It has been suggested that breast-feeding over bottle-feeding is better for the overall health of your baby.  However with regards to early childhood cavities breast-feeding is no better or worse then bottle feeding both can cause dental decay in baby teeth if proper dental care is not taken.

To help prevent dental decay:  Avoid overnight feedings, letting your baby nurse at will can make milk pool in baby’s mouth which will cause acid to form contagiously throughout the night which can lead to tooth decay.  This is the same with bottles so avoid letting your child walk around with a baby bottle.   Whether you  are breast feeding or bottle feeding your baby, wipe your baby’s teeth and gums with a clean damp washcloth after feedings.

The ADA (American Dental Association) suggest that you encourage your child to drink from a cup by the time they reach their first birthday.  Dentist suggest that you should take  your child to their first dental appointment by the time they reach their first birthday.  We suggest having either dental insurance or a dental plan in force in order to help make going to the dentist more affordable.  And remember preventive dental care starts from home.

The dental plan decision making process is not an easy task when purchasing coverage for yourself, family, business, or your employees. There are many dental plan decisions to make. Such dental insurance decisions include considering a PPO (Preferred Provider Organizations), HMO (Health Maintenance Organization), dental indemnity insurance plans, and discount dental plans.

What is PPO Dental Insurance Plans?

PPO (Preferred Provider Organizations) is a network of dentist under contact with a dental insurance company which provides special rates on dental care; but the insured has an option to choose a dental care provider outside the network of dentists.

Generally the PPO dental insurance plans are higher premiums and there are claims forms to be completed by the dental client.

What is HMO Dental Insurance Plans?

HMO (Health Maintenance Organizations) are networks of dentist under contact with the dental insurance company that offer dental services at a pre-determined rate.

With the HMO dental insurance plan, you do not have the option to choose your own dentist. However, the HMO is usually less expensive.

What is Dental Indemnity Insurance Plans?

The dental indemnity insurance plans require the insured to pay the dentist of their choice directly, and the insured will be compensated or reimbursed by the insurance company after submitting a claims form.

What is Discount Dental Plans?

A discount dental plan provides discounted dental prices through a network of dentists but is not a dental insurance company and in not an insurance dental plan and is not regulated by the department of insurance.

Baby Bottle Tooth Decay or BBTD is cause by frequent and prolonged exposure to any liquids except plain water.  Liquids such as: Formula, milk any fruit juices or any liquids containing sugars. If these liquids pool around baby’s teeth and gums for a long period of time they will lead to  cavities that first develop in the upper and lower front teeth.  This normally happens when one leaves a baby with a baby bottle to sleep with or as a means of pacifying a baby from crying.

You should not let your baby fall asleep with a baby bottle filled with anything other then plain water, or use a pacifier.  See if your dentist has a pacifier they would recommend for you to use. If you are breast feeding try to avoid letting your child nurse continuously.  Also remember to wipe your baby’s teeth and gums with a clean damp washcloth after feedings.  BBTD is preventable with proper dental healthcare.  Ask your dentist of any more dental care tips for your child and make sure they have regular dental check ups.

Having good oral healthcare starts right from the beginning of your child’s life.   You need to take care of your child oral health even before their first teeth emerge. There are certain factors that may affect your child teeth appearance. Such as  tetracycline an antibiotic that can cause tooth discoloration.  This is something to beware of and should not be use by nursing mother or expectant mothers in the last half of pregnancy.

Baby teeth will normally start emerging around six months of age.  The standard brushing and flossing healthcare procedures are not required for infants.  Though infants do have special oral healthcare needs that that need to be met.  Parents should know about how to guard against baby bottle tooth decay.  Parents also need to take their child to see a dentist at the cutting of their first tooth or by the time they are one year old.  Prevention is the key so the sooner you start with proper dental care the better.

Michael Fulbright, DDS, co-founder of Aesthetic Edge in Redondo Beach, is among the first dentists in the nation to offer a new service that recovers and preserves powerful dental stem cells. Only recently have regenerative medical researchers looked to human teeth as ideal sources for stem cells, which are widely used in treating leukemia and heart disease.

Until now, stem cells could only be retrieved from umbilical cord blood, amniotic fluid and bone marrow    According to Fulbright, dental stem cells are found only in healthy teeth (those with a blood supply) such as wisdom teeth and those that must be pulled for orthodontic work. He said that young patients, in particular, are excellent candidates for banking their stem cells since they are usually undergoing such extractions.

Gum Disease Has Far-Reaching Consequences that many people either over look of feel it is not a  significant problem to address.  Even though many people may suffer from various forms of gum disease, few realize how their ailment can be perceived by others.

Dr. Alex Farnoosh  a Periodontist Specialist in Beverly Hills California states while gingivitis may not seem like a significant problem to many unsuspecting people, dental professionals all over the world agree that it is a serious complication and can lead to more overlooked issues that can impact a person’s health, well- being, and even happiness.   Beverly Hills periodontist Dr. Alex Farnoosh of The Total Smile, argues that gum disease can, and will if untreated, create unsightly cosmetic problems like discolored gums, bleeding around the gum line and eventually tooth loss.

Dentures should not be worn while sleeping to allow the gum tissue to rest and normal stimulation and cleaning by the tongue and saliva.

Remove and brush your dentures with a tooth brush and denture cleanser designed for dentures. When the dentures are not used, soak the dentures in a denture cleaner solution or in water.

Full or partial dentures replace your teeth when you have lost your natural teeth, from periodontal disease, tooth decay or injury. They will help your appearance and your health including support for facial muscles sag which makes a person look older. Dentures normally take one month and 4-5 appointments which include the initial exam, wax bite impressions, and final denture adjustments.

There are plenty of dental insurance plans that will cover dentures, but you need to plan ahead. Many but not all dental insurance plans have waiting periods from 6-18 months.

As an example: Replacing teeth with dentures is classified as major dental services. The average benefit is 50% co-insurance for your dentures. Dentures are covered by some dental discounts dental plans. Remember discount dental plans are not insurance dental plan.

The Use Of Twitter For Public Health Surveillance of Dental Care.

The micro blogging service Twitter and other social networks is a new means for the public to communicate their health concerns, as well as could afford health care professionals new ways to communicate with their patients.  Web sites such as Twitter and Facebook it is clear we are experiencing a revolution in communication and information sharing. Many dentist are using these social networks as a means of communication with their current patients and potential patients.

Question: Although I have been off drugs for a few years now, my teeth are really bad due to my prior drug usage.   I just broke a part of my back tooth off yesterday.  I have no money since I only have my part time fast food job, while I am taking a office job training classes.

I do not want to ask for help from my parents since I put them though a lot and I am now just showing how I can take care of myself. What can I do to get some dental help so that when I do start looking for an office clerk job I will have at least a half way better smile then what I do now.

Reply: You may want to look into any dental schools and on clinics that may be in your area. These types of places will normally base their charges on what you can afford to pay. Though you will need to ask them as they are all different.  Another option would be to look into getting a low cost dental HMO insurance plan that will at least help you with all your over all dental heath care needs at a much more budget friendly cost. Though note you may still need dental care that can be costly which may mean saving up for it before having it done.

Study are showing that women who want to have a baby should look after their oral health care. A fertility expert stated in a meeting in Sweden yesterday. During the meeting, delegates heard about preliminary research that found for the first time, from when she starts trying to conceive, a woman’s chances of falling pregnant can depend on how well she looks after her teeth and gums. A professor at the University of Western Australia in Perth Roger Hart, stated in the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Stockholm, that the effect of gum disease on conception is about the same order of magnitude as the effect of obesity.

Question: I am a 35 years old with big time dental fears.  When I was younger I had bad  teeth and had to go to the dentist all the time.  I hated it, and the dentist there was uncaring towards me.  As soon as I was no longer being force into going to the dentist I stop going all together.

I know I need to see a dentist but I am scared.  I just know whomever I get is going to be rude to me, and treat me badly for not taking care of my teeth.  My friend said this would not happen but it did in the past so that is all I know.  How do I ease my dental fear enough to be able to see a dentist and fix my teeth.

Reply:  Try calling around to the local dental office in your area tell them ahead of time that you have dental fears and would need a understanding dentist to address them with you.

Book your dental appointment during their slowest time of the day or week. Make sure you book enough time so that the dentist will have the necessary time needed to address your fears.

If the dentist does not know you have dental fears then you can not expect them to treat you softly. Now normally dentist are going to get on you a little about taking care of your teeth. That is their job try to understand to them it is not being rude at all.

Oral health deteriorates during hospitalization and is associated with an increased risk of hospital-acquired infections and reduced quality of life according to a new research study.  This Research published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology provides the latest evidence that oral health is being overlooked in hospitals, with potential serious consequences.  The research identified increases in plaque accumulation and gingival and mucosal inflammation. The findings were worst amongst patients who required help with their breathing.

With the ever increasing cost of dental care dental insurance is needed more then ever before.  If you comparison shop dental offices for just the preventive services, office visit, check ups, x-rays and basic cleaning without insurance you can see prices ranging from round $200 – $300 and higher.  That not even taking into account if you have to have other minor or major dental care issues that need to be address.

Yet with most dental insurance plan they provide preventive services at little or no cost to you.  Studies suggest that people who have dental insurance are more likely make and keep their regular dental visits there by reducing their risk of having to have larger more costly dental care services.

Improving technology to improve dental care.   A team of scientists from the University of Liverpool has won an award for developing a device that can identify early tooth decay and plaque before it is visible to the human eye.

The innovation, iDENTifi, comprises a clinical digital camera which incorporates Qualitative Light Induced Fluorescence (QLF) technology to take images of the mouth using blue light and special filters which can show up cavities and plaque.

Question: My daughter has three baby teeth that need be pulled.   I can see the adult teeth starting to come in and the baby teeth are all lose but they are not coming out on their own like they should.   I do not have what it takes to pull them out so I am going to take her to the dentist.

My question under my dental insurance plan how do I know what tooth extraction it would be.  I thinking it should be the cheaper ones since they should be able to just pull them out.  How can I confirm so I do not go in thinking it is one thing then get hit by a much larger bill.

Answer: Since dental insurance plans are different you would want to confirm with your insurance plan member service line. Generally speaking it will fall under a simple extraction or ADA codes 7111 – 7210.  You could have your dentist tell you the ADA codes for the dental work needed then before having the work done, then call your dental insurance company to find out what your cost is for that code.

Gene Combination Identified As Risk Factor In Success Of Dental Implants.  The health of the your surrounding tissue  and gums affects the success of a dental implant. Therefore identifying and reducing the risk factors is a key step in the implant process. Now a combination of genes has been identified as a possible indicator of greater tissue destruction leading to negative outcomes for implants.  A the article in the current issue of the Journal of Oral Implantology, it reports on a study of individuals with the combination of interleukin (IL)-1 allele 2 at IL-1A-889 and IL-1B+3954. These people are “genotype positive” and are susceptible to increased periodontal tissue destruction.

Question: I am 16 and I really need braces since I have crooked and somewhat gap teeth.  I really hate my teeth but my mom does not get dental insurance though work and says she can not afford to get me braces.I thought there would be special dental plans for minors that come from a low income household.   Where are they so I can get my mom to let me have the braces I need.

Reply: You may want to research dental schools and dental clinics to see if you can get braces there. They are normally much cheaper then just going to an orthodontic dentist.  You may also want to review dental HMOs insurance plans and or dental discount plans has these plans to help make orthodontic services more affordable

Yet with that said, it is hard to say though what your mom can and can not afford. Even if go can get braces at a lower cost. Therefore you may want to keep that in mind too.