A periodic oral evaluation is an evaluation performed on a patient of record to determine any changes in the patient’s dental and medical health status since a previous comprehensive or periodic evaluation. This may require interpretation of information acquired through additional diagnostic procedures. Report additional diagnostic procedures separately.  Generally under most dental insurance plan it is a type of preventive dental care service that is normally covered at 100 percent.

Question: Can I get a Dental discount plan for just my six year old son?

Answer: With our dental discount plans thought Careington and Aetna yes you can buy the plan just for your son.

Once your child looses a baby tooth you will want to provide a sterile gauze pad on the site of the extraction and gently have your child bite down to stop any excess bleeding.  Keep your child from rising her mouth or chewing hard foods for around 24 hours. Prevent your child from drinking anything hot. After around 24 hours help your child to gently rinse their mouth using warm salt water, then have him/her swish it gently in their mouth. Resume gently brushing their teeth while keeping the toothbrush bristles away from the extraction site.

Coverages will very for specialist depending on the plan and plan type but in general speaking terms.  

PPO:

Specialist will normally fall under major services subjected to any plan waiting periods.  For many PPO plans major dental care is covered up to 40-60 percent depending on plan coverages.

HMO:

With HMO it is important to understand not all HMO provide benefits for specialist make sure you read the plans terms and conditions regarding is.  However if coverage is provided then the average range is between 20-30 percent. Note that most HMO plan do not have waiting periods so even though they may pay less for specialist you are able to have the service render sooner then latter.

An Endodontist dentist is a dental specialist who limits his/her practice to treating disease and injuries of the pulp and associated periradicular conditions

Under most California dental insurance plans,  preventive dental services such as general or basic cleanings are covered at no cost to you.   The common dental term used for this type of cleaning is dental prophylaxis, which is a scaling and polishing procedure performed to remove coronal plaque, calculus, and stains.

If you stopped brushing your teeth plaque will start to build up on your teeth.  Plaque is a coating of bacterial film that produces acids that eat away tooth enamel and cause cavities, or small holes, to form. After a while plaque film gets harder and more resistant to scraping and brushing and becomes tartar (solid bits that irritate the gums).  One of the first signs of trouble is a condition called gingivitis, an inflammation of the gums brought on by the uncontrolled growth of plaque and tartar. It may cause bleeding and swollen gums, but it can be easy to ignore because it isn’t painful.

Yet gingivitis is still just a warning sign that worse things are let to come. When things really start to go wrong after not brushing for a while, a group of gum diseases called periodontitis develops.   Gum pockets form when irritated gums pull away from teeth. They collect decaying food particles and become a breeding ground for bacteria. Unchecked plaque growth in the pockets, on teeth and around the gum line leads to cavities, swollen gums, discolored teeth, bone loss, abscesses and very bad breath. However with all this going on things still can get worse.  Rampant tooth decay will start causing major dental pain. You will have pain just trying to eat anything. Abscess and infections will develop. Bacteria that is left developing in your mouth will start to  invade other systems in your body.

Although research is ongoing, poor dental health may contribute to a number of very serious conditions you’d never expect, like heart disease, stroke, and possibly even cancer.  It only takes around five minutes a day twice a day for good at home dental care habits. Combine that with seeing your dentist regularly and you can help to keep your teeth healthy for a life time.

Question: Looking for the best lowest cost insurance plan for a couple. What do you suggest?

Answer: For lower cost insurance plan I would suggest looking out our HMO dental insurance plans though PrimeCare and California Dental. Their cost rage as low as $12.00 a month and as high as $29.00 a month. If you have any questions about any of of dental insurance plan options in California, please call member services at 310-534-3444.

Canker sores are different than fever blisters. They are small, red or white, shallow ulcers occurring on the tongue, soft palate, or inside the lips and cheeks, they do not occur in the roof of the mouth or the gums. They are quite painful, and usually last 5-10 days.

Question: My dentist is a provider of any of the Delta Dental of California plans. What I want to know is the Maximum Limitation the amount I have to pay or what the company pays?

Answer: A maximum limitation is the dollar amount that the insurance company will pay for dental claims made in a given year.

Tooth loss from caries and periodontal disease is an outcome from complex, chronic conditions. Several biopsychosocial factors are involved, including accessing care. Individuals reporting dental anxiety may avoid dental care; and individuals with depression may be negligent in self-care. In this study, researchers examined a potential association of tooth loss with depression and anxiety.

Question: What is the best dental insurance in California?

Answer: There is no one best dental insurance plan because best for you by not be best for someone else and vice versa. However with that said our member service line at 310-534-3444 would be able to go over your dental needs and help you pick the best plan that fit those needs. Just give us a call and we be happy to assist you.

Fever blisters result from a herpes simplex virus that becomes active. This virus is latent (dormant) in afflicted people, but can be activated by conditions such as stress, fever, trauma, hormonal changes, and exposure to sunlight. When lesions reappear, they tend to form in the same location.

Question: I looking at the California Dental Insurance plan 595, how do I know if my dentist is a network provider of the plan?

Answer: When reviewing the California Dental insurance plan 595 you want to click on the link to review plan detail. From there you will see the link to find a dentist. Click on that link to check and see if your dentist is a provider. Or maybe a more easier way is to call your dental office up and ask them if they are a provider of the California Dental plan 595.  If you need further help you can also call our member service line at 310-534-3444 as we be happy to help

The first is through the pits and fissures on molars and premolars, which are grooves that are visible on the top biting surfaces. These pits and fissures are thin areas of enamel that contain recesses that can trap food and plaque to form a cavity. The cavity starts from a small point of attack, and spreads widely to invade the underlying dentin.    In a smooth surface cavity, acid attack is from a smooth surface, which is between, or on the front or back of teeth. The acid must travel through the entire thickness of the enamel. The area of attack is generally wide, and comes to point or converges as it enters the deeper layers of the tooth.

More and more families in California are working to be and stay healthy. Which means dental and oral health care is being taken more seriously, since links are showing that your oral health effects your overall health care.

Having dental insurance in California helps you to not only save money on the cost of maintaining your dental health but studies suggest that people with dental insurance visit their dentist at least twice a year or as directed by their dentist.

Maintaining good dental health does not stop at good at home dental habits.  Yes it is very important that you have good dental habits such as brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing daily.  However if you are stopping there you not doing all you can do to maintain healthy teeth and gums.   Regular dental checkups helps control dental plaque.  This is done by cleaning free floating oral bacteria before they build plaque. However your dentist does not only clean your teeth during a dental check up.  The dentist looks for signs of tooth decay, gum disease, and overall oral health care wellness.

Under dental PPO insurance plans many come with a deductible, such as 50.00 per person per calendar year. (Although the deductible will very depending on the plan) A deductible is the dollar amount you need to pay before plan benefits start.

According to Japanese researchers, older adults with more gum inflammation are at risk for kidney problems. The study was done on 317 people who where all 75 years old.  At the start of the study each person had an oral exam. The researchers calculated how much of each person’s gum tissue was inflamed. The people were followed for 2 years. During that time, 45 of them developed kidney problems. Those with the most inflammation were more than twice as likely to develop kidney problems as the rest of the people in the study.

Other studies have suggested a link between periodontal disease and kidney disease. A 2010 study focused on people with both conditions. It found that by having periodontal treatment also improved kidney disease symptoms  This study appears in the October 14th issue of the American Journal of Kidney Diseases.

When reviewing PPO plans some PPO plans increase their benefits each year you continue to have the plan. You will see this as first year, second year and sometimes third year benefits. It is important to understand you do not get the best benefits under the plan until the last year shown under this type of coverage.