If a child’s teeth looks yellow or orange, The odds are they are not being cleaned thoroughly and have plaque build-up that is stained with food debris. If this is the case usually the stains can be removed by brushing the child teeth with a little bit of adult toothpaste or baking soda and water. Even though stains do not necessarily indicate tooth decay, plaque build-up on teeth can cause gum disease. Therefore seeing a dentist for a proper check up and cleaning would be advised.

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It is important to understand that regardless of your dental insurance plan it is up to you to know your coverage’s and what is and what is not covered. Many people just assume that the dentist is only providing dental services based on what their plan offers. 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 insurance but to provide the best dental care to patients.

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Although tooth loss has decreased over the last four decades, US adults with diabetes lose twice as many teeth as adults without diabetes, according to a new study by researchers at Duke University. Moreover, the researchers found that black Americans with diabetes are at greater risk of experiencing tooth loss as they age than white or Mexican Americans with diabetes.

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It is a good idea to get a pre-treatment estimate from the insurance company, if your dental care will be extensive. You may want to ask your dentist to complete and submit a request for a cost estimate, sometimes called a pre-treatment estimate. This will allow you to know in advance what procedures are covered, the amount the benefit plan will pay toward treatment and your financial responsibility. However it is important to note that a pre-treatment estimate is not a guarantee of payment. When the services are complete and a claim is received for payment, the insurance company will calculate payment based on your current eligibility, amount remaining in your annual maximum and any deductible requirements.

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Unless you have a dental HMO plan where most dental services are based on a fee schedule that lays out your cost for the different dental services, (therefore avoiding the claims filling process) you are having to fill out claims forms. Knowing your cost for dental services can be difficult since most PPO and Indemnity plans pay claims based on a percentage up to UCR (Usual, Customary & Reasonable) rates. Your dentist may provide you an estimate based on your plan stated coverage’s but there is no guarantees that will be your total cost.

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Many PPO and Indemity insurance plan will have a specific dollar deductible.  During a benefit period,(normally per calender year) you personally will have to satisfy a portion of your dental bill before your benefit plan will contribute to your cost of dental treatment. Your plan information will describe how your deductible works. Plans do vary on this point. For instance, some dental plans will apply the deductible to diagnostic or preventive treatments, and others will not.

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It is important to understand your dental insurance plan and to know what is covered and what may not be. There are dental insurance plans that have limitations such as yearly max dollar limits and deductibles. If it a new plan you may also have plan waiting periods. Other 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 with in the year.

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You should schedule a regular dental exams for your baby. The American Dental Association recommends that Baby get his first dental exam at age One, but most pediatricians agree that the first visit can wait until age two, as long as you practice good home care.  If you take good care of this first set of pearly whites, you can establish good dental habits for years to come.

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Even though your baby is not using a fluoride toothpaste, he/she should get enough fluoride (Fluride is important for preventing tooth decay) from drinking tap water. Most communal water supplies have it added just for this beneficial purpose. Ask your dentist about fluoride supplements. Your baby can take once he/she’s six months old if your tap water is not fluoridated or your child does not drink any tap water.

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Annual Maximums Limitations: Maximum limiations are normally found in your dental PPO and Indemily dental insuance plans. This is the maximum dollar amount a dental insurance plan will pay toward the cost of dental care within a specific benefit period (usually January through December or one calender year). The patient is personally responsible for paying costs above the annual maximum. Consult your dental insurance plan booklet for specific information about your plan.

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You will want to start using a toothbrush with paste at around age two. Begin using a pea-size amount of non-fluoride toothpaste once Baby is about two. Wait until at least three, when your child is old enough not to swallow the toothpaste, before introducing the fluoride kind.

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Did you know that most infant foods easily wash off Baby’s teeth with just a drink of water after meals. But it is good to introduce a toothbrush as soon as possible, so baby can get used to having it in his/her mouth. You probably will not need to use the brush to actually clean Baby’s teeth until he/she’s eating only table foods (and has a significant number of teeth), at around 18 months. However, you will want to gently clean your child’s teeth with a toothbrush or thimble-like cleaner and some bicarbonate of soda if your toddler has eaten sticky, sugary foods.

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With dental PPO plans they will normally have a yearly maximum limitation per person per calendar year.  That maximum limitation dose not roll over like phone minutes.   If you have a plan that provides a $2000 maximum limitation but don’t use it or  only use say $1000.00 next year the limitation is set at $2000.00 not $4000.00 or $3000.00 there for it is a use it or lose it type of thing.

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