Tooth decay is one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide. According to studies, genetics may be a factor in cavity formation. A new study in the Journal of Clinical Investigation reveals that keratins, proteins associated with strong hair, are essential for tooth enamel integrity. Maria Morasso and colleagues at the National Institutes of Health found that individuals with mutations in hair keratin genes are prone to cavities. Tooth enamel from individuals with keratin mutations had abnormal structures that resulted in weakness. The results from this study reveal a link between hair disorders and cavity formation.

What are Keratin Proteins?

Keratins are a group of tough, fibrous proteins that are the key structural component of animal hair, nails, feathers, hooves, and horns. In humans, keratins are also found in the outermost layer of the skin, called the epidermis, and in tooth enamel. These proteins provide strength and protection to various structures in the body.

It is becoming common practice to charge for missed or broken appointments. Many dental offices will charge you a fee if you need to remember or break a dental appointment without giving advance notice. Typically, around 48 – 24 hours’ notice is required for changing or missing your dental appointment. The fee for this depends on the office, so ask the dental office what they charge for missed appointments because it is also essential to note that most insurance companies will not cover this type of charge.

Why do Dentist Charge for Missing Dental Appointments?

Dentists charge for missing appointments because when a patient misses an appointment, it creates an empty slot in the schedule that could have been used for another patient. When you do not show up for your appointment without advance notice (generally 24 hours), it means that the dentist loses potential income from that empty slot, and they still have to pay for the costs associated with running their practice, such as rent, utilities, and staff salaries. By charging for missed appointments, dentists can help ensure that their schedules stay full and that they can continue to provide quality care to their patients. Additionally, charging for missed appointments can encourage patients to be more responsible and respectful of the dentist’s time.

When searching for a new dentist, know their business hours and how they deal with dental emergencies. You want to confirm their business hours because you are more likely to create and maintain regular dental visits when the practice has hours that work around your time frame. Someone taking time off from work will tend to put off their dental care. Check if the dental office is open on a Saturday or if they provide later hours during the week. In cases of emergencies, know what their practice is. Will they take a walk-in or get you in that same day or the next in case of an emergency? Knowing this ahead of time will help you choose a dental provider that is best for you and your needs.

Additional Tips: When searching for a new dentist, consider the following:

1. Check if they accept your insurance: Find out if the dental office accepts your insurance plan and if they are in-network. Checking can help you avoid unexpected costs and save money.
2. Look for experience and qualifications: Checking the dentist’s experience can help ensure you receive quality dental care. You can also check if the dental office is affiliated with professional associations or organizations.
3. Visit the dental office: Schedule a visit before you make an appointment. This can help you get a feel for the office environment, meet the staff, and ask any questions you may have.
4. Consider the location: Choose a dental office that is conveniently located and easily accessible to you. A dental office near you can help ensure you make it to your appointments on time and avoid missing any essential dental care.

Many people think mouth rinse, and mouthwash are the same, but that would be wrong. Mouthwash: Mouthwash is used to help freshen your breath. Mouth Rinse: An antiseptic mouth rinse, however, will help reduce plaque’s bacterial load. Using a mouth rinse will help prevent plaque build-up more than just brushing and flossing alone.

If you only brush your teeth, you do only half the job. Cleaning between your teeth daily can have a crucial impact on oral health, so making sure and flossing daily is essential. If you have difficulty reaching certain parts of your mouth to floss, ask your dentist about interdental brushes, floss aides, or water or air-flossing devices.

A way to avoid having expensive dental visits is by having good at-home dental habits. One of the first dental care habits we think of is brushing our teeth. Brushing our teeth once a day is good, but the American Dental Association says to brush twice daily. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. Brushing twice daily helps prevent plaque from forming in the first place and disrupts any plaque that has already started to develop. When brushing your teeth, you want to ensure you get to all the areas of your mouth with your toothbrush, including teeth, gums, tongue, and the insides of your cheeks. The process should take about 2 minutes.

Flossing is a fundamental part of your at-home dental habit to clean your teeth and gums. However, you only benefit from flossing when you do it right. Snapping and popping your way through the process does more harm than good, causing friction on tissue and damage at the gum line. Instead, use about two inches of floss between your fingers; unroll a fresh section of floss for each tooth and keep the floss tight against your tooth to break up plaque while leaving your gums in good shape.

Even though most people know that regular dental checkups are essential to our oral health care, roughly 50% of adults in the United States still do not see a dentist every year—the main reasons for that are due to “dentist-phobia,” finances, or just plain neglect. If you are part of the 50% that is prone to ditching the dentist, keep in mind that by having regular trips to the dentist, your dentist can catch problems such as tooth decay, gum disease, trauma, or cancer at an early stage when they are treatable, and treatments are more affordable.

Well, like with many dental issues, how to prevent them is by having good oral hygiene habits. And see your dentist regularly as often as advised. By doing this, you not only help to avoid dental abscessed but you do help to maintain the overall wellness of your oral health.

The Signs and Symptoms of an Abscessed Tooth

Here are some signs and symptoms if you have an abscessed tooth. If you have some of these symptoms, you should see your dentist ASAP

1) A toothache that is severe and continuous.
2) A Fever
3) Pain when chewing
4) Sensitivity to hot or cold food and or drinks
5) Bitter taste in the mouth and foul breath
6) Swollen neck glands
7) Redness and swelling of the gums
8) Swollen area of the upper or lower jaw
9) An open, draining sore on the side of the gum

Question: I am unsure, but I may have an abscessed tooth. I do not currently have dental insurance, and with the cost of dental care, I have been putting off going to the dentist because I do not have the money for treatment. I don’t know what to do, but I have some pain issues now.  

Answer: Sadly, deferring dental care is never a good idea since, as you can see, it generally only leads to more extensive and, yes, more costly dental care treatment. Yet you still have some options left to you.  

1) you can buy a low-cost dental discount plan. Discount plans run around $10.00 a month. These plans will help reduce your dental care cost at plan providers. They also usually are effective the next business day, which is essential since you should see a dentist right away before your infection starts to spread and cause not only oral health issues but overall health problems. 

2) You can buy a lower-cost HMO insurance plan, like a discount plan. You will need to go to plan providers, but they usually will not have any plan waiting periods, which is what you will want. However, generally, HMOs become effective on the 1st of the following month. Though they all have different cut-off dates, make sure you know before buying the effective date so you can make a dental appointment immediately.  

3) You can see about going to a dental school. If you have any local dental schools near you, this is an excellent way to get much lower-cost dental care. However, you may not be able to get in the right way, so that is something you will need to look into. 

4) See if there are any dental clinics near you. Generally, dental clinics provide their dental treatment services at a lower cost. Sometimes their prices are based on what you can afford to pay.

Abscessed Tooth: An abscessed tooth is usually a painful infection at the root of a tooth or between the gum and a tooth, most commonly caused by severe tooth decay. However, other causes include tooth trauma, such as broken or chipped or gingivitis/gum disease. These problems can cause openings in the tooth enamel, allowing bacteria to infect the tooth pulp (the tooth’s center). The infection may also spread from the tooth’s root to the bones supporting the tooth. If you think you may have an abscessed tooth, you must see a dentist right away. Untreated dental abscesses are painful and can lead to more significant health issues.

According to the American Dental Association, over half of Americans go to the dentist once every six months. Many view the “go to the dentist twice a year” mantra as written in stone. Yet is that the case? How many times you need to see a dentist in a year depends on your oral health care. Some people have excellent oral health care habits and good genes that they may only have to see a dentist once a year.

At the same time, other people may not be so lucky. With gum disease being the number one dental care issue in America, people with gum disease may have to see a dentist three to four times a year. Your dentist will be able to best advise you on just how often you should come in each year; they will go over your oral health and your at-home dental care habits to help determine what is best for you.

Having good oral health will save you money.

The cost of dental care is only getting higher. What is worse is many employers do not offer dental insurance benefits. Sadly many people answer to dental care costs by putting off going to the dentist until there is a more extensive dental care need. However, that is the worst thing you can do.

Problems with your teeth and gums are not only expensive, but they can also cause other more severe health problems. That is because bacteria in the mouth can travel and cause inflammation in other parts of the body, resulting in other illnesses. In addition, the longer you leave dental problems alone, the costlier they can become to fix. What begins as a tiny cavity ends in an expensive root canal or total tooth loss. Yet it does not have to be that way.

By seeing your dentist at least twice a year for your twice-a-year checkups and cleaning, you help avoid more extensive dental care needs since your dentist can spot and fix minor dental issues before they become more significant.

You can also save money on dental care needs by being proactive with your at-home oral health care habits. Make sure to brush your teeth twice and floss daily as needed. Use a mouthwash that helps to kill the bacteria that cause tartar buildup and gum disease. The better you take care of your teeth and gums, the less likely you will need to have more extensive and costly dental care services.

If you have dental insurance, ensure your dental insurance plan provides coverage for second opinions. Not all dental insurance plans offer benefits for a second opinion, whereas some may require a second opinion from a specialist before giving benefits for the dental service needed. Call your insurance provider so you know the steps necessary for receiving a second dental opinion.

We have been discussing the benefits of getting a second opinion on dental care. In many cases, a person wants a second opinion when they lack confidence in the dentist and has doubts about how best to treat their dental condition. However, in some situations, the dentist suggests getting a second opinion from a dental specialist to obtain additional information about a dental problem.

Yet there are times when second opinions are not helpful, such as when they become a fourth, fifth, sixth opinion, or more. If you find yourself doing this, then stop and think. Are you getting so many different opinions because you hope to hear a different answer than what the last five dentists have told you? If you keep hearing the same thing from each dentist but hope to hear something different, it may not be in your best interest when you finally hear what you want from the sixth or seventh dentist.

After receiving a second dental opinion, it is essential to consider the different perspectives of your dental care providers as you weigh your options. Some things you may want to think about:  

• Your current dentist is familiar with your dental health history and has hopefully established a good relationship with you. 
• In contrast, a new dentist may have the advantage of a fresh outlook.  
• If the second opinion differs vastly from the first one, you may even want to get a third one. 
• Only make significant decisions about your dental health once you are comfortable with the care and information you have received.

Once you decide to see another dentist for a second opinion, it is a good idea to be prepared by having thought out some questions to ask that will help you make a more informed choice on your dental treatment options. Consider asking some of these questions to get you started. 

• Do you agree with my other dentist’s diagnosis and treatment plan? 
• What treatment options do you suggest for my dental problem?  
• How much will each option cost me? 
• What will happen if I delay some dental services until I can pay for the recommended treatment? 
• How will each treatment option improve my dental health?
• What will happen if I choose not to treat the problem? 
• How long will the treatment benefits last? 
• Will I need future dental treatments?

When should you get a second dental opinion?

In a prior post, we discussed how if you feel like you should get a second dental opinion on dental treatment, you probably should. After all getting a second opinion may also provide peace of mind about the dental services needed. However, getting a second option for every little cavity or other minor dental health care issues may not make sense. Here are a few reasons you may want to seek a second opinion.  

• Your dentist has diagnosed a significant dental care problem, such as oral cancer. 
• Your dentist has provided dental work but still needs to fix your problem. 
• You are still determining if the recommended treatment is necessary or if you are concerned about costs. 
• You feel your dentist is not qualified to treat your major dental health problems. 
• If you need to have a better rapport with your current dentist.

Should you get a second opinion on dental work?

You may benefit from getting a second opinion on major dental work. If your dentist advises major dental work and you want a second opinion about your dental health, it probably means you should. You really can not go wrong with seeking out a second opinion. You should remember that not all dentists address dental issues the same way. Therefore, getting a second opinion does not mean one dentist is right and one is wrong, but it affords you more options for addressing your dental care.