How to Save on Dental Care in 2012?

Some people put off their scheduled dental visits, because these cost too much. You might think that you don’t need dental insurance because you are not struggling with huge dental issues.

However, if you want to avoid extremely expensive dental bills, you should have some degree of coverage available. Saving money on dental health is not the correct thing to do, especially if you experience several dental health complications.

If you don’t get dental treatment that you need in time, the health issues will get even more complicated and then you will have to pay huge fees in order to fix dental problem.

The following tips will help you save smartly on dental care costs in 2012:

Save on Dental Care: Respect a good dental health regimen.

Proper dental health care means prevention. If you brush your teeth regularly, use the floss and a non-alcoholic special rinse, you don’t give your teeth and mouth the chance to accumulate all the harmful bacteria. You have to brush your teeth for at least 3 minutes, and make sure to repeat the procedure in the morning and in the evening. It is extremely important to understand that food debris is building up in between your teeth. Therefore, you have to floss your teeth regularly, in order to cleanse the teeth properly. If you take care of your teeth, you will stay away from decay and this automatically means that you are saving on dental health costs.

Save on Dental Care: Find a good dental insurance.

make sure you have enough coverage, so that you won’t have to support too many costs out of pocket. It is much better to pay regularly and constantly for some premiums, than having to pay for an unexpected dental bill of $300+.

Save on Dental Care: Comparison

There is a huge competition going on in the dental health field, so make sure to read carefully through the specifications when you buy insurance (terms and conditions + coverage section). Most of the times it is not a good option to go for the cheapest dental plan, because that is the one that will offer you the smallest degree of coverage too.

Save on Dental Care: Employer’s dental insurance

These are most of the times extremely affordable, just make sure to check out what is covered and what are the exclusions.

Save on Dental Care: Get treatment at dental schools in your area.

Here you will be offered professional dental services at extremely advantageous prices. The dental school students are the ones performing the work, but they are always supervised by professional dentists. The supervisors always check the work of the students, so there is nothing to worry about.

It might take a much longer time to get treatment at a dental school than at a regular dental office, but the savings definitely outweigh this small disadvantage.

Source: http://worldental.org/dental-insurance/save-dental-care-2012-affordable/5581/

Routine preventive steps to ensure dental health

Fall is upon us and our children are donning their backpacks and heading back to the classroom. As families adjust to new school schedules and a more regimented, post-summer lifestyle, I felt it appropriate timing to share some dental prevention education to empower you and your loved ones.

I promote preventive dentistry because children with healthy mouths have a better chance of general health.

Dental problems can interfere with eating and adequate nutritional intake, speech and self-esteem. Children with dental pain may be unable to concentrate in school. Those who get off to a healthful start with routine dental visits and responsible home care can minimize the need for definitive treatment over the course of their lives, avoiding the unpleasant dental experiences that perhaps their parents have experienced.

Jo & Jon from Mews had a great day !

Jo & Jon from the Mews Dental Studio enjoyed a great day at the University of Southampton International Information Fair on Sept 23rd, 2010. Despite the rainy weather, students flocked to the event and, all told, we distributed almost 800 goodie bags!

The Mews International Student Prize was extremely well received by the students and we hope to receive many great ideas that will help enhance cross-cultural and business links between the international students and the City of Southampton.

Thanks to all those who came along - we really enjoyed meeting you and hope to see you again soon!

Routine preventive steps to ensure dental health

Dr. Ken Schweifler writes in Los Altos Town Crier :

Fall is upon us and our children are donning their backpacks and heading back to the classroom. As families adjust to new school schedules and a more regimented, post-summer lifestyle, I felt it appropriate timing to share some dental prevention education to empower you and your loved ones.

I promote preventive dentistry because children with healthy mouths have a better chance of general health.

Dental problems can interfere with eating and adequate nutritional intake, speech and self-esteem. Children with dental pain may be unable to concentrate in school. Those who get off to a healthful start with routine dental visits and responsible home care can minimize the need for definitive treatment over the course of their lives, avoiding the unpleasant dental experiences that perhaps their parents have experienced.

Even in our relatively affluent community, I witness many unfortunate dental problems in children due to lack of prevention.

A patient recently brought his daughter to my office for the first time at age 6, motivated by a painful infection caused by a neglected cavity. A dental office can be a scary environment for many people, especially for a young child experiencing pain who is completely unfamiliar with the environment.

After extracting that hopeless tooth and treating several others that had advancing cavities, I sat down with her father to discuss preventive strategies. This is the same individual who only comes to my office when he’s experiencing his own dental emergencies and brought his 5-year-old son to my office three years ago with such advanced problems that he had to be referred to a specialist for “hospital-level” dentistry.

When I asked how his son was doing, he stated that he hadn’t been back to the dentist since that traumatic hospital experience. I was shocked. Clearly, my recommendations for getting on a healthful path of routine maintenance and prevention hadn’t altered this destructive cycle. I reiterated to him that all this pain and suffering, all this time and financial commitment, were 100 percent preventable. He holds a set of values where he believes a dentist is someone you see only when you have a dental emergency. Consequently, he’s on the verge of full mouth dentures, just like his parents before him.

Preventive dentistry begins when the first tooth erupts. We encourage daily cleaning and a first visit to a dentist at that point, or no later than 12 months of age.

The main objectives for a visit so early are to educate the parents on healthful preventive strategies, implement a preventive regimen, catch any destructive habits in their infancy and get the child accustomed to the dental office as a positive, nontraumatic environment.

After completing a thorough oral examination and assessing the child’s risk for developing cavities, a dental team can design a personalized preventive program for home care. Preschoolers generally lack the manual dexterity necessary for a thorough job and require parental assistance. It’s not enough to send your 3-year-old to the bathroom and expect that he or she is going to do an adequate job alone. With your support, your child can follow directions and create healthful habits that last a lifetime.

One thing is unanimously true for dental patients: They would prefer no dentistry, and more time and money to engage in other life pursuits. The least-invasive and least-expensive way to control your children’s dental problems is to ensure they never occur in the first place or are detected early enough to avoid extensive treatments.

As the father of three children under 6, I can relate to many of the same challenges and concerns that other parents face. You owe it to yourself and your family to take these simple, preventive steps to ensure that your family’s dental needs never become a needless source of stress.

Taste genes predict tooth decay

Dental caries is a highly prevalent disease that is disproportionately distributed in the population. Caries occurrence and progression is known to be influenced by a complex interplay of both environmental and genetic factors, with numerous contributing factors having been identified including bacterial flora, dietary habits, fluoride exposure, oral hygiene, salivary flow, salivary composition, and tooth structure. Previous reports have characterized the influence of the genetic variation on taste preferences and dietary habits.

In an article published in the Journal of Dental Research titled "Taste Genes Associated with Dental Caries" lead researcher Steven Wendell and researchers Melissa Brown, Margaret Cooper, Rebecca DeSensi, Mary Marazita, Xiaojing Wang and Robert Weyant, all from the University of Pittsburgh; and Richard Crout and Daniel McNeil from West Virginia University, hypothesized that genetic variation in taste pathway genes (TAS2R38, TAS1R2, GNAT3) may be associated with dental caries risk and/or protection.

In this study, families were recruited by the Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA) for collection of biological samples, demographic data and clinical assessment of oral health including caries scores. Multiple single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assays for each gene were performed and analyzed using transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) analysis (FBAT software) for three dentition groups: primary, mixed, and permanent. Statistically significant associations were seen in TAS2R38 and TAS1R2 for caries risk and/or protection.

"This work is significant in that it identifies key genes that may explain the susceptibilities of some patients to tooth decay," said JDR Editor-in-Chief William Giannobile. "Although an early study, this breakthrough on taste pathways and genes demonstrates how patient preferences that are genetically predetermined may put patients at risk for disease."

The complete research study is published in the Journal of Dental Research, and is available online at http://jdr.sagepub.com/content/early/2010/09/02/0022034510381502.abstract.

An accompanying editorial titled "Defining the Contribution of Genetics in the Etiology of Dental Caries" has been published. J. Tim Wright, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, states "given that the majority of oral health care costs are directed at treating the ravages of dental caries, this line of research would seem appropriate."

Source: EurekAlert

Gummy matters

If the aftermath of your everyday tryst with the toothbrush makes you see red, then it's time to pay a re-visit to a forgotten friend. Gums are the poor dental cousins, often ignored and quite vulnerable to bleeding their hearts out when left to rot. A special branch of dentistry that is dedicated to giving this organ its due is Periodontology. Recent times have seen extensive research in the subject and discovered its links to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and pregnancy-related complications. “Almost 40 per cent of the Indian population suffers from some form of periodontal disease. The trouble essentially hits in the form of an inflammation caused by bacteria, which ultimately snowballs into bone loss,” says Dr Neel Bhatavadekar, a periodontologist. Modern lifestyles have dug up many new diseases. The deeper the understanding of their inter-relations, the better. “Three main causative factors can be diabetes, a smoking habit and genetic predisposition. It's a two-way relationship with diabetes – with good periodontal health comes better insulin control and on the other hand, bone loss lowers drastically if diabetes is kept in check. Genetics influences the individual subjectivity of response to inflammation,” continues Bhatavadekar.

The outfall of gum infections in cases of cardiovascular diseases is more indirect. The infection could enter the bloodstream through gum wounds and thereby cause complications. Such a risk, however, is higher in people who are already suffering from heart trouble. “Especially in India, with its vast swathes of low awareness and sub-standard commitment to hygiene, periodontics needs a stronger presence. Regular check-ups are essential. Some basic dental-care steps like flossing are sadly amiss in daily routines,” says dentist Dr Priyank Khanna.

Pregnancy in itself is a vulnerable stage, characterised by volatile hormonal and emotional fluctuations. So this period demands fine observation of the subtlest of signs, which include periodontal problems. It has been proven through research that periodontal disease could lead to a fall in the weight of the foetus, and especially needs to be taken care of in the first trimester.

“The patients must ask as many questions as possible and get a clear picture. This in itself will ensure the correct prognosis and treatment. But, I must admit, that a lot has improved over the past few years. Even in the small clinics of the city, awareness is rising. A well-read, careful patient is just as important as a well-trained physician,” says Khanna. Indians have never afforded dental care a very high regard. “All the foreign patients I have encountered always remember their dental appointments and follow it by the letter every six months. The point is that it's not a life and death matter to have a healthy mouth. But, it could decide the difference between an average life and a good life,” he adds.

Source: Indian Express

We don’t mind the gaps... Britain leads trend for a natural smile

Dentists are ditching Hollywood-smile makeovers as patients opt for a more natural look.

Demand for impossibly even film-star teeth has dropped by half, according to figures published by the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

In a victory for British teeth — often looked down on by our American counterparts — a survey to be published tomorrow at the academy's annual conference will show that two thirds of its members have seen a big decline in clients wanting “extreme” smiles.

Instead, people now want to preserve the individual character of their teeth so are shunning invasive dental treatments which involve the teeth being filed down or removed.

For the first time, US dentists are also travelling to Britain to learn about techniques which allow the smile to “fit in” with the natural features of the face.

These techniques include gum sculpting to fix “gummy” smiles, in which a laser is used to remove excess skin covering the teeth. Also popular are “speedy” braces which can realign teeth within a few months without drilling or injections.

Singer Cheryl Cole is reported to be among celebrities opting for subtle treatments such as braces which are effectively invisible. Model Lara Stone has also made a less-than-perfect smile a must-have fashion accessory with her gap teeth.

Nik Sisodia, BACD president-elect, said techniques pioneered in the UK are now being copied around the world and that British teeth are no longer so widely ridiculed.

He said: “US dentistry was always seen to lead the way with regard to cosmetic and restorative treatment, whereas UK dentistry didn't have a great image in some countries around the world. But UK and European patients actually want smiles that fit in with the natural features of the face. The face of cosmetic dentistry is changing dramatically in great part due to simple aligning techniques pioneered in the UK.”

Until now, there has been a dental divide between Europe and the US. The formula favoured by American dentists is a perfect ratio of tooth length to width, the relative position of teeth to one another and to the lips as well as tooth brightness. But this has led to patients being over-treated and ending up with similar smiles involving irreversible dental work. In some cases, budget dentists have used inferior quality veneers mass-produced to a uniform shape.

The academy says this has led to a backlash with a move towards the “European aesthetic” featuring mild mis-alignment or slightly unruly ratios of tooth width to tooth height.

Source: London Evening Standard