Yeasts cause difficult-to-treat mouth infections hence are killed using silver nanoparticles in the laboratory, discover scientists. These yeast infections, caused by Candida albicans and Candida glabrata target the young, old and immuno-compromised. Professor Mariana Henriques, University of Minho, and her colleagues hope to test silver nanoparticles in mouthwash and dentures as a potential preventative measure against these infections.

My dentist is stating that my baby tooth needs to come out because my new tooth can not come out correctly.  The baby tooth is loose but it just has not came out. If my baby tooth does not come out then I have a dentist appointment in two weeks to take it out. I do not want to go to the dentist they will inject me in the gums to do the extraction. I do not want a shot in the gums.

Answer:  First if you do need to have the tooth pulled by the dentist the shoots to numb the area do not really hurt. Just close your eyes while they are doing that and try to relax.  You may also want to bring your I Pod or whatever you use to listen to some music that will help you relax while the dentist is pulling the tooth.

However if you want to try and have the baby tooth come out at home, then maybe eat an apple.  Biting into an apple may help to loosen the tooth more in order for it to come out.

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.

It is important to understand your dental insurance plan and to know what is covered and what may not be. There are dental insurance plans that have limitations such as yearly max dollar limits and deductibles. If it a new plan you may also have plan waiting periods.  Other plans that do not have these types of limitations may have provider limitations making you stay within the plan network of dental providers.

Many plans may also limit the amount of one type of dental service you can  have with in the year. Common examples of this would be one set of X-rays per year, 2 cleaning 1 every 6 months.  However many times plans will limit the number of crown you may be able to have such a 5 crowns per year.   Another thing to keep in mind is that for the most part dentist are not basing their decisions for treatment on what is or is not covered by your dental insurance plan.  A dentist may advise dental services that are not covered or that is limited in coverage.

If you want to say within your plan coverages, then you need to advise your dentist ahead of time.  They may still suggest services not covered by your plan but at that point you can address the reasons why. The dentist job is to be committed to taking care of your teeth, not to worry about your dental insurance. So before dental services are render you should make sure what is covered by your plan and what is your cost. That way you avoid any surprises along the way.

Whenever I brush my teeth my gums bleed. I brush twice day with a regular toothbrush so I am not sure why my gums are bleeding.

Answer: It is possible that you may have gingivitis. Gingivitis is a form of periodontal disease. Gingivitis is due to the long-term effects of plaque deposits on your teeth. Plaque is a sticky material made of bacteria, mucus, and food debris that develops on the exposed parts of the teeth. It is also a major cause of tooth decay. One of the signs of gingivitis is bleeding gums while brushing.  Talk to your dentist and get a complete dental check up.

Scientists have come up with a novel technique for treating decayed tooth to end painful fillings.  Experts are testing a pain-free way dealing with rotten teeth that dispenses with the dentist’s drill.  New Crowing Technique for Treating Tooth Decay.  It is also done without the need for anesthetic jabs and appears to be more effective than a conventional filling.

The results of pilot studies have been so promising that the NHS has pumped 3million dollars into a nationwide study of the technique, which involves sealing decay in, rather than scraping it out, the Daily Mail reported. However, the technique is only suitable for milk teeth and so for children, rather than adults.

Question: I seem to get bad breath late at night.  I do not know why when I brush my teeth all the time.  It is starting to make me feel insecure.

Answer: People can have bad breath for many different reasons.  Even though you are brushing your teeth at night your bad breath can be due to other reasons such as what you are eating throughout the day, dental decay, medications you may be taking, your diet, dry mouth and any ongoing illnesses.

If you are not already, make sure that during your dental habits routine to brush not only your teeth but your tongue as well. Your tongue holds onto many bad breath causing germs. Try using an alcohol free mouthwash. If your bad breath continues talk to your dentist and see what they can advise.

Unless you have a dental HMO plan where most dental services are based on a fee schedule that lays out your cost for the different dental services, (therefore avoiding the claims filling process) you are having to fill out claims forms.  Knowing your cost for dental services can be difficult since most PPO and Indemnity plans pay claims based on a percentage up to UCR (Usual, Customary & Reasonable) rates.

Your dentist may provide you an estimate based on your plan stated coverages but there is no guarantees that will be your total cost.  In order to make sure you know what your cost is going to be have your dentist submit the treatment plan to your insurance company as a quote only before dental services are started.  That way the dental insurance company can be able to state what is covered and for what amount. Stopping the guessing game before it starts.

I have two cavities one on the top right back and one on the top left back.  Will I get two shots or one?  Just wondering having to go to the dentist to get them fixed but really do not like getting the numbing shots.

Answer: More then likely you will need to have two shots one on each side of your mouth.  In addition sometimes it will take more then one shot on each side to achieve the desired amount of numbness.  However before your dentist starts you can ask him/her how many shots he/she is planing to give you so that you can be prepared for them.

More than 50% of elementary school children in U.S have tooth decay and cavities which may need fillings.  For nearly four decades, dentists have been using tooth-colored fillings that contain derivatives of the chemical bisphenol A.  Dental Fillings in Children Connected to Risk of Anxiety, Depression

Recent research has revealed that these non-metal fillings can up the risk of behavioral problems in children. The study however has pointed only to a potential connection and there is no conclusive evidence yet that BPA causes any behavioral changes in children.

It is important to understand that regardless of your dental insurance plan it is up to you to know your coverages and what is and what is not covered.     Many people just assume that the dentist is only providing dental services based on what their plan offers.  This is not always true.  In fact many dentist do not even know what their patients have for dental insurance.  The dentist job is not to worry about your insurance but to provide the best dental care to patients.

With that said it is up to you to let the front staffing know you wish to stay within your plan coverages.  If dental services are being suggested that is not part of your plan you will want a good reason why. Believe it or not most dentist are not trying to charge you for higher cost dental care just to get more money from you.  Ask your dentist why he/she is suggesting that course of treatment. If it not within your budget or you want to stay with in your plan coverage go over your options with your dentist at that time.  Dentist are not mind readers. Many are more then happy to work with your plan limitations as much as possible as long as they are aware of them.

If you have a dental insurance plan where claims need to be filed, then find out ahead of time how the dental office processes this type of claim made services. With the down turn in the economy many dentist are requiring payment is paid in full at the time services are render. Knowing how the dental office handles claims will prevent you from having any unhappy surprises. Keep in mind dental offices that do file claims and wait for payment do so on your behalf it is not a requirement.

Shopping for dental insurance on line, makes it easier to compare different dental insurance plans at once.   In addition many websites are able to provide quotes on dental insurance though different companies.   The benefit of this is that you are not only reviewing one plan one option, but able to review multiple plans with multiple options.  When you come to an online website such californiadentalinsurance.com you are able to review many different plans though different companies affording you more options to best tailor fit your dental care needs.

However the possible down side of being able to review many different dental insurance plans at once is that it may become confusing.  It is important to understand the plans you reviewing and it terms and conditions in order to buy the right plan for your dental care needs.   We suggest first reviewing each plan seeing what they have to offer you.  Then if there is something you do not understand about a plan or if you want to make sure the plan you are reviewing will best fit your current dental needs, we suggest calling customer services.  At californiadentalinsurance.com we are always happy to help you with the different dental insurance plans we offer. You only need to call our customer service number at 310-534-3444 M-F 8-5.

In prior post we have talk about why it is not sound advise to wait until you need dental insurance to buy it.  However let’s say that you do not have current dental insurance and you where advise that you need a dental crown.  Then what do you do in order to cut your cost for having a dental crown?  Luckily there are still is a dental insurance plans that will be able to help you right away.

Dental HMO insurance plans normally do not come with long term waiting periods.  Dental HMO insurance plans are fee based and will normally state the cost of having a dental crown. This is not only helpful in order for you to have a crown but also lets you budget the cost of a crown much more easily since you will know what your cost is before having the dental service done.

Daily brushing is associated with a lower risk of developing dementia later on, according to a recent study from the University of California.

The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society study included 5,468 people with an average age of 81, who were part of a retirement community in California between 1992 and 2010. Over the 18-year study period, 1,145 eventually developed dementia.

Researchers found that female study participants who didn’t practice daily brushing had a 65 percent greater chance of developing dementia than those who did. Similar though less pronounced results were found for the men,  those who didn’t brush daily had a 22 percent greater chance of developing the disease than those who kept up their dental habits.

According to a 2012 study in the  American Journal of Medicine, older adults who get thorough dental cleanings may have a lower heart attack risk than people who follow a less-stringent oral health regimen.

Fact dental insurance will reduce your dental care cost at the dentist.   So why is it that some dentist will advise their patient not to buy dental insurance. Stating it is not worth the cost.   Normally there is three reasons for this:

1) The dental office you went to is not a provider of any dental insurance plans.  Therefore dental insurance will not help you with your dental care cost though them.

2) The dental office you went to is only a provider of PPO plans.  If you do not have a current PPO dental insurance plan in place they know that getting one now may not work out the best for you if you need more the preventive dental care services.  (This is because most PPO plans will have long term waiting periods for both basic and major dental care)

It is important to keep in mind that a dental office is still a business. If  they fit into the reasons above, they more then likely not going to advise you to buy a dental HMO plan (that normally does not have waiting periods and are lower cost dental insurance plans) when they are not a provider of any. It not like the want to refer a plan that will take away business from them.

This is not say that it is 100 percent wrong for a dental office to advise their patient not to buy dental insurance if they do not already have some.  After all if you put off getting dental insurance until you have larger dental needs and you wish to stay with that dental office,  then what they are saying could be correct in your current circumstances.

However even if that is the case and you are not wanting to change your dentist, the question that would remain is do you want to continue paying out of pocket for all your dental care needs?  What if a year from now you still have larger dental issues that to be address. How much better off are you if you still do not have current dental insurance plan.    Therefore if you have a dentist you wish to continue to see,  think about getting a dental PPO or Indemnity plan that will let you stay with your current dentist.  Even with the waiting periods it is important to think of not only want your current dental needs are but want your future dental needs may be.

A study, published in the journal Microbiology suggests that Stripping some mouth bacteria of their access key to gangs of other pathogenic oral bacteria could help prevent gum disease and tooth loss. Oral bacteria called Treponema denticola frequently gang up in communities with other pathogenic oral bacteria to produce destructive dental plaque. This bacterial access key could be a drug target for people who are at high risk of developing gum disease.

There are health benefits to seeing your dentist regularly, according to new study it found a link between regular visits to the dentist, and having a professional scaling (or tooth scraping) and a decreased risk of stroke.

Preventive dental care start from home with good dental habits. Regular brushing along with flossing your teeth will help to prevent gum disease a number one reason for tooth loss.