If you are only bushing you teeth you are only doing half the job. Cleaning between your teeth every day can have a crucial impact on your oral health, which is why it is important to make sure you floss daily. If you have a tough time reaching certain parts of your mouth to floss, ask y our dentist about interdental brushes, floss aides or water or air flossing devices

Flossing your teeth should be a fundamental part of your at home dental care habit in order to keep your teeth and gums healthy. However, you only get the benefits of flossing when you do it right. Snapping and popping your way though the process probably does more harm then good, causing friction on your tissues 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 brake up plaque while leaving your gums in good shape

What is Share of Cost? “Share of Cost” is the amount you agree to pay for health care before Medi-Cal starts to pay. This is called “meeting your share of cost.” Your Share of Cost is a set amount based on how much money you make. You only need to meet your Share of Cost in the months that you get health care services.

If you think you may have an abscessed tooth here are some of the signs and symptoms. Note: if you have some of these symptoms you should see your dentist ASAP

• A toothache that is sever and continuous.
• A fever
• Pain when chewing
• Sensitivity to hot or cold foods or drinks
• Bitter taste in the mouth and foul breath
• Swollen neck glands
• Redness and swelling of your gums
• Swollen area of the upper or lower jaw
• An open, draining sore on the side of the gums.

Dental abscesses need to be treated by a dental professional ASAP as they can effect not only your dental health but your over all heath care.

it is important to know that regardless of your dental insurance plan it is u p to you to know your coverage’s and befits what is and what is not covered under the plan. Many people just assume that the dentist is only providing dental services based on what their insurance plans has to offer. This is not always true. In fact many dentist do not even know what their patients have for dental insurance. The dentist job is not to worry about your dental insurance but to provide the best dental care to their patients.

Whit that said it is up to you to let the front staffing know you wish to stay withing your plans covered benefits. if dental services are being suggested that is not part of your insurance plan covered benefits, you will want a good reason as why. Believe it or not most dentist are not trying to charge you for higher cost treatment. If it is not within your budget or you want to stay with in your plan coverage’s go over your options with your dentist at the time. Dentist are not mind readers. Many are more then happy to work with your plans limitations as much as possible as long as they are aware of them.

It is important to understand you dental insurance plan and to know what is covered and what may not be. There are dental insurance plans that have limitation such as yearly max dollar limits and deductibles. If it is a new dental insurance plan you may also have plan waiting periods. Dental insurance plans that do not have these types of limitations may have provider limitations making you stay within the plan network of dental providers.

Many plans may also limit the amount of one type of dental service you can have within the year. Common examples of this would be one set of X-rays per year, 2 basic cleaning (generally one every six months) However may times plans will limit the number of crowns you may be able to have such as five crowns per year

Another thing to keep in mind is that for the most part dentist do not base their decisions for treatment on what is or is not covered by your dental insurance plan. A dentist job is to be committed to taking care of your child’s teeth, not to worry about your dental insurance, so before dental services are render you should make sure you know what is covered by your plan and what is your cost. That way you avoid any surprises along the way

Question: I have a really good dental insurance plan. However, when I go to the dentist they bill me almost as much as my dental insurance company is paying. I never get any of my money back either. Some people tell me that the dental office I am going to seems to be dishonest where as other people say this is very typical and that dental work is very expensive. How would I know if the dental office is ripping me off or not. Should I just go to a different dental office?

Answer: It is hard to say without knowing the total cost of the services render and how your dentist is filing the claims. First I would suggest find out what your total cost are for you dental care services. How can you know what your true cost is, if you do not know the total billing amount. If you still believe the dentist is not correctly charging you, then call your insurance company to verify the facts. See what your insurance company as paid out. Sometimes they pay less then what your are thinking they did. If it shows that your dentist is over charging address the issue with the dental office first. Mistakes do happen and you want to at least clear up the matter with little hassle as possible.

Statistics reveal that one person dies every hour from oral cancer, and that number is increasing. However did you know that your dentist can help identify oral cancer early so treatment can begin fast to improve the prognosis. In addition people that have dental insurance are more likely to visit their dentist regularly. Make sure to see your dentist at least twice a year and to save money on your dental care needs make sure to have a good dental insurance plan.

Some families are considering alternative teeth whitening options instead of buying expensive commercial products. Some studies have suggested one can whiten their teeth buy combining 1 tablespoon of baking soda with 1/2 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide in a small glass of water while brushing the teeth for 5 minutes with the mixture. Make sure you thoroughly rinse and do not do this more than two times a month.

Question: I am over my income level by $10.00. I really do not want to spend more then I have to. I was told if I spend at least $10.00 on dental insurance this would help my SOC yet I only seeing dental insurance cost at a starting point of around $45.00 I looking a low cost plan cause I don’t have that much money to spend a month

Answer: With your budget in mind for a dental insurance plan, I would suggest reviewing our dental HMO insurance options as our HMO would fit into your budget we have dental HMO plans $12.95 which is over the $10.00 but not to much over. Please call our office (310-534-3444) it you like to get that started or if you have questions

What Are Fever Blisters ?

Fever blisters are fluid-filled blisters that commonly occur on the lips. They also can occur on the gums and roof of the mouth, however that is rare. Fever blisters can usually be painful. Pain may also precede the appearance of the lesion by a few days. The blisters rupture within hours, then crust over. Fever blister last about seven to ten days.

Drug use can have a negative impact on dental health as well as overall health. Patterns of oral health pathology attributed to methamphetamine users, for example, include rampant tooth decay, accelerated tooth wear, unexplained advanced gum disease, missing multiple teeth, and overall detrimental dental effects that are rapid and severe.

These patients also often seek cosmetic dental treatment, such as veneers and whitening, which give dentists another opportunity to discuss suspected substance misuse, provide referrals for treatment, and encourage cessation of drug misuse.

Acid reflux is a condition that occurs when acid from the stomach moves upward into the food pipe. The acid causes irritation of the tissue lining, which leads to heartburn – a burning sensation in the chest.

Acid reflux can also damage your teeth enamel leaving your teeth open to decay. If you regularly have Acid reflux make sure to not only speak to your doctor but let your dentist know so additional care can be provided

Heartburn that occurs more than twice a week can lead to a diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which can cause ulcers and permanent damage if left untreated. GERD also increases the risk of esophageal cancer.

Improving dental care though improving technology. 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 technology to take images of the mouth using blue light and special filters which can show up cavities and plaque

On ShareofCost.com you can learn about and buy an individual, couple and family dental insurance plans that fits your personal needs. Some of our dental insurance plans require you to stay within a network of dental care providers. Where as other of our dental plan options will let you choose your own dentist or go out side their provider list. The premiums may be a bit higher for this type of plan and you may have to pay more at the time of service depending on how your dentist files claims.

Today at least 5.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, and that number only continues to grow. A recent study conducted by the Rand Corporation revealed that by the year 2019, nearly 15 million Americans will be living with mild cognitive impairment, which could be an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease.

Currently, there are no disease-modifying treatments, but results from recent trials indicate there could be one or more therapies available as early as 2020. The federal government set a goal in 2012 to achieve prevention and disease-modifying treatment by 2025.