dental fears can keep people from seeing a dentist regularly it is important to understand the different dental fears and address them. One such fear is the fear of injections. There are many people that are terrified of needles and the thought of having one inserted into the mouth is often dreaded. Beyond this fear, other people have a fear that the anesthesia has not yet taken effect or that it was not a large enough dose to eliminate any pain before the dental procedure begins.

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Dentures even when covered by dental insurance can still be costly so making sure to take proper care of your dentures will help them last longer and safe you money in having to have them replaces sooner then necessary.  You will want to use a soft bristle toothbrush in order to avoid damaging your dentures. You still need to brush your dentures carefully. Make sure you are careful not to damage the surface of your dentures or bend the attachments. You can clean your dentures is by using over the counter denture cleansers available in most food stores.

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There are many reasons why a person may have dental anxiety one is the fear of pain. One very common reason why some people avoid going to the dentist is fear of pain. This fear can stem from a past dental experience that was unpleasant and or painful, even by dental pain and horror stories that was told by other people. However thanks to the advancements in dentistry over the past years, most of today’s dental procedures are considerably less painful or even pain free. If you have a fear of pain speak to your dentist ahead of time. So they can take any needed time necessary until you can feel more relaxed with the dental service needed.

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Did you know if you are missing one or more teeth you may see a difference in your chewing as well as speaking. You may even notice a difference in your face and profile. For many people missing teeth can cause low self esteem. Making them smile and laugh less for fare of people seeing their teeth. Proper dental care can and will help fix your teeth. Bridges will not only fix the gap cause by missing teeth but will restore the shape of your face as well as alleviate the difference in your bite. A dentist could also advise fixed or partial dentures when needed. Bridges and partial will look just like your normal teeth and give you back the smile you want to have. Another option though be it normally a more costly option would be dental implants. Dental implants are artificial teeth that attaches directly to the jaw.

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If you have dental fears or anxiety know that you are not alone. Between 9% and 20% of Americans avoid going to the dentist because of anxiety or fear. When shopping out a dental insurance plan to help save money on your dental care cost, it is important to make sure you are going to have a dentist that knows how to manage dental anxiety under the plan.

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As suggested in a prior post Pediatric dentist may be a better choice for autistic children. Pediatric dentist are specialist and are often times more equipped to provide dental care services to children with special needs. If you have current dental insurance or looking to buy dental insurance, you will want to make sure it provides benefits for specialist. Many dental insurance plan do but sometimes at a higher cost to you.

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As stated in a prior post getting a second opinion is advise whenever you feel unsure about a dental treatment plan provided to you by a dentist. However it is also important to know what you need to do in order to make sure you have benefits under your dental insurance plan for a second opinion. If you have a dental PPO plan it may be a little easier to get a second dental opinion since you are not assigned to any one provider.

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How a cosmetic dentistry can change your smile.  Cosmetic dentistry can make  subtle changes to major repairs, your cosmetic dentist can perform a variety of dental procedures to improve your smile. There are many techniques and options available to treat teeth that are discolored, chipped, misshapen or missing.

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Many dental insurance companies do not provide benefits for teeth whitening treatments because it is a type of dental service that is review as cosmetic dental care. Yet you still have another dental plan option in order to reduce the cost of teeth whitening and other cosmetic dental care services. That would be a dental discount plan. Generally dental discount plans will save you around twenty percent off the cost of these types of dental services. In addition discount plans for individuals only cost around $7.00 – $10.00 a month.

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Whitening toothpastes does contain chemicals or polishing agents that can help to remove surface stains from teeth. Therefore if your teeth are darker then they used to be due to surface stains, whitening toothpaste can help to brighten your teeth. On the other hand if your teeth are darker due to deeper stains, either because of injury, age or certain medications, whitening toothpastes will not give effective results. Unlike bleaching whitening toothpastes do not change the color of the teeth to a whiter shade. If you fall into this case scenario then talk to your dentist to find out your other teeth whitening options.

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Cosmetic Dentistry can be services done by a general dentist like teeth whiting.   Although a general dentist can do teeth whiting treatments dental many dental insurance plans will see it as a cosmetic dental service.  So what is consider cosmetic dentistry by a dental insurance plan will  very and it is important to know when shopping for dental insurance.

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Although many dental insurance plans do not offer dental benefits for cosmetic dental services, you can still keep your cost lower with a dental discount plan. Most dental discount plans will provide around a 20 percent saving off the cost of cosmetic dental care, which can save you hundreds of dollars. A dental discount plan is worth checking out if you or your child needs dental services that are not covered under your current dental insurance plan.

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