Dental services are very expensive, nowadays. This is why the number of Americans who have not visited their dentists for the last five years are continuously increasing. Full coverage dental insurance seeks to address this issue. The good thing is that there are reasonably priced dental plans which could be purchased, even by low-income families.

Just like medical or health insurance, dental insurance would require you to pay for a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual premiums. This would depend of what payment options the plan holder would prefer. For the regular premiums, the plan holder can have access to different dental services either for free or for discounted amounts. The insurance plan would determine the percentage, how much the insurance company would cover and if the plan holder would have to shoulder the rest of the dental bill.

The coverage of a full dental plan is not the same. The percentage may not be similar, or the insurance company may not cover a particular dental service unlike the other companies. However, there are companies who would have the same types of insurance coverage. Dental plans may cover basic dental works like cleanings and regular check-ups.

Meanwhile, there are also coverage for minor dental care which could include tooth filling and other simple procedures aside from cleaning and check-up. There could also be coverage for major dental works like root canals, extractions, denture, implants and dental surgery. Major services could be pretty expensive, getting them covered by insurance is a big thing.

These are the things to consider when you are choosing individual dental plans. You need to know what services are partially and fully covered by the plan. You should also determine if plans could cover pre-existing dental conditions.

When choosing dental plans, it is important to assess your needs in order to find the right one that would fit. Of course, your budget should also be considered. Never make the mistake of getting a dental plan way beyond your financial capability. Nor sacrifice your dental care for a cheap dental plan.

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Teeth allow us to chew and bite food and speak clearly. They also give us our unique, beautiful smiles. Every person goes through two sets of teeth in their lifetime: their primary and secondary teeth. Primary teeth, also known as baby teeth appear around 6 months of age and begin to fall out one by one around age six. By age 13, all the baby teeth, except for the backmost molars (wisdom teeth), have fallen out. Each lost primary tooth is replaced with a secondary tooth that comes up from underneath the baby tooth.

Baby teeth fall out in the same order in which they first erupted, or grown in from the incisors to the canines to the bicuspids to the molars.

What Teeth Are Made Of

Many patients know that teeth are made of enamel, which is the hard, translucent part of the teeth that makes the teeth durable and stable. However, teeth are made up of more than that. Here is a brief breakdown of what teeth are made of:

Cementum. This hard part of the tooth is said to be as hard as bone and is hidden under the gumline. Cementum holds the tooth in place in the jawbone and protects the outside of the tooth root.

Enamel. This hard protective layer covers up the white/yellowish layer of tooth, called dentin. Enamel makes teeth strong enough to withstand great amounts of pressure and it protects the surface of the teeth from harmful bacteria.

Dentin. This white/yellowish part of the tooth is the most readily noticeable part of the teeth. It too is as hard as bone ad give teeth their toughness and structure.

Pulp. The tooth pulp is the innermost part of a tooth. Connective tissue, blood vessels and nerves converge here to anchor the tooth in place as well as give it essential nutrients. The pulp of each tooth has both a pulp chamber and a root canal. The nutrients, blood flow and nerve impulses and feelings travel from the pulp chamber to other parts of the tooth from the root canal.

When a patient has a toothache, it is likely an indication that there is something wrong with a part of the tooth. The nerve endings in the center, or pulp of the tooth has become irritated and exposed due to a weakening or compromising of one of the tooth’s protective outer layer.

There are many causes to toothaches and tooth sensitivity should be examined by a dental professional as soon as possible as it could be the result of deep tooth decay that needs to be treated promptly to possibly save the tooth.

Sugar-filled foods and drinks as well as acidic ones may destroy and eat away at the enamel and dentin and possibly make it down into the root of the tooth. This is why it is important to floss and brush one’s teeth daily and make regular check-up and cleaning appointments with your dentist.

Even if you don’t have a toothache, regular, six month visits to your dentist’s office is important in maintaining good health for your teeth and gums. Regardless of whether or not you’re experiencing tooth pain, contact your dentist today to schedule an appointment, especially if it has been longer than six months since your last appointment.

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Today’s Pet Peeves:

1. People who slop up the microwave and don’t clean it. Granny will probably do it when she can’t stand it anymore.

2. People who make no left turn signal, turn in front of you, illegally, than wave their middle finger at you as you are frantically hitting the brakes to miss them.

3. A close second to leaving the toilet seat up? Leaving the shower button on so the next person turning on water to fill the tub gets their head soaked.

4. People who come up with all these great ideas for projects then leave doing the actual work to others.

5. People who use the drive up window at the bank then do so many transactions that you just sit there and breathe their fumes for ten minutes until you finally drive around and go inside. Then you find out there’s only one teller and she’s still taking care of drive up window.

6. The dentist who told me, without batting an eye, that I needed two root canals at fifteen hundred dollars each. No wonder he wears a mask!

Well, I sure wasted money today. Bought a box of twenty Christmas cards and since I only have two friends, these cards will last me ten years. Maybe I could find another friend and use them up sooner. Fat chance of finding another friend.

Another peeve: Shirts and blouses used to have one tag at the neck. Now they are up to three annoying tags or labels that poke and irritate neck and side. I just read an ad that said, “No annoying tags or labels.” They couldn’t see that coming? Now they have imprint with name and washing instructions that shows through shirt. And those plastic things that hold the labels and instructions that you have to cut off and one piece goes flying to who knows where.

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Teeth that are discolored, stained or dark can be caused by many different reasons. Some antibiotics taken when you were young can cause staining. Root canals or silver fillings can discolor teeth. Even fluoride can darken teeth. Teeth which were damaged in an accident can also be discolored. Teeth get darker as you get older. Your old dentures and partials also get stained and yellowed with time.

Our generation is concerned with appearance. Every person you see in the movies or on TV all have white teeth. All the world is a stage and we are all on display. White teeth make you feel and look better. Studies have indicated that between 50% and 80% of the population has a desire for whiter teeth. So it is surprising that the dental community has not gotten the message out that you can have brighter and whiter teeth just like the movie stars at affordable prices. What nature or environment took away, modern dentistry can correct.

Tooth whitening is a safe affordable way patients can rejuvenate their aging or discolored teeth. There have been over 700 hundred articles published confirming the safety of tooth whitening when performed by a dentist. The most up to date methods combine an in office whitening visit with a special custom tray to wear for about two weeks for two hours a day. Since the dentist fabricates a special tray to wear by tooth whitening patients, comfort has been improved. The new tooth whitening agents are what we called pH balanced to deal with those few patients that exhibited tooth sensitivity . Tooth whitening often motivates patients to undergo other necessary treatment that they have been putting off for years. There are over the counter tooth whitening kits available, but these kits do not have the special trays and pH balanced solutions necessary for healthy results without side effects. Also, when it comes to your health, let the expert treat your teeth. The dentist can also see if there are contraindications to whitening or that other techniques may be better suited for the patient. Tooth Whitening uses an oxidizing agent usually in a tray for 2 hours a day for about two weeks. We can jump start the process if the patients wants quicker results, but this can add to the cost of the process.

If your teeth are chipped, cracked, misshapen or spaced, another technique is available called bonding or porcelain lamination. These techniques can be done in as little as 1 to 2 visits with little or no drilling. These methods allow for a thin veneer of material, either composite or porcelain to go over your teeth.

Cosmetic dentistry is not expensive, but like most things worth getting, requires some expense and commitment. How more perfect you want your teeth to be needs to be discussed between you and your dentist.

The road to happiness and success is full of obstacles and if one can smooth it out by enhancing one’s own qualities then why not. Most dental offices like ours offer financial arraignments to ease the decision making process. Combining this with the proper information will make for a satisfied patient.

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Dental surgery procedures are varied and diverse. The one you need will be dictated by your condition and individual requirement.

Bonding: Bonding is the procedure you need for decayed, chipped or fractured teeth, as well for discolored teeth. The procedure is also useful for filling of gaps in the tooth. This is a procedure that can be carried out in the comfort of the dental office.

Braces: Defects in teeth alignment are corrected with the use of braces on the teeth needing to be aligned. These are used to exert a steady pressure on the teeth. This corrects the misaligned teeth. It usually takes a number of settings to slowly realign teeth.

Bridges and implants: A tooth that has gone missing due to decay or accident can be treated with bridges and implants. The difference between the two is that bridges are artificial teeth that are held in place by the surrounding dentures. The false tooth is placed between the supporting teeth and two crowns are placed it. Implants are the artificial roots used to support the supplemented tooth.

Crowning: When it comes to cracked teeth you need crowns or caps to cover and protect them. The crown covers the part of the tooth that is visible above the gum.

Dentures: When restorative and corrective measures cannot yield results, it becomes necessary to get dentures. These are prosthetics that are popularly known as false teeth. They can be partial dentures to replace a few teeth or a full set of dentures for the entire set of teeth.

Fillings and repairs: This procedure uses approved material to repair teeth damaged by due to cavities or through trauma. This is a restorative procedure that brings relief to patients.

Extractions: A severely damaged tooth needs to be removed totally. This is done through the procedure known as extraction. The damaged tooth is surgically taken out of its place.

Gum surgery: Gum disease affects both gums and the jaw. This is usually due to damaging infections. The two major stages of infection are gingivitis and periodontitis. The former is a mild infection but the latter is a serious condition and can only be treated with gum surgery.

Root canals: Root canalling is yet another procedure that is used to treat tooth ailments. It can treat both diseased and abscessed teeth. The procedure consists of opening the gum, cleaning and removing the dead and infected tissues. After cleaning the gap is filled and sealed.

Sealants: Dental sealants are applied to the upper surface of the teeth that is used for chewing. These act as a barrier to the bacteria that are likely to destroy the teeth in future.

Veneers: These are thin strips of resin ceramics and resin that are attached to teeth. They help to repair decayed, chipped and stained teeth.

The various procedures described are used to give your teeth a new look or to repair and restore them to health when they become diseased and traumatized.

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