Dental Health Care a Forgotten New Year Resolution. 

At the start of each year, many people make new resolutions hoping to change or do something for the better in the following year. Whether it is to lose a few unwanted pounds, eat better, exercise, and get into a healthier shape, many people focus on healthcare issues for the up upcoming. However, one resolution that is often forgotten is dental care. Even though many studies have shown that better care of your oral and dental health positively impacts your overall health care, give dental and oral health care a thought when planning out your new year’s resolutions and how you want to help improve your general health care for the following year.

Homeopathic Teething Remedies Are They Safe?

While some parents may swear by homeopathic teething drops and tablets, many pediatricians claim that the risks of homeopathic treatments far outweigh any potential benefits. While the US FDA requires homeopathic remedies to meet specific standards for strength, purity, and packaging, they’re not rigorously tested for safety and effectiveness the way prescription and over-the-counter medications are. Therefore before using a homeopathic remedy, one should check with your child’s doctor or the FDA, which has recalled certain homeopathic products due to safety concerns.

Teething remedies that help to treat teething pain. 

Teething is something all babies generally go through within their first year. For some, the teething process is not too difficult, but for other babies, teething can be a painful experience. Here are some teething remedies that may help your baby through its teething process. For teething use, cold things such as a wet washcloth in a plastic bag and chill it in the freezer for an hour or so. You can also soak the washcloth in chamomile tea before freezing, which will help calm fussy babies as well as help them sleep. You can also refrigerate pacifiers or teething rings. However, you do not want to freeze these things since they are too hard when frozen and can damage baby gums. Chewing on a room-temperature teething ring may work if your baby does not like cold items. There are also teething rings that vibrate, and many babies like the feel of the vibration on their gums.

Baby Teeth and Keeping your child’s Teeth Healthy. 

By the time your child is one year old, they should have had their first dental appointment. Even babies can have dental decay when parents do not practice good oral health habits with their children. Baby teeth are no different from adult teeth. Brushing and flossing is a daily habit that needs to be maintained for good oral health care. Talk to your pediatric dentist for instructions if you need help with how to brush or floss your child’s teeth.

Dental Problems Caused by Smoking. 

Most people know that smoking is terrible for your overall health and can cause many health-related problems. However, smoking is also a significant contributor to many dental problems. Here are some dental issues that are associated with smoking or using tobacco.  

• Gum disease
• Receding gums
• Stained and discolored teeth
• Tooth loss due to gums disease
• Bad breath
• Tartar build-up, which can lead to tooth decay
• Oral cancer. 

One should quit smoking to avoid the oral and dental problems associated with smoking and many health problems. However, if you are a smoker who is not stopping, then make sure to see your dentist at least twice a year and more if advised by your dentist.

Why is Brushing the Tongue Important?

Your tongue is a breeding ground for bacteria. Bacteria live on the tongue and contribute to bad breath. Therefore, if you brush your teeth but neglect the tongue, you only do half the job of removing the bacteria in your mouth. Bacteria can also cause bad breath issues. So remember to brush your whole mouth, teeth, gums, and tongue.

Brushing your Teeth and your Tongue. 

Most people know to brush their teeth at least twice daily for good oral health care habits. Flossing is also an at-home dental health habit that most people know to do. However, remember your tongue. While brushing your teeth, you should gently go over your tongue. This help gets rid of bacteria that are on your tongue. By brushing your tongue, you also help control any lousy breath odor.

Fighting Bad Breath in Teens. 

Although bad breath can affect anyone at any age, for teenagers, it can be challenging to deal with since they are at a time when they rely heavily on how others may perceive them. Poor oral hygiene can be a primary cause of bad breath issues, but it is not the only factor. Many teens need access to regular dental check-ups and must see a dentist at least twice a year. Going beyond oral hygiene habits to address other reasons for bad breath, you want to look at the foods a teen may be eating. Strong and spicy food can cause bad breath, as well as dairy products. Other reasons for bad breath include gum disease, cavities (tooth decay), and health issues such as acid reflux and upset stomach. If you rule out dental problems, check with a doctor to see if the cause of your bad breath is a medical issue.

According to a recent study, a dentist may be able to Fill in the Health Care Gap. 

Almost 20 million Americans see a dentist at least once a year but do not see a doctor or any other general health care provider. This suggests that a dentist could screen these people for systemic health disorders, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease, a new study says.

A Dentist Can Creates Healthy, Confident Smiles. 

Many of us do not have the whitest smile or the perfect teeth we may want, which makes it harder for us to smile freely without worrying if our teeth are not making the impression we may like. Receiving the dental care needed to fit our smiles can sometimes be out of reach. However, it does not have to be. Here are a few tips that may help you receive affordable dental care. First, find an affordable dental plan. Many good HMO dental plans are low-cost and offer affordable coverage. Even dental discount plans are low in cost and help lower your dental care cost. Try to find a dentist willing to work out a payment plan if needed. When shopping, dentists check to see if they have a website for their practice. Not only will their website tell you more about the dental practice, but they often offer saving on the website that they do not offer directly.

A Periodontist specializes in the dental prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of periodontal disease (gum-related diseases). If you have advanced gum disease, finding a periodontist to partner with for treatment is a good idea.

Some types of dental services they provide include Gum Graft Surgery, Regenerative Procedures, Dental Crown Lengthening, and Periodontal Pocket Procedures.

Functional Dentist addresses the root cause of disease rather than simply treating symptoms and promoting an all-body approach to dental health, recognizing that the mouth’s health reflects your overall health. A functional dentist aims to use non-toxic, or the least toxic available, materials when treating dental issues. Functional dentistry encompasses holistic, integrative, biological, and natural dentists.

If your dentist is not a provider of your current PPO insurance plan, here is a tip that may save you some money on your dental care cost.

Ask your dental insurance company for the “in-network fee schedule.” That fee schedule normalizes every dental billing code and how much they agree to make from the insurance company for those codes. Many dental offices are willing to accept this, which means you will pay similar prices with your existing dentist as you would by switching to an in-network provider of the plan.

Can Wisdom Teeth be the Winning Lotto Ticket in Your Child’s Mouth?

 A study suggests that the early prophylactic removal of developing third molars (wisdom teeth) can avoid future surgical problems and expenses. The developing tooth bud can supply valuable pluripotent stem cells that may be used to treat diabetes and liver disease or for anti-aging or regenerative medicine. The surgical removal of wisdom teeth has risks, including a 6% chance of permanent numbness of the tongue, lip, gums, or teeth. There is also significant discomfort during or following the procedure. However, compared to the removal of the developing tooth germ or tooth bud is a low-risk procedure that is done with minimal trauma or post-op complications. Also, more importantly, this developing tooth bud is an ideal source of powerful multi or pluripotent stem cells.

How Often Should Your Child Visit the Dentist? 

Once your baby’s first teeth erupt, you have taken them for that all-important first dental visit. How often your child should see a dentist can depend on the child. Some children are more prone to tooth decay than others. Those children that quickly get dental decay may need to see the dentist more than the standard check-up twice a year. Talk over your child’s dental needs with your dentist. Have a complete understanding of the suggested dental care and know what you can do from home to keep your child’s teeth and gums healthy.

Steps in Having Orthodontic Treatment. 

Although orthodontic treatment is customized to meet each person’s unique needs, the steps necessary for treatment remain pretty standard. First, there is Diagnostic and Treatment Planning. The diagnostic is where the orthodontic dentist will make a diagnosis to determine the most effective way to treat your bite issue. The next step is Active Treatment. Once treatment is determined, your active treatment will begin, including attaching the appliance or customizing aligner trays for invisible braces. You will return to your orthodontist’s office several times during this step for adjustments or new trays. Then the last step is Retention. Once your teeth have been realigned, you will require a retainer to ensure they do not shift back into their previous position.

Bone Creating Protein is More Effective than Bone Grafting in Dental Implants. 

A bone-creating protein has been found to be more effective than bone grafting in dental implants. Some people that get dental implants may have either not enough bone or bone that is too thin to hold the dental implant. When that happens, the current solution is to do a bone graft to anchor in the permanent prosthetic teeth. However, that technique can be problematic because it involves additional surgeries to harvest the bone. Studies at the GHSU Laboratory for Applied Periodontal & Craniofacial Regeneration found that by implanting bone morphogenetic protein in the sinus, more new bone will form within four weeks than conventional bone grafting at the same site.

In a Dental Insurance policy, what is Lifetime Maximum?

A Lifetime Maximum is the maximum amount the dental insurance plan will pay throughout a lifetime. It may apply to an individual or a family and typically to specific treatments such as orthodontic treatment.

Don’t Loss Your Teeth to Periodontal Disease. 

Periodontal disease claims more teeth than tooth decay. However, with proper preventive dental care at home and good oral habits, you can reduce your chances of having periodontal disease. Healthy dental care habits are critical in preventing gum disease. Regular and effective tooth brushing, Using a tartar control mouthwash, and daily flossing are the first at-home steps to good oral health. Good dietary habits also help to keep healthy teeth and gums. Reduce the intake of sugar. You can avoid snacks and drinks with sugar other than natural sugars in fruits and vegetables. When eating food that has added sugars, you will want to follow up by brushing your teeth. Smoking plays can cause chronic periodontal disease. So for smokers, quitting is one of the most important steps toward regaining periodontal health.

What is Dual Coverage concerning dental insurance?

Dual Coverage is when a member has coverage under two different dental insurance plans. Primary and secondary carriers must coordinate the two insurance plans.