Question: I do not have dental insurance. I need two dental crowns for my teeth. I was also told that I should have a small cavity filled before it becomes a bigger issue.  I just do not have the money needed.  My dentist quoted me $2000.00 for two crowns and fillings. Where can I go to get the dental work need for half that cost.  Because that is about all the extra money I have right now to spend on my teeth care.

Reply: I suggest reviewing any dental HMO insurance plans and or dental discount plans as a way to save money on your needed dental care. These types of dental plans normally do not have any waiting periods and that is what you want since you have current major dental care needs to address. I can not say that they will save you half, it may be more or less then half. However compare the many plan options we provide and if you have any questions please call our member services at 310-534-3444 as we be happy to help you.

Question: My mom is 74 and has all her teeth.  She get health benefits but it does not seem as if she gets anything for her teeth care.  I do not understand why her dental care is not included with her medicare.

She does not have any major dental needs but I do not want her to get any in the future and I know she as not seen a dentist for at least a year now.

Answer: I do not know what benefits seniors receive with their medicare I hear that they do have some benefits, though it seems to be pretty limited.  I would suggest that you call up medicare and see what benefits she has if any for her dental care needs.

After knowing this if you still feel she short on dental care benefits then review our dental insurance options for her.  She can still buy her own individual dental plan and use that instead so that she stays on top of her dental care needs.

I am having to get a crown and my dental insurance states they cover for full metal and porcelain fused to metal crowns.   My dentist said he would do either and a course the full metal crown are much more affordable for me.

The tooth that I need a crown on is all the way in back on one of my molars.   I am really do not care about it being metal since no one really going to see it anyway.  But beyond just what they look like is there other differences that I should know of before making my choice.

Reply: There is no question that a porcelain fused to metal crown will look way better the a full metal crown.   Full metal crowns are normally stainless steel were is the porcelain fused to high noble metal would be a much better material to use.

In the end it is up to you and what you feel you can live with. Even though you maybe able to change the crown latter you may not be covered to do so. Give it some thought before deciding.

Questions: I am 24 I got one of your dental discount plans a while back.  Anyway I have metal braces since they were more affordable to me.   I just got them on three days ago but my teeth are still sore and my mouth is all scratched up.

My gums seem raw and bleed when I brush my teeth which is something they did not do before getting the braces.  How much longer will it take for me to adjust to wear braces?  Well I always have sore teeth?  Just wondering it not like I can take them off now but would love some helpful information.

Answer: It may take some time before you will fully adjust to just having your braces. So do not get to up set by this. As for your mouth being scratched up the dentist should have given you some dental wax you can put on you braces to help prevent them from scratching up the inside of your mouth. If you did not get the wax from your dentist you should be able to get some at your local drug store. Your gums should not be bleeding just because you have braces on.  You may want to talk to your dentist about this.

Question: I burned the roof of my mouth really bad, it already started to blister.  I am in great deal of pain.   Help me what can I do to stop the pain.  I just know this is going to be hurting me for days.

Reply: Not good news there, because there is not much you can do but give it time to heal. with these type of burns you can not really put any thing on it.  However, you will want to avoid eating any thing that will scratch or scrape your burn causing it to not only hurt but take longer time in healing.  You may want to try and take Advil or something like it to help ease the pain.  You can also try eating cold foods like ice cream remember eat nothing hard for a while.

I need a root canal and I am freaking out about it.  I do not want to have it done but the dentist told me it is the only way to save the tooth and to stop it from hurting all the time.

I do have dental insurance but it will not pay for me to have the root canal since it needs to be done by a specialist.  Is there anything that can help me with the cost of having a root canal?

Also I am scared about having it done.  I really am not good with dentist.  I am okay for a cleaning but anything more then that and I get upset.  Since I never had a root canal before can anyone tell me it it hurt to have one done?

Reply:  With regards to having the root canal done by a specialist and wanting away to save money since your current dental plan dose not provide benefits for specialist, I suggest reviewing our dental discount plans.

With our dental discount plans, as long as the plan has a specialist you are looking for then you would receive at least a 20 percent discounted saving. Dental discount plans have no waiting periods and you do not need a referral to see any of their plan specialist

With regards to addressing your dental fears: When you call the dental office let them know that you have some dental fears that need to be address. Some dental offices are really good with addressing dental fares were others will tell you they are not.

Whatever dentist you go to will do their up most in making sure you do not have any pain during the root canal process. There may be some pain afterword but nothing an Advil or something like that can’t handle.

I am a nail biter and I got this little peace of nail stuck in between my teeth and gum.  It really hurts, but I can not seem to get it out.  I tried again and again rinsing my mouth out with warm water but it is not working. Please what can I do to get it out?

Reply: I would suggest using floss. As floss is great for getting food bits that are stuck between your teeth out so it should also work for your problem as well.  However with that said I would advise on trying to brake your nail biting habit.

Research should be done finding a qualified dentist in the area of the policyholder before the purchase of cheap dental insurance for braces is made.  Once a qualified dentist has been found, the policyholder should mention the dental insurance for braces plan to the dental receptionist and confirm the costs associated with establishing a patient doctor relationship for receiving braces.  One is to get the classic dental insurance for braces, and the other is to get a dental discount plan.

Also, when you consider dental insurance for braces, you should remember to check whether your dental insurance provider offers a long list of dentists or orthodontists and how much freedom you will have in choosing which dentist you want.  If you have dental insurance for braces then you will get other benefits in addition to your policy.  Dental insurance for braces allows people to make this extremely expensive service available, and decrease the on-budget expenditures.  Consider getting a dental insurance for braces, especially if you are going to have them applied.  So if you are thinking about getting a professional orthodontist service your finances are surely to be planned and you are to have a special kind of dental insurance for braces.

Dental insurance for braces should be obtained as soon as it becomes confirmed that an individual will be needing the services of an orthodontist.  To save on the cost of traditional orthodontics, you need to start shopping for dental insurance for braces.  A dental discount plan is great when you do not have access to dental insurance for braces.  Most people who have dental insurance for braces are receive the benefit as part of the policies they hold as a result of their employment.  If your employer does not offer dental insurance for braces, ask them if they would consider adding the benefit.  Cheap dental insurance for braces can be found through a variety of insurers, providing the financial assistance needed to pay for a full set of braces.

I am 24 years old and looking to have braces.  My questions is two parts.  First part would be since I do not have dental insurance is it late for me to pick up some dental insurance for my braces?  I would really like to have some dental insurance in order to help me with the cost of braces.

My second issues is,  I am worried that at 24 I may look silly having braces.  Does dental insurance only cover metal braces?  My dentist told me normally metal braces are the only type of braces insurance companies will cover out on.  Is that true?

Reply:  No it is not to late to pick up dental insurance or a dental plan for your braces as long as you do not start any work prior to buying the dental plan. Many plans such as HMO will provider adult braces but it is true that normally the benefits provided for braces are only the basic metal type and not something like invisaligns. PPO plans that offer coverages for braces may only do so for child under the age of 19 if adult braces are provided they they to can be limited in coverage’s so make sure you read the plans terms and conditions.

To answer your age question, you are not too old for any type of braces. People are getting braces at a much older age then 24 so do not let that be a deciding factor for you.
Take a moment to review the several dental insurance and plan options we provide and if you have any questions please call our member services at 310-534-3444 as they will be happy to help you.

There are some positives – the number of overweight children in California declined slightly and preschool enrollment increased. Yet the overall health picture, especially for California’s low-income kids, is grim according to research brief “Trends in the Health of Young Children in California” by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and sponsored by First 5 California.

The brief found that two-thirds of California children are without health insurance are from low-income families. Low-income children utilize community clinics for primary care at three times the rate of higher income children. And the proportion of children enrolled in private health insurance is shrinking – while the reliance on public programs is growing.

Question: I am not looking for one of those cheep dental discount plans that save you some money but their dentist are far from being quality dentist. (At lease in my opinion) I want a quality dental insurance plan that lets me pick my own dentist.

Answer: Then I suggest you review dental PPO insurance plans. We provide a few dental PPP and free choice of providers plans though Delta Dental, StandardLife, Madison Nation and AlwaysCare. If you have any questions about these plans call our member service line at 310-534-3444

I was looking at the Delta Dental HMO plan in Texas.   I was wanting to know how it works.  Besides picking a dentist in the net work which I know is a requirement. What other things should I know about getting an HMO dental plan?

Do I have to pay in full and wait for a refund? I would like to know since that was how my last plan I had though work was like. I really did not like having to pay the dentist in  full and then wait a month for my money back. It was good coverage’s but I did not always have the money at the time I needed dental work.

Reply: Normally on a HMO dental insurance plan you are paying the dentist only the agree coverages amount for your dental services. Therefore there is on claims forms for you to fill out. And you are not left waiting for any refunds from the insurance company.