Your gums can tend to recede with age thereby exposing the root of your teeth. Since the root lacks the outer covering known as the enamel, it is more prone to decay. Tooth cavities can form at this site and affect the surrounding tissue.   The exposed root also leads to hypersensitivity of the teeth and makes drinking hot or cold beverages uncomfortable or even painful.

Xerostomia or other wise know as dry mouth is a common problem among older adults. According to the Oral Cancer Foundation an estimates that 20 percent of elderly people suffer from dry mouth.  Dry mouth is also a hidden cause of tooth loss and gum disease in 30 percent of adults.

There are many reasons why you may have dry mouth but for older adults one large factor is that dry mouth can be a side effect to many medications. Medications such as blood pressure, decongestants, antidepressants and pain pill other medications may also cause dry mouth so if you are experiencing dry mouth issue be siree to discuss treatment options with your dentist.

It is always a good idea to brush and floss your teeth before going to the dentist for your dental check up.  For the most part a dentist is not going to tell you that you have bad breath during a dental appointment unless asked by you.

They will however, point out dental issues that may be causing your bad breath. Yet you be surprised how often people will eat foods that causes bad breath right before their appointment, or even worse they just do not brush their teeth before seeing the dentist. Be considerate to your dentist, having dirty teeth and or bad breath makes it harder on your dentist to provide his or best care.

Almost 20 million American who see a dentist at lease once a year do not see a doctor or any other general health care provider.  This suggests that a dentist could be able to screen these people for systemic health disorders, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease, a new study says.

There are many people that have concerns about dental X-ray causing cancer. However, to put dental X-rays in perspective, did you know that if you are outside for an hour you have been exposed to more radiation then you would get from a full set of dental X-rays.  X-ray are an important tool for the dentist to discover minor issues he/she may miss otherwise.

For many of us we do not have the whitest smile or the perfect teeth we may want to have.  Making it harder for us to smile freely with out worrying if your teeth are not making the impression you may like.    Receiving the dental care needed to fit our smiles can sometimes be out of reach.

However it does not have to be.  Here are a few tips that may help you receive affordable dental care.   First find an affordable dental plan.  There are many good HMO dental plan that are low cost and offer affordable coverages.  There are even dental discount plans that are low in cost and help keep your dental care cost lower.  Try to find a dentist that is willing to workout a payment plan if still needed.  Many will if asked.  When shopping dentist check to see if they have a web site for their practice.  Not only will their web site tell you more about the dental practice but many times they offer saving on the website that they do not offer directly.

Many people have dental insurance that lets them choose their own dentist but how do you know you are picking the best dentist for you?  One way is by getting referrals.  Most people have a large referral base but they just do not use them.  Look toward your family and friends, people at work.  You can even choose to ask your friends on social medias like Facebook or Tweeter.  Most people have been to the dentist and will be happy to tell you if they feel their dentist is a good choice for you.

Having good dental care habits at home is very important in order to maintain your dental care.  Especially when you are pregnant.  Hormonal changes brought on by pregnancy render gums more susceptible to plaque, which increase your risk of gum disease, therefore increase the frequency of your cleanings.

Pregnant and or potentially pregnant women should not have x-rays done. However, on the rare occasion when an x-ray can not wait, make sure you are receiving a digital x-ray and that two aprons are placed over you.

If are pregnant or think you may be, it is advisable to avoid major dental procedures through preventative dental care to avoid dental infection is even more important. In the event that dental work can not wait, talk to your obstetrician and dentist about what pain medications are safest for you and baby.

Study are suggesting that the early prophylactic removal of developing third molars (wisdom teeth) can avoid future surgical problems and expenses. The developing tooth bud can supply valuable pluripotent stem cells that may be used to treat diabetes, liver disease or for anti-aging or regenerative medicine.

The surgical removal of wisdom teeth does have risks which include a 6% chance of permanent numbness of the tongue, lip, gums or teeth. There is also significant discomfort during or following the procedure.  However compare to the removal of the developing tooth germ or tooth bud is a low risk procedure that is done with minimal trauma or post op complications. Also more importantly this developing tooth bud is an ideal source of powerful multi or pluripotent stem cells.

Often times people do not see the dentist until they start having dental problems that are causing dental pain.  Sometimes this is do to having dental fears, other times cost is stated as the reason.

However by deferring your twice a year exams and cleanings, it can cause you to have larger more costly dental care needs.  And it is safe to say, that going to a dentist for a basic cleaning is a lot less scarier then going to have filling or root canal done.

By having dental cleaning and exam done, your dentist can detect any dental abnormalities, before problems start to escalate. However, if you do not see a dentist regularly then dental problems may escalate, which may resulted in tooth decay, or worse, tooth loss. If you lose a tooth, you need to find a replacement. Which dental treatment do you want to choose?

Having Twice a year dental appointments/check ups is key to maintaining good oral health.  By having a strict oral hygiene habits at home your teeth and gums will stay healthy.  However, if your oral hygiene habits are lacking then by keeping your twice a year dental cleaning and exam appointments the dentist will be able to detect any dental issues before problems start to escalate, causing the need to have larger dental services and increase dental care cost.