Insurance is a way to maintain health – Not a way to obtain dentistry!
No one should ever avoid needed dental care just because he or she does not have dental insurance!!

Make no mistake. Having dental insurance is good. But it is not essential to gaining access to dental care. On the other hand, medical insurance is virtually essential to gaining access to medical care. In the world of medicine, treatment for even a minor illness frequently runs into the thousands of dollars. This is NOT the case with dentistry. Dentistry differs from the rest of medicine in that dentists compete with each other on the basis of fees, while physicians do not. (Consider, for example, just what the cost of a 40 minute surgical procedure would be by a physician compared with that much time and skill in the dentist’s chair. The difference can be many hundreds of dollars. And remember that medical services generally bill separately for anesthesia and supplies.) Most people can afford to pay for dental emergencies out of pocket, and an entire treatment plan can be very affordable especially if it is strung out over the course of a year or two. What this means is that no one should avoid needed dental care just because he or she does not have dental insurance.

DENTAL INSURANCE IS NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE! Comparatively speaking, benefits today are FAR BELOW what they were in the 1980s. This is because, while the cost of living has risen dramatically, benefits have not! When I started my private practice in 1984, the average “good” plan paid around $750.00-$1,000.00 per patient per year. Today most plans pay only $1000.00 per year. It is easy to see that when everything else has increased by about 500% in cost since the early 80′s, $1,000.00 will not go nearly as far now as it did back then.

It is helpful to place the cost of dental care in perspective. Most patients, even with serious problems, can receive a reasonable treatment plan that will produce (at minimum) oral health and a good smile for under $3000. (We are talking about the Volkswagen here, not the Mercedes.) That assumes a good number of fillings, some extractions and a partial denture.) This is paid as the work progresses, over the course of the year (or even longer) that it takes to complete the plan. Paying for this type of service over that length of time can be looked at like making monthly car payments. If you think about it, it is worth that much to be able to eat and smile without pain or embarrassment.

But first you should know what is covered by your preferred health care insurance plan. It pays to know what each policy really covers. You cannot assume anything. That could be a position you will regret later. Don’t wait  until you have to make claims to find out that you do not have coverage that you thought you had. Don’t be shy to ask an expert or your agent.

You have to make sure you get the right insurer. You have to consider certain things before picking an insurance company…

1. The price/value offered by an insurance company. If you are NOT in doubt about the best plan for you then you can pick the best proposals from insurance proposals sites.
2. Your medical provider is in a good position to know insurance carriers that handle your claims well. After all, since doctors have to be paid by these insurance corporations, they are in a better position to tell you the bad ones.States’ Departments of Insurance are great resources for those looking for the best insurance advice. They’ll give you valuable information on licensed insurance carriers in your state. You are able to also ask people you know have more experience in things like health care insurance.
3. Buy your proposals from independent insurance proposals sites (that is, those run by insurance brokers). They’re better for comparing health care insurance proposals because they give more unbiased views on matters, affiliate themselves only with reputable corporations and also return a good number of proposals for each request. Doing otherwise will hurt their credibility.

Since they make their money no matter the insurance company you select, it’ll be unwise for them to select poorly rated corporations (It does not make sense).

Many studies suggest oral health, specifically gum disease, is related to serious conditions such as heart disease. This relationship has been known to exist for some time, though it was difficult to determine whether the link was caused by other factors including smoking, drinking, and lack of exercise.

Now, after researchers have successfully factored out such variables, the Academy of Periodontology reports that people with periodontal (gum) disease are almost twice as likely to have coronary artery disease, also known as heart disease. Experts urge that the evidence is not crystal clear, but theyare intrigued.

Heart Disease and Plaque

Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, develops when fats and other substances in the blood stick to the sides of our arteries, specifically the arteries that supply blood and oxygen directly to the heart.

These deposits, or “plaques,” can build up along the artery walls, narrowing or clogging the blood flow that is so important to any living tissue. If they block the flow completely, or if one of the plaques dislodges, a heart attack or stroke (if the blockage occurs in the arteries that feed the brain) can occur.

It is important to note that these plaques are not related to the plaque that a dentist or hygienist scrapes off your teeth. Dental plaque is a complex, sticky residue comprised mainly of bacteria, polysaccharides, or complex sugars, and food debris. It is the causative agent in cavities and gum disease.

The Gums-Heart Connection

One theory to explain the correlation between periodontal disease and coronary artery disease holds that bacteria indigenous to the mouth can enter via the gums and colonize or clump in and around the plaques or fatty deposits on the arteries, directly contributing to the narrowing, blockage, or clot.

Another more popular theory is rooted in the body’s own self-defence mechanism—inflammation or swelling. The inflammatory response is triggered by mediators, such as C-reactive protein. Bacteria originating from the oral cavity and travelling through the bloodstream are thought to trigger the release of mediators, causing blood cells to swell, thus contributing to narrowing of the arteries and increasing the risk of blockage.

Researchers have been clear about the role of inflammation in many diseases including periodontal disease, heart disease, and arthritis. Considering how similar the inflammatory process is throughout the body, it is not difficult to imagine one disease process having an influence on another. Many doctors routinely screen for C-reactive proteins in blood tests to diagnose patients at risk.

Though there seems little controversy over the connection between periodontal disease and heart disease, it is not clear if one is directly responsible for the other.

It is important to remember, though, that the connection could still be significant because early detection of cardiovascular disease is often impeded by the lack of symptoms. We can’t feel our arteries hardening, or an imbalance in our blood chemistry, but we just might notice our gums bleeding.

Clearly, anyone at risk or concerned about cardiovascular disease should still be focused on the obvious lifestyle parameters: eat healthy, exercise most days of the week, don’t smoke, lose weight if you’re overweight, etc.

Your oral health should be considered an important part of this list and should be given the same reverence. So brush, floss, and you’ll be one step closer to a long, healthy life!

One of the most common problems that dentists come across is not in the patients’ mouths, but in their minds. I am talking about dental anxiety, which is very likely the reason why you are reading this article to start with. Nearly everybody living in a civilized part of the world will experience this challenge sometime during his or her life. The issue is that it actually gets worse over time, not better like you’d assume. The more you are exposed to distress in the dentist’s office, the more you are behaviorally trained to dread that place.

That’s why a dentist will most likely not think twice about prescribing you something to aid with dental anxiety. It is best to ask for such a medicine prior to coming in for a visit. When you call in to make the appointment, ask to talk with the dentist and explain to them that you’ve got dental anxiety, and that you might want some medication to help you with this condition before you can come in for an appointment.

You might find that there are some very nice side benefits to using this strategy. As you might expect, the medicine you take will temporarily abate your anxiety. You’ll notice a massive benefit from this all on its own.

But on top of that, you’ll find out what type of person your new dentist is. If they don’t want to give you medicine to help you feel more comfortable, then the only question you should contemplate is why doesn’t this dentist want you to feel comfortable. Can you just imagine doing things the usual way? It might take many years to figure this out the hard way. Just imagine how such a dentist will to reply to your pain after an important dental procedure. One of the most important qualities that a dentist can have is ordinary sympathy for his patients’ feelings. This one question will tell you in no uncertain terms whether or not your dentist has this.

Doing this at the start of your relationship with a dentist shifts the way that each of you will approach your encounters from there on. People forget that dentists are just regular people. Unless you bring your feelings and comfort to their attention, they are going to have no reason to be thinking about it. And you simply will feel more comfortable because you know that you can ask for help and get it. A lot of people feel powerless at the hands of their dentist, but with one little maneuver you’ve prevented that entire problem.

If you want to change the situation even more, try waiting for the dentist to enter before you take a seat in the dentist’s chair. The assistant won’t like this. You may have a couple of uncomfortable moments with them, but you can simply explain that you prefer to wait for the dentist. Then you’ll have the chance to really talk with the dentist before they wind up with their instruments in your mouth. This establishes both of you as humans to one another. You don’t have to be weird about it, just introduce yourself and say that you’d like to know a little more about them before you get started.

By actually talking to the dentist as someone, you can begin to get a feeling for whether their disposition is a good fit for your needs as a patient. I cannot fully grasp why this is not more widespread. A lot more people would feel happy with their existing dentists if they would just do this absolutely simplest of relationship-generating from the outset.

Additionally, it sets you up as a person with a face and a name, so that your dentist will care more about you as an person. This sets the stage for feelings of shared understanding. With these amplified feelings of connectedness come a more human dentistry encounter and a higher quality of health care.

Mouth cancer is actually a generic, umbrella term that covers a large number of different types of cancer. Oral cancer can affect the underside of your tongue, the floor of the mouth, the roof of the mouth, the gums and inside of the cheeks. There are also types of cancer that can affect the salivary glands, the tonsils and the lips.

The most commonly occurring type of mouth cancer is known as squamous cell carcinoma. It attacks the squamous cells on the lining of the mouth and most commonly occurs on the floor of the mouth.

So why is mouth cancer on the increase? Smoking is certainly one reason. However, it is not the only reason. Health experts also believe that an increase in the levels of alcohol drinking are another important factor. There are an increasing number of men and women (especially in their twenties and thirties) who drink more than their recommended units.

However, smoking and drinking, while important, are not the only causes of mouth cancer. It could be that diet can also be a contributory factor and some foods are shown to help fight cancer, shown as broccoli and other leafy vegetables. Some oral cancers are also similar to skin cancer, so if you spend a lot of time in the sun, make sure you protect your lips with sunscreen.

In many cases, the greatest protection against mouth cancer is early detection. While in the initial stages of mouth cancer, you may not feel any pain. However, you may notice mild symptoms such as stubborn mouth ulcers that refuse to go away. You may also notice that it is sore to talk, eat or move your tongue. Alternatively, you may notice numbness in your mouth or a discoloured area on your tongue or cheek. In all of these cases, the symptoms may be mild, but the noticeable element may be the fact that you can’t get rid of them.

If you think you have any of the symptoms of oral cancer, you should speak to your GP immediately. Early detection of cancer greatly increases the possibility of successful treatment. Treatment at this stage is much more straightforward, much less debilitating for the patient and offer more chance of success.

There are two important elements in the detection of cancer. First of all, your doctor needs to identify whether cancer is definitely present. This requires a biopsy, during with a tissue sample is taken from the affected area and analysed in a laboratory.

If the biopsy is positive, the next step is to discover how much the cancer has spread. This will usually require x-rays or an endoscopy – an internal examination of your throat and tongue using a flexible tube.

Usually, if the cancer has been detected early enough, it can be removed through surgery. If the cancer is very small, this may be a very simple procedure that does not even require an overnight stay in hospital. In some cases, the procedure can even be done under local anaesthetic.

If the cancer has spread too far for surgery to be effective, then other treatment options will include radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Radiotherapy destroys cancer cells through concentrated bursts of radiation onto the affected areas. Chemotherapy attacks the cancer cells through the use of medication. Both radiotherapy and chemotherapy can be difficult treatments to go through.

While watching out for symptoms is one way to detect mouth cancer early, your dentist will also have a vital role to play. You should view your dentist as the expert who takes care of your oral health, rather than simply someone who looks after your teeth. If you are visiting your dentist regularly for check-ups – this means at least once every six months – then they will be best placed to spot possible mouth cancer and refer you to a GP or oncologist.

So when there is something you are not happy about with your smile, it is sometimes not so easy just to ignore it. It can affect your confidence and your self-esteem and, if you don’t smile so freely, it can take longer for people to warm to you.

For these reasons, cosmetic dentistry is becoming increasingly popular. Many of the techniques being introduced into the UK have been practiced successfully in the United States for many years. Now, as more and more people in the UK begin to recognise how important their smile is, more and more dentists are offering cosmetic treatments to a wider range of patients.

One issue that many people have with the quality of their smile is that they are too ‘gummy’. Gummy? Yes, that’s the technical word for it. Some people just show a lot of gum when they smile. It is not due to any medical condition and nor is it detrimental to the long-term health of your teeth or gums. The sole reason for having treatment for a gummy smile is for cosmetic improvement.

If you mention the phrase ‘cosmetic dental work’ to most people, they immediately start to think of Hollywood, celebrities and very expensive treatments that people who live in the real world cannot afford. But let’s just hold on a minute. Not all cosmetic improvements have to cost a small fortune and a gummy smile is one of those cases where an improvement can be made at a much more affordable cost.

The most popular treatment for a gummy smile is called gum contouring. Your dentist will use a special laser to trim and shape your gums into the perfect smile. It is a fairly straightforward process done under local anaesthetic. It’s also made much easier by the fact that the laser naturally seals up the wounds it makes as the gums are cut away. Therefore, there is no need for any messy stitches which increase the healing time.

Gum contouring is really only suitable for cases where the gums need to be trimmed and shaped lightly. In cases where the cosmetic work needs to produce a greater effect, a different surgical procedure may be required. This is a procedure known as crown lengthening, during which the gums are re-shaped, the cut away from the tooth and replaced in the optimum position. Stitches will be required to hold the gums into their new positions, so the healing time is longer for this procedure. Often, after a couple of months, you may return to your dentist when the gums have healed completely to have the slightly re-shaped again, so that you acquire the perfect solution.

For many patients interested in improving the aesthetics of their smile, gum contouring is only one part of the solution. As a treatment, it often forms part of a broader plan. This plan may, for example, also include orthodontic work to straighten a crooked smile. Alternatively, it may also include veneers or whitening to make your teeth gleam – after all, now the gums have been trimmed then the focus really will be on your pearly whites!

Many dental practices now offer finance solutions that enable patients to afford the cosmetic work they need to improve the quality of their smile. These payment plans can be especially useful if you are considering a long-term cosmetic plan which will alter your smile over a long period of time. This can involve several visits to your dentist.

The second part of the bad news is that gum disease, as well as being inevitable, is also incurable. Most of us suffer from gum disease and, as we grow older, it is more than likely going to get worse. In fact, gum disease is the most common cause of tooth loss in adults. That means it is even more dangerous to the health of our teeth than tooth decay.

So far, then, it is not a pretty picture, is it? But the truth of the matter is that, if we want to keep our teeth healthy, we cannot ignore gum disease.

There are two types of gum disease. But before we look at those, let’s learn a little bit more about plaque. Plaque is essentially the name given to all the debris that gathers on and around our teeth during a normal day. Bits of food get caught in our teeth after meals and if you don’t clean them away regularly, these bits of food attract bacteria. It is this bacteria that can lead to decay, halitosis and gingivitis.

Gingivitis is the first form of gum disease. If plaque is allowed to build-up without being removed, it hardens into calculus and this can begin, over time, to irritate your gums. The gums become tender and inflamed, and you may notice some spots of blood on your toothbrush when you clean your teeth.

Gingivitis is a mild form of gum disease and its development can be arrested. If you have the symptoms mentioned above, you should contact your dentist. A thorough scale and polish by a hygienist will help to remove the calculus and stop your gums from being irritated and damaged by bacteria.

If you have gingivitis, it is also important to discuss with your dentist why you may have developed it in the first place. The build-up of plaque is unstoppable, so there will always be some deterioration of your gums. However, regular teeth cleaning and visits to the dentist should be enough to ensure that gum disease does not become a serious issue. Ask your dentist if you are cleaning your teeth correctly. Alternatively, if you are missing check-ups, make sure you are stricter with yourself in the future.

If plaque is allowed to build-up on your teeth unchecked, it can turn into gingivitis. If gingivitis is not treated, then it can develop into periodontitis. This is the second form of gum disease and it is more serious than gingivitis. It usually means that the gum disease has spread from the gums and attached the bone around the roots of the teeth. In some advanced cases, this may already have caused the teeth to become loose.

The solution to periodontitis is a much deeper clean of your teeth, which is usually done under local anaesthetic. This allows your dentist to clean deeply around the roots of the teeth and into the areas where the gums have receded and allowed plaque to collect. This type of clean can take a couple of appointments to complete effectively. In very advanced cases, your dentist make have to cut and lift the gums away to clean effectively around the base of the teeth, that stitch the gums back into place.

For most people, the issue with gum disease is not whether they have it; it is whether they allow it to accelerate and cause problems with their teeth. As plaque builds up constant, the battle to remove it must also be constant. Always clean your teeth twice every day – remembering to spend time reaching those difficult areas. Never miss an appointment with your dentist, as they will remove plaque that brushing misses. You should also floss in between your teeth regularly too, to remove trapped food. Other factors, such as smoking, can also accelerate gum disease.

However, there is another side to the debate. There are many opponents to flouride in water as too much flouride can actually be detrimental to the health of our children’s teeth. Too much flouride can cause a condition known as flourosis in children.

So what is flourosis? To put it simply, too much flouride causes the teeth to become discoloured. However, it does not affect adults. Flourosis only affects children as their adult teeth are emerging. It causes white, yellow and brown spots to form on the tooth enamel. Luckily, the symptoms of flourosis are no more serious than that. It is a disease with purely cosmetic implications for your teeth. Once teeth have fully developed into the adult stage, flourosis no longer develops.

There are some cases of flourosis that are so minimal that most people do not even realise that they have it. It won’t cause your teeth to ache or your gums to rot. Sometimes, only your dentist can notice you have it.

However, there are other cases where the teeth can be visibly discoloured. And while the disease is not serious, it can affect a child’s confidence and self-esteem just as they are growing up and becoming more aware of how they look. Therefore, most parents are very keen to ensure that their child does not develop flourosis.

This is at the heart of the debate about whether flouride should be added to our drinking water. From one point of view, flouride is vital in strengthening the tooth enamel as your child grows up. In fact, it is fair to say that flouride is your most important ally in fighting tooth decay. However, from another point of view, it can be a contributing factor to flourosis for a small number of children.

If you have concerns about your child’s teeth, the best thing to do is to talk to your dentist about it. Your dentist will be able to examine your child’s teeth and evaluate whether tooth decay is likely to be a problem or whether there are any early signs of flourosis. This will enable your dentist to form a professional opinion on how much flouride your child needs.

Therefore, parents should be conscious of the need to balance protecting their child’s teeth against exposing their child to too much flouride. However, many cases of flouride simply come about because children are swallowing toothpaste or using an additional flouride mouthwash. Some parents give their children flouride supplements – which you should avoid doing unless your dentist specifically recommends it.

Of course, flouride is not the only way to protect against tooth decay. You should ensure that your child maintains a good all-round oral health and hygiene routine, which includes avoiding too many sugary snacks, cleaning their teeth twice every day and using a small amount of flouride toothpaste. If you child sticks to this regime, then they should develop healthy adult teeth.

Finally, what if you are an adult who developed flourosis as a child? Is there anything that you can now do to improve the cosmetic appearance of your teeth? Flouride is not a degenerative disease so it will not cause your teeth to decay. Therefore, the majority of dental treatments available to you are the same as the treatments available to other people with discoloured teeth.

Therefore, tooth whitening is an option which many people can consider. There are now a variety of whitening techniques, treatments and brands available, to suit a broad range of budgets. Another possibility are veneers, which cover your teeth with a suitable material such as porcelaine, which creates a perfect, natural smile.

To find out more about the techniques available for restoring your teeth after flourosis, you should speak to your dentist.

Gum recession is most common in people over the age of 40. However, you could probably amend that to say that it is identified most often when people are in their Forties. In many cases, the gums have begun to recede very slowly before that so there was probably several opportunities for them to be diagnosed and for treatment to start.

So what causes your gums to recede? In the first instance, it can be something as simply as brushing your teeth too hard. We all want to get our teeth as clean as possible, but it is important that you clean your teeth in the right way. Your dentist can explain the right approach to oral hygiene and demonstrate brushing techniques that can ensure that your gums are not damaged. They will also be able to recommend an appropriate toothbrush.

A more serious cause of receding gums is gum disease. If plaque and bacteria are allowed to build up on your teeth, then the bacteria can attack the gums and become embedded into gaps between the gums and the roots of the teeth. Advanced gum disease will need to be treated by a dentist. In the majority of cases, it involves a deep clean of your teeth which includes clearing out the hardened plaque from between the gums and around the roots of the teeth. It requires a local anaesthetic as it can be painful.

The third most common reason for gum recession is orthodontic treatment. When teeth are moved into a better position through an orthodontic treatment, it can often result in the roots of the teeth becoming more prominent. So as the tops of the teeth move to become straighter and to refine the bite and smile, the roots of the teeth can be pushed in the other direction and appear more visible above the gum line.

In cases of serious gum recession, either caused by gum disease or by orthodontic treatment, the only solution may be surgery. Gingival grafting is a treatment that involves grafts from either neighbouring gums or the roof of the mouth onto the affects areas. The surgical procedure is usually performed by a specialist periodontist rather than a dentist and the patient will require a local anaesthetic. Your new gums will usually be healed within the space of about a month. In some cases, once the gums have healed the periodontist may be required to perform some additional shaping to ensure that the gum grafts look as natural as possible.

If you are concerned about your gums receding, there are a number of symptoms that you can watch out for. Of course, you should keep an eye on your gums, but it can be difficult to tell whether they are receding or not unless you have a professional eye. However, if you find that your teeth are becoming more sensitive, this can be an indication that more of your tooth is becoming exposed as the gums recede.

You may also notice a change in the colour of some of your teeth. As the gums recede, the lower part of the tooth which becomes exposed may be whiter than the original crown of the tooth.

It is important that you take responsibility for the health of your own teeth. However, one of the most important things you can do is regularly visit your dentist. As a professional, you dentist will be able to spot whether plaque is building up on your teeth and causing gum disease. They will also be able to identify whether you have cavities below the gum line, which is another indication that gum disease is causing your gums to recede.

Regular visits to your dentist should mean that problems are spotted early and dealt with accordingly. If this happens, then you should be able to maintain healthy gums and healthy teeth for a long time beyond your Forties.

The emergence of private dental companies has meant that costs have reason. Whereas in the past, the vast majority of people in the UK could be treated by an NHS dentist, now there is a shortage. Therefore, many more people are either having to stump up extra for their dental treatment – or they are having to miss appointments due to the cost.

Obviously, missing dental appointments is to be advised against. Not only is it detrimental to the health of your teeth, it is also self-defeating. The longer you go without visiting your dentist, the more likely you are to suffer dental problems. Without preventative care and attention, these problems are more likely to go unnoticed and to become more serious. The more serious they become, the more expensive they become. So the money saved on skipping that initial appointment often proves costly in the long run.

Increasingly, therefore, dental patients are caught in a Catch-22 situation. The cost of care is becoming less affordable. Yet this care is something that they cannot afford to do without.

The solution for these people could be a dental insurance plan. Dental insurance gives you and your family peace of mind against future dental costs. Depending on the type of plan you take out, it can cover you for everything from routine check-ups to major orthodontic work.

So if you are interested in a dental insurance plan, what should you be looking for? Well, it is important initially to consider all your options and think about exactly what you want to be covered for. Now, there are lots of different types of organisations that provide dental insurance. You can buy insurance from a supermarket, for example – it’s a simple, no-frills plan that covers you for the basics. Alternatively, you could choose something more complex and with a higher premium – but maybe that brings added peace of mind.

One quirk to watch out for is the small print – with insurance policies, it is always the small print, isn’t it? So when you take out a dental insurance policy, always make sure that you know exactly what you are covered for before you sign on the dotted line. The last thing you want to do is be in urgent need of dental treatment and find out that you have to foot most of the cost yourself.

In the majority of dental insurance schemes, you will only be covered for a percentage of the treatment. For example, some schemes may cover you for 60% of the cost of treatment. So if your treatment costs £100 then you will have to pay £40 of that yourself. The contributions vary depending on the scheme, so make sure you know what proportion of treatment is covered so that you can identify the best deal.

Some types of policies will also place restrictions on which dentists you can receive treatment from. If you require certain types of treatment, these policies will require you to receive that treatment from a certain pool of dentists who are pre-approved by the insurer. This can help to keep the costs of the policy competitive. However, it may prove inconvenient if you ever actually require treatment, so it is worth checking in advance how many approved dentists are on the list and where they are located.

Finally, many people see insurance plans as protection against something that they hope will never happen. A dental insurance plan should not be like that; simply a safety net in case the worst-case scenario hits you. With the right dental plan, you can receive financial support in every aspect of you and your family’s everyday dental needs, at an affordable cost. Therefore, once you have chosen your insurance plan, make the most of the benefits it brings. It should encourage you to get the level of treatment and care that you may not otherwise be able to afford.