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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

If you see more costly services that may exceed your yearly max limitation they another way to maximize your benefits is to do what you can do at the end of the year using your maximal limitation and the rest in the new year when you maximum limitation re-sets.  Doing this dose require that you have good commutations with your dentist and dental front office so that the timing of services render is done correctly to maximize your insurance plan benefits.

Even with good at home dental care habits you want to always check for any signs of tooth decay. The first signs of cavities in baby teeth are discoloration and minor pitting. Putting Baby to bed with a bottle of milk (or worse, juice) is notorious for causing cavities. Do not leave your infant with a bottle for long periods of time, especially if you notice he/she’s no longer feeding and is just using the bottle for comfort. Just like adults babies need to see their dentist regularly.

People that have dental insurance are twice a more likely to make and keep regular dental appointments. Yet there is around 114 million Americans that have no dental coverage with 67.7 million under 65 years of age.

Individuals without dental insurance are more likely to have extractions and dentures and less likely to have restorative care or receive treatment for gum disease.  Furthermore, those without dental benefits report higher incidences of other illness. They are

* 67 percent more likely to have heart disease
* 50 percent more likely to have osteoporosis and
* 29 percent more likely to have diabetes.

They also visit the dentist less frequently—missing the opportunity for prevention and early treatment.  Many of them are among the 738,000 Americans annually that end up in emergency rooms for dental treatment.

If you do not currently have dental insurance take this time to review the dental insurance and plans that we have in your state just by entering in your zip code in the quote box provided above.  Not having good dental care only cost more in the long run and not just in your pocket/wallet.  If you have any questions about the available dental insurance plan options we have just call our member service line at 310-534-3444 as we be happy to help.

When it comes you your baby teeth you want to take care of them right away. Once the teeth begin coming in, start taking care of them right away. Sadly many parents think baby teeth are not important because they are eventually replaced by permanent ones. But these first teeth preserve the spacing for the permanent ones and help baby chew and talk. If they are not cared for properly they can decay, leading to a gum infection called gingivitis, which can affect the spacing of permanent teeth.

Did you know that you should be cleaning your child’s mouth even before their teeth come in? For good oral health you want to wipe the gums off after each feeding with a warm, wet washcloth or a dampened piece of gauze wrapped around your finger. You can also buy thimble-like, soft rubbery devices (they fit over your index finger) to use for rubbing off excess food.  Doing this will not only keep your child mouth clean but it will also make your baby become accustom to you doing this and then brushing teeth later on becomes easier.

A root canal is a treatment to repair and save a badly damaged or infected tooth. The procedure involves removing the damaged area of the tooth (the pulp), cleaning and disinfecting it and then filling and sealing it. The common causes affecting the pulp are a cracked tooth, a deep cavity, repeated dental treatment to the tooth or trauma. The term “root canal” comes from cleaning of the canals inside the tooth’s root.

For some people they question whether or not the really need a root canal when they do not have any pain. However it is important to know that many teeth that need root canal therapy will not cause pain. But that does not mean the tooth is okay. Your dentist and or endodontist specialist have ways to see if the tooth’s pulp is damaged or infected. If it is, then you will need root canal treatment, even if the tooth does not hurt.

Therefore if you see something near a damaged tooth that looks like a pimple, see your dentist. The “pimple,” called a fistula, is a tunnel of tissue draining pus from an infection. There is no pain because the fistula keeps pressure from building in the tissue. It can come and go. The infection must be treated, and the tooth probably needs root canal treatment. Without treatment, nearby tissues will become infected.

Often time when people are told they need a root canal they worry about pain and are fearful of having the treatment done. However, the pain they feel is caused by an infection in the tooth, and not by root canal treatment. A root canal is done to eliminate that pain. The root canal procedure itself is painless. A local anesthetic numbs the tooth and the surrounding area. For those people whom may be afraid to have a root canal because they are anxious about having dental work done. Dentists can provide calming medicines, such as nitrous oxide