FIND THE BEST ONLINE DENTAL INSURANCE
Low Cost Dental Insurance - Affordable Dental Plans

Gum Redness, Dental Care in New York Needed.

Question: Within the past few weeks I notice a section of my gum above the top side teeth are getting really red. That area does hurt a little when I brush there and when I drink something hot.  However my gums do not bleed.  I am 16 and my parents do not have dental insurance. I an worried that I may be getting gum disease.  I am not sure want to do and do not want my teeth to fall out.

Reply: First talk to your parents if you have not already done so. Since you are 16 you can not have dental work done without your parents consent. I would suggest seeing a dentist for a check up, the dentist could advise if you have the beginning of gingivitis

If you can not see a dentist then try brushing and flossing daily better then what you are currently doing. You may also want to get mouthwash that helps fight gum disease. That may help some too until you get in to see a dentist that can advise you better.

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease that affects the periodontium, which is the group of all the tissues that surround and support your teeth. Among these tissues, the periodontium is made of the alveolar bone, the gums, the periodontal ligament and the cementum. Periodontitis is a progressive loss of alveolar bone around teeth. If periodontitis is not treated, teeth begin to move, shift and eventually fall out. This disease is mainly caused by harmful bacteria and protozoa, and an aggressive response of the immune system against these microorganisms. The dentist makes the diagnosis by detecting the presence of periodontal pockets (spaces created between the gums and the teeth) and the analysis of X-rays to evaluate bone loss.

Vacations are fun, there nothing like getting away and forgetting your worries if only for a limited time. However one thing you should not forget about is your dental hygiene. Often times peoples dental routines are broken while on a trip. This is mostly do to forgetting your dental care products. If you travel often or if you are going a trip make sure to put together a oral hygiene kit. Put all your dental care products, like travel toothbrush and paste, dental floss and even a pact of sugar free gum in a see though zip lock bag. By keeping these dental care products together you will have everything ready and waiting to go.

Individual Dental Discount Plans Complaints.

Question: My mom bought a dental plan thinking it was dental insurance from a website that stated they were selling dental insurance.  She called her order and was told it was insurance but when we got the plan and I reviewed it it clearly show as a dental discount plan.

That upset me a little because I feel she was missed lead. The problem is she does not even know where she bought it from and did not save the phone number to who she called.  I called the plan and they stated we could cancel and get a refund.

My mom did not want to cancel the plan since she wanted to see a dentist and therefore she choose to keep it.  I was wondering if this happens a lot?  It is the point of the matter and just wondering you do you speak to about this.

Reply: Well I could not speak about some other website that you do not recall.  However it is not surprising they may have offer a dental discount plan along with dental insurance options. You can see on this site we are offing both dental discount plans along with several dental insurance options. However our dental discount plans clearly say that they are discount plans where our insurance plans will clearly let you know if it is a HMO, PPO or Indemnity dental insurance plan.

As for why they would tell you it is insurance when it was a discount plan I do not know. You should be able to call the plan member service line to find out what agent you bought the plan though and they should be able to provide you their phone number.  It could be possible that there was some sort of miss understanding or lack of communication when your mom bought the plan.  I would think at this point though it is mute if in fact your mom is happy with it and dose not want to cancel it due to the fact that her dentist takes it.

Question: What would be my dental benefits if I got your Delta Dental plan? I have been looking at all your dental plan choices for zip code 90502 and I see you have Delta dental which is a insurance company I at least heard of.  Can you tell me some of the plan benefits?  I see that they have plans that run around $40-$60 a month but now sure what the difference is between them  since the coverage’s look the same to me.

Reply: Sounds like you are reviewing the Delta Dental PPO’s options we provide. There are differences between their PPO plans, mostly dealing with the yearly max limitation you want per person.  You will note that they range from $1000, $1500 to $2000. Other differences is in the co-pay percentage for first and second year coverage’s.  Make sure to click on each plans review plan detail link provided to review benefits.   Also please call our member services if you should have any questions at 310-534-3444 as we be happy to help you.

Making sure you take proper care of your child’s baby teeth is very important, as these teeth help reserve the space for their adult teeth.  Here are is some additional facts about your child’s baby teeth.

* If your child baby tooth decays or is removed too soon, the space necessary for their adult teeth is loss and can only be regained though orthodontic treatment.

* Decaying and infected baby teeth can cause their permanent adult teeth to develop improperly, resulting in stains, pits and weaker teeth.

* Your child baby teeth also serves to helps speech development and aid in chewing food properly.

* Generally children begin losing their baby teeth around ages five or six and continue to lose baby teeth until the age of twelve and thirteen. With the exception of third molars (wisdom teeth) which begin to appear around age seventeen to twenty-one.

Tips on taking care of your growing baby’s teeth and gums

* During this time you want to make sure to maintain good dental health care habits with your child. Brushing at least twice a day for two to three minutes. Flossing once two teeth are together. Remember by making this a fun thing to do it will encourage your child to maintain their dental health care as they grow

* Make sure to follow the schedule of dental examinations and cleans as recommended by your child’s pediatric dentist. This is generally once every six months but depending your child dental health may be more or less.

* As you child learns to rinse and spit, you can then start brushing with a pea-size portion of fluoridated toothpaste.

* Never leave fluoride toothpastes unattended, young children like to eat toothpaste and fluoridated toothpaste must never be eaten.

Tips on taking care of your baby’s teeth and gums

* During six months to twelve months your baby first tooth should appear. Make sure to consul with a pediatric dentist for an dental examination.

* You want to brush your baby’s teeth after each feeding and before bedtime with a small soft bristled toothbrush.

* As your child starts to learn how to walk, stay alert of potential dental and/or facial injuries.

* Try and wean your child from the use of a baby bottle by his or her first birthday. (If a woman breastfeeds her child, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends breastfeeding for at least one year. The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for at least two years.)

Looking for Some Dental Insurance Help

Question: My family and I currently do not have dental insurance.  I figure we can afford to spend $50.00 a month in order to get dental insurance.  My problem is all the dental insurance plans I seen are well over that amount.  Is there any good low cost dental insurance plans I can get for my family of four in California?

Reply: Yes, we offer several good dental HMO plans and for a family they would run around $17.00 to $30.00 a month. Well within your budgeted price range. You can review our dental insurance options by entering in your zip code in the quote box provided on our website OnlineDentalInsurance.com. If you have any questions please call our member service line at 310-534-3444 as we be happy to help

Right from birth you need to take care of baby dental and oral health. Here are a few tips.

* Make sure to clean your infant’s mouth with gauze or a soft infant toothbrush after feeding and before bedtime.

* Make sure to consult your infant’s pediatrician regarding fluoride supplements.

* Make sure to regulate feeding habits for both bottle and breastfeeding.

* Never let your baby sleep with a baby bottle with anything other then water in it.

 Here are a few do not when it comes to taking care of baby’s teeth

* Do not attempt to clean baby’s gum if your baby is cranky or tired

* Do not use toothpaste at an early age. If you are going to use toothpaste use only a smear about the size of a match head and discourage your child form swallowing.

* Around the age of two your child can use more toothpaste about the size of a pea.

* Do not forget to floss. Flossing for children is important and should be done as soon as your child has two teeth next to one another.

Here are a few helpful tips on brushing your baby’s teeth

* Whenever possible make brushing your teeth as a family thing. Showing your young child how to brush and brushing with him or her will make them want to brush more.

* Try singing songs or making brushing into a game. If you make if fun for your child to brush the more willing they will be.

* Have your child brush their teeth to their favorite song. Children songs normally last around two to three minutes, which is the recommended time a person should brush their teeth for.

There are some positive effects that result from sucking on pacifiers, according to Jane Soxman, DDS, author of the study and Diplomat of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. “One is that they assist in reducing the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Babies who are offered a pacifier do not sleep as deeply as those who sleep without a pacifier. Pacifier sucking makes it possible for the infant to be aroused from a deep sleep that could result in the stopping of breathing. Pacifiers also increase sucking satisfaction and provide a source of comfort to infants.”

However according to AGD spokesperson Luke Matranga, DDS, MAGD, ABGD, parents should be aware of the negative effects of pacifier sucking on an infant’s oral health. Children should stop using pacifiers by age Two. Up until the age of two, any alignment problem with the teeth or the developing bone is usually corrected within a 6-month period after pacifier use is stopped. Prolonged pacifier use and thumb sucking can cause problems with the proper growth of the mouth, alignment of the teeth and changes in the shape of the roof of the mouth.

 According to Studies Pacifiers Have Both Negative and Positive Effects.

There has been much debate regarding the use of baby pacifiers, but there is evidence to show that there are both pros and cons, according to a study in the 2007 issue of General Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry’s

Question: I am a little lost going though all the different types of dental insurance plans available online.  What is better to get a dental discount plan or a dental HMO insurance plan.  I  looked at both types of plan but really do not see major different between the two. Since from what I can tell you have to choose a dentist in their network for both.

Reply: First a dental discount plan is not insurance like an HMO insurance plan. With a dental discount plan you receive discounted saving on all dental care services render by a plan provider hopefully making your dental care more affordable. With most dental HMO insurance plan your preventive services are free and in many cases the dental services covered under an HMO insurance plan is at a lower cost to you then most discount plans. However not all services are covered under an HMO and with a dental discount plan you do receive discounted cost for all dental services render.

Which is better? Well that would be up to you and what type of dental care you are looking for. I suggest reviewing our dental plans and insurance options and if you have any questions please call our member service line at 310-534-3444 as we be happy to help

Enjoying the Music you Love While Brushing your Teeth

In order to get the best results from brushing your teeth a person need to brush for at least two to three minutes. Even though most people will state they brush three to four on average a person brushes their teeth less then a minute.  Most people are not really timing themselves so what feels like two to three minutes is really much shorter. Therefore a good way to make sure you are brushing a full two to three minutes is by brushing to a song. The average song is about three minutes which is the right amount of time to get the best results from brushing.

When shopping for dental insurance for needed dental care it is always a good idea to get the dental ADA codes for your needed services so you can make sure the insurance plan you are reviewing provides coverage for that service as well as be able to compare cost.  Therefore if you seen a dentist and was told services where needed make sure they provided you with the ADA codes so you can get the best insurance plan for your dental care needs.

Dental Insurance Plans for a Teen.
 
Question: My son is 15 and I just lost our dental insurance do to a change of jobs.  I would like to get dental insurance for just my son right now since I will not be getting dental insurance from my job and I do not have a lot of money to be spending for a family plan.  Can I get a dental plan for just my son?  If so what is a good low cost dental plan to get?

Reply: Lower cost insurance plans would be though the HMO options. Also note that many insurance plans will not let you have a minor on the plan by themselves, however if it is only you and your son you do not have to buy a family plan either.  You can get a couple plan for you and your son. Our HMO dental insurance plans for a couple run around $12.95 to $28.95 a month so even for a couple plan they are not too costly on a monthly bases.  Review the plans we have available by entering your zip code in the quote box provided.

The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) and Oral-B Laboratories released a survey that show many Americans are neglecting to take care of their teeth during the workday. According to the survey it found that more than three-quarters of respondents are eating twice or more a day at the workplace, while only 14 percent of respondents are brushing every day at work. Another interesting thing found in the survey is while only 14 percent or the respondents where brushing, 40 percent ranked “smile” as one of the first thing they notice about a person at work.

Generally speaking most people think that they need only to see a dentist twice a year, and for the most part that can hold true. However opinions on that are starting to change. Then National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines state the recommended interval between dental check-ups should be determined specifically for each patient, and tailored to meet their needs, on the basis of an assessment of disease levels and risk of or from dental disease.

Meaning you should see a dentist not by a standard stated time but what is best for your own oral health care needs. Talk to your dentist and see what is best for you, if you have not been to a dentist within the last year or more, make sure to make a dental appointment. Oral health  is very important to maintain and poor oral health can also have negative effects on your over all health.  Also by having dental insurance it will help keep your dental care cost low.