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Relief from dental pain without the drugs.  The FDA approved the first cryoanesthetic dental mouthpiece.  The new mouthpiece called   gumEase makes dental visits a whole lot easier, eliminating the need for shots.   It’s big news for the millions people who can’t or don’t wish to use conventional hypodermically delivered anesthesia.

The easy-to-use, disposable device is inserted into the gums for a few minutes. After removal, the anesthetic effect lasts for up to twenty minutes which and can be repeated as needed. Patients can apply them post operatively, and reuse without the side effects, nausea, or impairment of conventional anesthesia. In tests the new gumEase diminishes pain by 90% in just 2 to 3 minutes on average.

The Holidays is a time for giving, however it is important to remember yourself. This holiday season make sure to maintain good dental hygiene.  During the holidays people can become very busy and have increase stress levels. Sometimes due to that oral hygiene can suffer.  In addition the holidays tend to lead people to consume more sugary treats and drinks then they normally do.     

If you are having extra treats during this time of year, try and to remember to drink water or chew on a piece of sugarless gum afterwords. By doing so it will boost saliva flow in the mouth and help wash away bacteria.    Holiday anxiety or stress can cause some people to grind or clench their teeth.  Clenching or grinding your teeth can cause jaw pain, headaches, and teeth damage.  Try finding ways to relieve your stress, such as yoga, walking, relaxing and so on.  If you see that you are still grinding or clenching your teeth talk to your dentist about getting a custom night guard.

 Cosmetic dental care can be costly and is normally not covered under many dental insurance plans. When making the step to have cosmetic dental services choosing the right dentist is very important.    

You want to make sure the dentist you choose is skilled in cosmetic dentistry. The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry advises that you ask the dentist for the following. 

Any before and after photos of other patients dental treatments done by the dentist.  This is normally provided on the practice website. 

Ask for references and make sure the dentist can provide proof of continuing education.  

Another helpful tip is to use review sites such a Yelp, Angie’s List. Google, Yahoo and Facebook are also ways to find out more about the cosmetic dentist in question.

Dental bonding is tooth-colored material which can be used to fill in gaps or change the color of teeth. Dental bonding normally requires only a single office visit. Although dental bonding can lasts several years, it is more susceptible to staining or chipping than other forms of restoration.   Bonding can also is be used as a tooth-colored filling for small cavities. Additionally, it can be used to close spaces between teeth or cover the entire outside surface of a tooth to change its color and shape.

Under many dental insurance plans bleaching or teething whitening may not be covered, since many dental insurance plans will not provide benefits for cosmetic services.  

Bleaching or teeth whitening can be normally be performed by your dentist in the their office or under dental supervision, at home.  Generally your dentist will create a custom mouthpiece to ensure the correct amount of whitening solution is used and that your teeth are properly exposed. Typically, whitening at home takes two to four weeks, depending on the desired shade you wish to achieve. Whitening in the office may call for one or more 45-minute to one-hour visits to your dentist’s office.

Flossing after each meal provides the needed preventive dental care in order to maintain healthy teeth and gums.  However, flossing correctly is important to receive the maximum benefits.    Measure the floss at about an arms length, or approximately 18 inches. Wind each end of the floss around your middle fingers. Grasp 1 to 2 inches of the floss with your index finger and thumb. Then gently glide the floss in between the teeth in a sawing motion. 

Angle the floss so it hugs the tooth in a c shape. Gently slide the floss up and down the surface of the tooth making sure it goes slightly below the gum-line. When complete, angle the floss to hug the tooth in the opposite direction, and repeat. As you move on to each set of teeth, you will want to unwind the floss from your fingers, and rewind it so there is a clean section of floss to use. If you are not sure if you are flossing correctly ask your dentist to show you.

Many people may think that is okay to floss infrequently that is better then not flossing. The fact is that it is more beneficial if you floss after every meal. That two to three times a day.  Part time flossing does not provide adequate preventive dental care.

Odds are you may have heard your dentist state just how important flossing is to good dental and oral health. By flossing daily you able to remove food bits that is stuck between your teeth which helps to prevent bacteria from collecting up against your gum line which can cause gum disease, dental decay, and bad breath.

For children under five it may be hard to find a general family dentist that willing to work on younger children.  Seeing a Pediatric dentist may be best advise since their office is set up to helping children of younger to preteen ages.   

If you have current dental insurance you will want to check to see if Pediatric dentist are covered under your plan.  Some dental plans may provide benefits but at the specialist coverage’s. Other dental plans may be in network only plan therefore you want to make sure your plan as Pediatric dentist in their network.

One way to show your child that going to the dentist is a good experience is by taking them with you when you go to your dentist for a dental check up.  Ask your dentist if it is okay for your child to watch you have your dental check up.  That way your child can become familiar with the dental process of having a check up but also seeing mom or dad having their check up and seeing how easy one is will make the process for them much easier as well.

It can be hard to know just when to add a new born to a current dental insurance plan.   Unlike many major medical plans your baby is added at time of birth with dental you have to make sure to add your child normally during open enrollment.   

For some that time period may seem to soon as their baby may not have teeth at that time. However it is better to add your child to your dental plan sooner then waiting another year.  The ADA advises a child should see a dentist at the time they cut their first tooth  (a baby first tooth cuts in around 6 – 8 months) but no later then their first birthday.

A child pediatrician will check babies eyes at their regular doctor visits. Which is generally covered under your major medical (however you should refer to your own policy terms and conditions to confirm that). Vision insurance may be needed for a child if advise by your baby pediatrician (say if glasses are needed)  

For dental a child should have dental insurance before their first birthday.  The ADA advises that a child should see a dentist at the time they cut their first tooth, but no later then their first birthday.  Dental care starts even before teeth come in so having insurance will help with the cost of seeing a dentist.

Researchers at the University of Leeds have discovered a pain-free way of tackling dental decay that reverses the damage of acid attack and re-builds teeth as new. Researchers at the University of Leeds who have developed a revolutionary new way to treat the first signs of tooth decay. Their solution is to arm dentists with a peptide-based fluid that is literally painted onto the tooth’s surface. The peptide technology is based on knowledge of how the tooth forms in the first place and stimulates regeneration of the tooth defect.

Kids dental care can become costly once you get beyond a basic check ups and cleaning. Having dental insurance for you and your family will help make dental care more affordable not only for preventive dental care but for larger dental needs that may come up in the future. On average a family of four who see a dentist twice a year for just office visit, check ups and cleanings can spend up to $100.00 each per visit add that up for the year it is $800.00.

However, the same family can buy a low cost dental insurance plan ranging from $25-$30 a  month and get free preventive care for everyone in the family.  Add the cost up and it is only $300-$360  a year that is a average savings of $440.00 and that just talking about preventive care services.  

Saliva Test can Dramatically Increase Oral Cancer Detection. A Michigan State University surgeon is teaming up with a Lansing-area dental benefits firm on a clinical trial to create a simple, cost-effective saliva test to detect oral cancer, a breakthrough that would drastically improve screening and result in fewer people dying of the world’s sixth most common cancer.  

Barry Wenig, the lead investigator on the project and a professor in the College of Human Medicine’s Department of Surgery, is working with Delta Dental of Michigan’s Research and Data Institute to compile study data and recruit dentists. The study will enroll 100-120 patients with white lesions or growths in their mouths and tonsil areas to test as part of the clinical trial.

Fish Oil Supplements May Help Treat Periodontal Disease.   Periodontitis (Gum disease), affects more than half of adults and is linked to an increased risk of stroke and other heart problems.  In order to evaluate whether fish oil supplementation could be an adjunct therapy for periodontitis, Dr Alison Coates from the University of South Australia and colleagues from the School of Dentistry at University of Adelaide in Australia reviewed evidence from eight unique studies that involved humans.

Their review of these studies showed that improvements in clinical measures were common in all studies, but were scientifically significant in two that used a combination of fish oil and aspirin. Although this is not conclusive evidence, intake of fish oil is recommended for health benefits beyond the teeth.

Cavities in children ages 2 to 5 increased from 24 percent to 28 percent between 1988-1994 and 1999-2004 and is still on the rise. Parents and caregivers should provide a well balanced diet but stop unrestricted, at-will consumption of liquids, beverages and foods containing fermentable carbohydrate which can contribute to decay after eruption of the first tooth.  

Provide proper oral hygiene practices, such as cleaning an infant’s teeth following consumption of foods, liquids, containing fermentable carbohydrates. Periodically check your child teeth at home as directed by your child dentist. A baby should have their first dental visit by the time their first tooth erupts or by their first birthday

Early Childhood Caries is defined as the presence of one or more decayed, missing or filled tooth surfaces in any primary tooth in a preschool age child between birth and 71 months of age. Where as the term “Severe Early Childhood Caries” refers to “atypical” or “progressive” or “acute” or “rampant” patterns of dental caries.   

Child’s teeth are susceptible to tooth decay as soon as they begin to erupt. There are many aspects of early childhood caries such as baby bottle tooth decay, which is recognized as one of the more severe manifestations of this syndrome

Gum disease has not been proven to cause heart disease or stroke, and treating gum disease hasn’t been proven to prevent heart disease or stroke either, this according to a new scientific statement published in Circulation, an American Heart Association journal. Keeping teeth and gums healthy is still important for your overall health care.

However, an American Heart Association expert committee – made up of cardiologists, dentists and infectious diseases specialists found no conclusive scientific evidence that gum disease, (periodontal disease), causes or increases the rates of cardiovascular diseases

There have been cases where people have died due to untreated dental infections. Cost of dental care was the common reason as to why dental care services was continuously put off. Yet by having proper preventive dental care before larger issues can develop, cost dose not have to be a factor.  In fact there are many good low cost dental insurance plans that offer free to very low cost preventive care services.    

Another other problem is that many people (even those with dental benefits) do not take dental care seriously and will completely avoid even simple dental check-ups. Stating that they do not have the time or that their teeth are not hurting them so why bother. Sadly that is a common attitude to have even in regards to health care. Many people do not see a doctor unless there is something bothering them.  Preventive care can not only save your teeth but your life as well.