Although it is important for everyone regardless of age to have proper dental habits and to visit the dentist regularly, senior have a higher risk of dental health issues due to age.  If you are a senior make sure you are practicing good dental care habits and seeing your dentist at least twice a  year or as advised by your dentist.

If dental care cost is an issue. Think about buying a low cost dental insurance plan such as a HMO. HMO’s are lower cost plans and provides preventive dental care little to no cost.

Studies show that with the increase of dental care cost people tend to put of their dental care needs.  However people with dental insurance are more likely to visit their dentist regularly.  That is because most dental insurance plan provides free to very low cost preventive dental care.  With having proper preventive dental care and good dental habits at home you are reducing your chances of having to have larger more costly dental needs.

Question: I live in Los Angeles on a fixed income and looking for a lower cost dental insurance company.  I do not have anything wrong with my teeth but would like to go in for my check up and cleaning.

Answer:  The you may wish to start with either our HMO insurance plans though California Dental or PrimeCare or our dental discount plan options thought Aetna or Careington. These plans would be the lower cost plans and provide preventive dental care (such as check ups and clean’s) free to very low cost.

According to a Brazilian study with included 160 Children ages 3 – 15, children with asthma had higher levels of S. mutans. Those with a longer history of asthma tended to have higher levels of these bacteria. The study did not find that levels of S. mutans were linked with asthma drugs or other treatments. Researchers also did not find a link between higher levels of S. mutans and more tooth decay.

Question: I looking for a personal dental insurance plan for just myself. I use to have a group dental plan though work but lost that about four months ago.

Answer: Well you have come to the right website. At CaliforniaDentalInsurance.com we over 46 different individual dental insurance plan options. Just enter your zip code in the quote box provided and you will be able to review all our dental insurance options.  Also please call our member service line at 310-534-3444 if you need any further help or have questions about our dental insurance plans options.

Dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese are low in acidity and sugar. Instead of grabbing a soda pop get a glass of milk, before reach for sugary snack think about eating a slice of cheese or some yogurt instead.

* Milk is rich in calcium which also means you are fortifying teeth and bones.

* Cheese is a dairy product that is also high in calcium and phosphate. Cheese helps to balances the pH in your mouth, produces more saliva, rebuild tooth enamel and kills the bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease.   By making healthier snacks and drink choices you not only help your teeth but your overall wellness.

Question: If I get a dental PPO plan but the dentist I want to go to is still not a provider can I still use the dental insurance to go to that dentist.

Answer: Most PPO plans do aloud you to go out side their plan provider list.  Course you need to review each plan carefully. Some PPO plans will lower/reduce their benefits if you do choose to go to a non participating provider of the plan.  Also you may want to keep in mind that when you do go to a non participating provider you are at a higher risk of acquiring UCR Fees.

Although diabetes can cause many different health issues one effect that it has on your dental care is dry mouth. One sign of diabetes is often chronic dry mouth, which occurs when blood sugars are high and uncontrolled diabetes. When this occurs, ketones lose fluid or inadequate saliva is produced in order to keep your mouth moist. The end result is severe dehydration and dry mouth as well as difficulty chewing and swallowing food. If you are a diabetic make sure to talk to your dentist about proper dental care in order to maintain your dental health.

Question: I like the cost of and HMO but if my dentist is not a provider of the plan can I still go to him and just pay a little more?

Answer: No, with a HMO dental insurance plan you must choose a dentist with in the plans network of providers.  There is no out of network benefits.

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.

Question: I looking for a dental quote where I do not have to give my whole life history just to get information and rates.

Answer: Then you are at the right place. At CaliforniaDentalInsurance.com we only ask for your zip code in order to pull up the available dental insurance plan options. Price is one of the first things we provide then each plan option has their own link to review the plan detail information. You only have to provide further information about yourself if you choose to buy one of our dental insurance plan options.

Oral Health and Depression in the Homeless.  According to Scottish researchers homeless people with tooth decay or missing teeth are more prone to depression than those with health teeth. The study was done on about 850 homeless.  the research found that people with poorer dental health were more likely to be depressed. In addition, homeless people with decayed and missing teeth also tended to have lower quality of life and more dental anxiety. Both of these could lead to depression, said the authors

Supplemental dental insurance is an individual or family insurance policy purchased to cover a portion of the dental costs generally up and above or beyond the primary dental plan. Supplemental dental insurance will normally not cover the entire dental care procedure. But instead is synchronized or works hand-in-hand with your basic dental policy.

If you have a primary dental insurance plan that you purchased or your employer provided, the supplemental dental policy typically covers the remaining dental bill.

For example, if the dental plan policy covers half of the dental cost, the secondary or supplement dental insurance plan should cover the remaining balance of your dental procedure subject to any co-payments or deductibles already included in the policy.

A supplement dental insurance plan may also be purchased to cover the dental charges when there are annual dental benefit plan limits or exclusions. Say your primary policy has an annual maximum benefit of $1000 you may be able to purchase a supplemental dental plan to extend this benefit.

Most importantly you need to check with your dental office to see if they will coordinate the dental coverage since the dentist is the one most likely to bill the insurance company and ask you to pay any difference or the co-pay. Thus, a supplemental policy can come in handy

In prior post, 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. There are many good general and family dentist out there willing to work with people that have dental fears. Also if need be there are dentist that specialize in handling people with dental phobia and anxiety.  Finding a dentist that is understanding is key to helping you get over your dental fears and into good dental health.

If it is your child’s first visit to the dentist or a visit to a new dental office, you will want your child to feel comfortable and have a great experience.  In order to do that it is helpful for you to inform your child where they are going and make sure to always be positive.

Stay away from using any negative words,(such as hurt, needle, shots or anything unpleasant.) which may plant fear into his or her mind that would not have been there otherwise.  Let your child dentist go over what he or she is going to do. Dentist are  trained to tell your child what is going to happen in a very non-threatening way.  For children under the age of six, it is often recommend scheduling their appointment as early as you can when he or she is fresh and alert.

Question: I have a current PPO dental insurance though my employer. I would like to know if I buy one of your PPO dental insurance plan options could I use it as a Supplemental plan to the one I already have.

Answer:  The short answer is yes however, you should make sure that your current dental insurance will aloud you do coordinate benefits. As we would have no idea about that.  Also I would strongly advise that you make sure your dental office will coordinate benefits.  Not all dental offices are willing to accept two insurance plans.

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.

This issue can be harder to address since it is based more on personal feelings.  Yet it may be helpful to understand that a dentist in not sitting there passing judgment.  If a person as poor teeth and gums due to having poor dental habits,  the dentist will help to address how to have better dental habits in the future, and provide any necessary dental services needed in order to get their oral and dental health back on track.   If dental and oral health is being affected by a medical condition or medications then the dentist will still be able to provide the necessary dental care needed in order to provide  healthier teeth and gums. Thus giving the person back a smile to smile about

Question: Can I get a dental insurance plan that also has vision?

Answer: Yes, we provide a few dental insurance plans as well as dental discount plans that also include some vision benefits.  Just enter your zip code in the quote box provided, then review our Careington and Aetna discount plans or our AlwaysCare and StandardLife PPO insurance plans. As they are the plan options that will include vision benefits.

Some of the sings and symptoms of dry mouth can include

* Trouble speaking
* Eating or Tasting food
* Swallowing
* Dry mouth may cause chapped lips
* Persistent cough
* White Tongue
* Fungal infection like  yeast
* Bruning tongue
* Gum disease
* Dentla decay

Question:  I looking for cheep dental insurance in California. All I need is my twice a year cleaning and check ups and I looking for a cheep dental insurance plan that will save me money on my preventive dental care.

Answer: I would then suggest reviewing our HMO dental insurance plans they run from $7.95 – $18.95 a month depending on the plans your are reviewing.  Call our office at 310-534-3444 if you should have any questions about our HMO dental insurance plans options.