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

Dental insurance will often cover the cost of dental sealants; however, this is dependent on the level of insurance you purchased.  Insurance benefits for sealant procedures have increased considerably, especially as companies start to realize that sealants are a proven preventive technique. You should check with your insurance company about coverage though and with your dentist to see how much they will cost.  Before you take up insurance on teeth, talk with your insurance agent as to if cover is provided for teeth sealant application.

“Making Medicare understandable and accessible in a friendly, feel-good way” is one of the goals of the newly launched website for California Health Advocates (CHA). “With close to 1,000 pages of quality and reliable Medicare information for consumers and professionals, we strive for a site that is both welcoming and easy for people to get their questions answered and equipped with helpful resources,” said Tatiana Fassieux, Board Chair for California Health Advocates.

CHA’s new website (cahealthadvocates.org) serves beneficiaries, their families and caregivers, and professionals

Children should receive sealants on permanent molars as soon as they erupt (about ages 6 and 12 years).  Children with unmet dental needs suffer the daily distraction of chronic toothaches, the acute and searing pain of dental abscesses, disfigured smile, dysfunctional speech, and difficulty eating.  Children with dental decay who lack access to dental care are often not brought to seek care until decay is severe.

Children are not stigmatized by being singled out during the screening and sealing process.  Children need dental sealants applied again when new molars emerge, usually around twelve years of age.  Children should get sealants on their permanent molars as soon as the teeth come in  before decay attacks the teeth.  Children who would benefit most from sealants include those with existing pits and fissures that may develop cavities or those with risk factors for cavities.  Children with sealants still should: Brush twice a day with a pea-size amount of fluoride toothpaste.

Tests useful for preclinical and clinical research on a genetic mutation related to autism and intellectual disability may become more available, reports The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics.

Fragile X syndrome, the most common heritable cause of intellectual disability and a frequent cause of autism, is characterized by abnormalities of the FMR1 gene that are difficult to analyze. Preclinical studies of Fragile X and the Fragile X””related disorders are hampered by the lack of low-cost and sensitive yet simple methods. National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers have now developed a set of assays that are robust, cheap enough for routine research use, and may be suitable for initial patient screening, according to a new report in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics.

Treatment is cost effective because sealing a tooth costs less than filling one.  The cost of dental sealants can range from approximately $25 to $50 per tooth.  Of course, this may be a small price to pay compared to the discomfort and cost associated with dental procedures that may become necessary if your teeth remain unprotected.

The cost of dental sealants varies with location and practice, but is considered inexpensive compared to repairs and fillings.  Dental sealants have been proven a safe and cost-efficient dental procedure.  Sealants cost less than getting a single cavity filled.

A growing body of literature describes how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has expanded health insurance coverage. What is less well known is how these coverage gains have affected populations that are at risk for high health spending. To investigate this issue, we used prescription transaction data for a panel of 6.7 million prescription drug users to compare changes in coverage, prescription fills, plan spending, and out-of-pocket spending before and after the implementation of the ACA’s coverage expansion. We found a 30 percent reduction in the proportion of this population that was uninsured in 2014 compared to 2013. Uninsured people who gained private coverage filled, on average, 28 percent more prescriptions and had 29 percent less out-of-pocket spending per prescription in 2014 compared to 2013. Those who gained Medicaid coverage had larger increases in fill rates (79 percent) and reductions in out-of-pocket spending per prescription (58 percent). People who gained coverage who had at least one of the chronic conditions detailed in our study saw larger decreases in out-of-pocket spending compared to those who did not have at least one condition. These results demonstrate that by reducing financial barriers to care, the ACA has increased treatment rates while reducing out-of-pocket spending, particularly for people with chronic conditions.

Even though most people know that regular dental check ups are important part of our oral health care, roughly 50% of adults in the United States still do not see a dentist on a yearly basis. The main reasons for that is do 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.

Dental sealants are thin plastic coatings that are applied to the grooves on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth to protect them from tooth decay.  Dental sealants are effective in preventing dental caries in the occlusal (chewing) and other pitted and fissured surfaces of the teeth.  Dental sealants were assessed in permanent molars (occlusal and buccal surfaces in lower molars and occlusal and lingual surfaces in upper molars), premolars (occlusal surface), and upper lateral incisors (lingual surface).

Dental sealants are highly effective in preventing dental caries that occur on the surfaces of teeth that have pits and fissures.  Dental sealants are usually applied in a dentist’s office.  Dental sealants last for 4-5 years and can easily be reapplied by your dentist when they do wear off.  Dental sealants represent one of the greatest, but least known advances, of modern dentistry.

Opioids are among the most commonly prescribed painkillers in the United States, and they are also the deadliest; each day, 78 Americans die from an opioid overdose. Now, scientists have developed a safer form of the drug, which they say could reduce the number of overdoses and combat addiction.

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 prevent dental abscessed but you do help to maintain over all wellness of your oral health.

Emphasize Preventive Dental Care

Most individual dental insurance plans tend to emphasize preventive dental care, because it lowers costs in the long-run caused by poor dental hygiene and lack of regular check-ups and cleanings.  Since obtaining an individual dental insurance plan is very affordable, many people choose to take responsibility for that coverage either as a stand-alone policy or as a supplement to their group dental coverage.

Our affordable individual dental insurance and vision plans offer access to trusted providers, dependable service, and a simple sign-up process.  The directory can be searched by state and you can select “individual” and get the list of just those companies that provide individual dental insurance in your state.

With legalization of marijuana increasing across the United States, there is more focus than ever on identifying the risks and benefits of the drug. A new study provides further insight, after finding men experience greater pain relief with marijuana use than women.

Study co-author Dr. Ziva Cooper, of the Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC), and colleagues report their findings in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

If you think you may have an abscessed tooth here are some of the signs and symptoms. 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

While many of us enjoy receiving a gift of a warm meal, a box of chocolates, or a joyful hug, we also all innately enjoy the gift of giving. There’s a special uplifting, warm and fulfilling feeling we receive when doing good, giving back, and making a difference. This notion of making a difference is the heart of the #GivingTuesday movement, a day each year dedicated solely to giving back. We at California Health Advocates are again participating in this year’s #GivingTues on November 29, 2016 and invite you to join us in this global movement of giving and doing good!

#GivingTuesday is held annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday to kick-off the holiday giving season and inspire people to collaborate in improving their local communities and to give back in impactful ways to the charities and causes they support.

Last year, more than 45,000 organizations in 71 countries came together to celebrate #GivingTuesday. Since its founding in 2012, #GivingTuesday has inspired giving around the world, resulting in greater donations, volunteer hours, and activities that bring about real change in communities. We invite you to join the movement and to help get out and give this November 29. And we invite you to give to California Health Advocates! Your gift supports our work in ensuring our elders and younger people on Medicare due to a disability enjoy wellbeing and peace of mind in understanding and navigating their health care needs, benefits and rights.

Make your tax-deductible donation today! Your gift is one that will keep on giving to the over 5.6 million Medicare beneficiaries and their families in our state.

Widely Adopted Private Insurance

Individual dental insurance is probably one of the most widely adopted private insurance types.  It is our pledge to provide individuals and families with the easiest way to compare and purchase affordable, quality family and individual dental insurance and discount protection.  Choose from a wide selection of family and individual dental insurance plans.

Even if you have dental insurance through your group health insurance plan or as a supplement to your individual health insurance, you should consider comparing the rates and coverage you currently receive against a stand-alone individual dental insurance plan.