Reply: I have not been in to see the dentist for a very long time.  I never had any dental insurance and I work on and off when I can so I do not have a lot of money.  I have been dealing with one of my teeth that hurts on and off.   Only within the last two weeks or so it really hurts more often and I am not sure what to do about it.  I can not afford to see a dentist so how can I make this  pain stop?

Answer: I can understand having very little money so I am not making light of what you stated. However, there are dental insurance plans that are as low a 7.95 a month depending on were you live.  I think it would be worth it to you to at least check them out and into getting one for your dental needs. Having to deal with bad teeth and not go to a dentist is not good for you over all health and well being.

Question: I am in need of dental insurance since I have not been to the dentist for a little over a year now.  I called some local dentist in the phone book and was told not to get a dental HMO plan if I was going to get dental insurance first.    Why do they say that? What is a dental HMO plan and what is so bad about them that three dentist tell me not to get an HMO plan.   The few PPO plans I have seen on line are really pricey.  Are HMO cheaper or more expensive?   I can not go to a dentist without getting some type of plan first.

Answer: I can not speak for the dentist that told you that but my best guess would be, because they do not accept dental HMO plans.  HMO dental insurance plans are good low cost dental plans, however they are net work plans only. Which means you have to go to plan dentists.  I would say review the HMO plans that are available to you and then call the dentist in their network to choose a provider that in the plan you may want.

I do not have the money to get my teeth whiten by the dentist so I was thinking of using Crest whiten strips.   I never use whiten strips before so I would like to know, are they hard to use?  Like do the strips stay in place or are you having to mess with them all the time just to whiten your teeth.  Do the strips really work like they show them to?  How long do you use the strip for?

Answer: Crest whitening strips are really easy to use and they do stay in place with out making any type of mess.  They will help to whiten you teeth but not as good as having they whiten by your dentist.  I would suggest that you carefully follow the direction that are provided when using the whitening strips.

Question: I am 70 years of age.  My teeth are all in good shape and I take very good care of them.  So why is it that when I am looking for dental insurance plans many of the ones I have come across are more expensive in their monthly premium for people who are over age 65.  Not only are they more expensive,  but also offer less coverage’s.  This does not seem fair to me by any means.  Why should I have to pay more and get less.  I know people that are in their thirties that have really bad teeth and need much more dental work done, then I have ever had to have in my 70 years of living. 

Reply: I do agree with you however there are some dental insurance plans generally PPO’s that do have different rates for member older then 65 and sometime different coverage’s as well. Much like Medical or Health insurance does.  However not all dental plans do this most of your HMO dental insurance plan are not typically age rated so you may want to look in that direction when picking a dental insurance plan.  Also there are still many PPO’s plans that are not age rated or based but read PPO’s plans terms and conditions not only to confirm this but to know what limitations they may still have.

The old saying “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is never been more truer in regards to dentistry.  Preventative dentistry is relatively easy, quick, and inexpensive.  Preventive dental care first starts from home with brushing, flossing and eating a well.   By taking care of your dental health and having good dental habits you will be able to avoid larger dental issues.  However preventive dental care does not stop there.  Seeing a dentist for your twice a year check ups  is  also an important part of  your dental care health.  Only a dentist can catch small issues and correct them before larger dental care is needed.

When you combine having good oral health care habits with dental insurance,  preventive dental care cost is more affordable.  Many dental insurance plans want their insured’s to have preventive care services. Therefore preventive care is normally free to very low in cost to their members.

Question: Why do dental insurance plans have waiting periods and dollars max limits?  I am not sure I understand the reasoning behind making me buy a plan but not offering me the coverage I need for a year or sometimes longer.  Then if I do put up with that I get maxed out with a yearly limit amount.  Seems to me only the insurance company benefits from this and not the person buying the plan.  So if any one can explain how buying dental insurance really helps you with your dental costs. 

Reply: First it important to note not all dental insurance plans have such limitations.  You may want to look at HMO dental insurance plans. Normally HMO dental insurance plan do not have waiting periods or max limitations. 

However to answer your questions it seems as if you are reviewing  dental PPO plans or Indemnity insurance plans.  PPO and Indemnity dental insurance plans will normally have the limitations you spoke about.  They do this in order to pay for higher more costly dental services in the future.  One main benefit of these types of plans is that you are able to stay with or choose your own dentist which is important to many people.

Social Consequences Associated with Gum Disease:  Gum disease has far reaching consequences that sadly many people either over look or feel it is not a significant problem needed to be address.

Even though many people are currently suffer from various forms of gum disease, few realize how their ailment can be perceived by others. Untreated gum disease can and will create unsightly cosmetic problems like discolored gums, bleeding around the gum line and eventually tooth loss

Gum disease is a serious complication that can lead to more overlooked issues which can impact a person’s health and well being as well as even happiness.

Question:   I am in need of having my back tooth fixed since I broke it about a week ago, I am in a lot of pain.  I did call a few dental offices for an idea of cost but since they all state I would need X-rays and  a oral exam before even fixing the tooth the dental cost becomes to high for me.   Where do I find low cost dentist?  

Reply: Since you have a current toothache to deal with putting it off even more would not be the best idea. I suggest you look into getting a dental discount plan which will help off set your dental cost and make getting your tooth fixed more affordable.  You can also look into if there are any dental clinics or school in your area. Dental school and or clinics are normally much cheaper then your regular dentist.  A dental school is a place were students are learning to become a dentist therefore some times there work is free to little cost.  A dental clinic are available to low income families. So cost may very depending on your income.  Either one is at least worth checking into

Question: I need to have four filling and a root canal with a crown.  I do not have insurance right now so I do need to get something in force before going ahead with having any dental work done.   Like most people I do not have a lot of extra money after paying my required bills.   I would like to keep my cost low.  How do I go about not only shopping the dental insurance but the what the dentist cost for services are?  

Reply: I suggest that you may want to start with either a dental discount plan or a dental HMO insurance plan. My reasons for that is they both normally offer their plans at a low monthly rate and schedule out the cost for dental services render. That way you can compare cost of the plan and their coverage’s or discounted saving.

Question: I have been seeing the same dentist for over six years and I really like him.  I do not want to change my dentist since in the past before I found him I had bad experiences with other dentist.   My problem is he said is only a provider of Delta Dental but when I call Delta Dental I am told it is a group plan only.  How do I get insurance that will let me stay with my dentist regardless. 

Answer: What you want to look for would be either Dental PPO or dental Indemnity insurance plans. Dental PPOs like your Delta Dental will normally let you go outside their network sometime at a reduce coverage. So make sure you read the terms to confirm what your true coverage is for choosing an outside network dentist. 

A dental Indemnity insurance plan does not have any network dentist therefore allowing you to choose your own dentist without changing your coverage’s.  Something else to keep in mind.

Even though you may have called a Delta Dental office that stated that they only do group plans, you still may be able to get a Delta Dental plan.  Not all Delta dental agents sell only group plans. Depending on your state there still may be a Delta dental product sold to individual and their families direct.  At dentalbenefit.com we Delta Dental plans to individual and their families. To see if they have Delta dental in your state just enter your zip code for a dental quote.

When you are dealing with a toothache but do not have any dental insurance to help with the cost of dental care, buying a dental discount plan may be a good option.

Dental discount plans are able to provide discounted saving for all your dental needs needs. Saving you money without any long term waiting periods or activation dates to wait for.

Question: I would like to know what are some of the causes for having sensitive teeth? My teeth are starting to become sensitive. Mostly when I have hot or cold food. It is really troublesome to me and I would like to know why my teeth are so sensitive.

Answer: One of the reason why you may have sensitive teeth could be that you have receding gum lines that exposes part of your tooth root that is not covered by your tooth enamel. Or that your tooth enamel is worn down The tooth root or the tooth which is exposed do to lack of enamel has tiny tubules leading to the tooth’s nerve center. So when you have hot or cold items it reaches the nerve in your tooth, which can then results in the pain you may feel.

Also tooth decay or cavities that are just starting may not hurt you every day but by having hot or cold items may hurt because it is reaching your tooth nerve. I suggest seeing a dentist so that he or she can determine what is causing your teeth sensitively and provide treatment.

Oral cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the lips, mouth, or throat. Oral cancer may form in any of three main areas: Lips. Oral cavity, which includes:The front two thirds of the tongue.