Q: What do we do if both my wife and I have a lot of work that needs to be done, but our dental insurance will only cover about $1000? Many times a couple decides together to seek dental care at the same time. With a little bit of creative financing and understanding of how dental insurance works both partners…
Causes of Cavities as We Age Saliva, a major chemical buffer that maintains the acid/base balance in our mouths and is produced by salivary glands. These glands are predominantly located in our cheeks and under our tongues. These glands produce two types of saliva. Serous saliva is "wet and watery", and mucoid saliva is "sticky and thick." Serous glands mainly produce buffering…
It is very common for new tooth-colored fillings, and temporary crowns, to be “high” after the numbness wears off. Usually, this is accompanied by “sensitivity” to cold foods or drink that disappears as soon as the tooth warms up to body temperature again. The same problem can also occur when new crowns are placed, depending on when the dentist records…
Completing paperwork, dental forms included, is probably one of the most aggravating duties anyone has to endure - especially when it involves giving permission for something or revealing private information. As is usually the case when bureaucracy is involved, the need for form signing comes about because people have abused their right to be honest. In other cases, forms are…
Dental Treatment For Headaches Headaches come in many forms and in different degrees. Everyday, more is learned about what causes them and how they can be prevented. Hormones, abnormal growths, abnormal signals from the brain, syndromes, and muscle function are just some of the causes. Usually, treatment and prevention of headaches requires a team of health professionals including physicians, physical…
Many people start to develop small, wedge-shaped grooves in their teeth when they approach middle age, but their dentists have told them for a long time that these are not cavities. Oftentimes, dentists tend to blame these “lesions”, as we call them, on brushing too aggressively with a hard toothbrush. Many patients respond to this accusation by saying that…
Amalgam Fillings Turning Black Dental amalgam is the filling material that has been used by most dentists for many, many years to fix cavities in teeth. Essentially, it is a blend of metals like silver, copper, and tin. In order to make it moldable, a small amount of mercury is incorporated into the filling material, which allows it to be…
I’ve noticed that my hygienist takes my blood pressure every time I come to the dentist. What’s that have to do with my mouth? Actually, this is a very important step in the periodic dental examination process. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is often referred to “the silent killer” in medical circles. This is because many people who have high…
Dental implants have been being placed for decades in many forms. Early implant styles were basically surgical steel plates shaped like picket fences that were placed into slots in the jaw bone for bone to grow around. Unfortunately, few of these proved to be successful over time because of infections around them and unusual healing of the bone around the…
Bite splints, nightguards, partial dentures, retainers, and dentures are types of removable dental appliances. They typically are made partially or completely out of acrylic, a porous type of plastic that is made from mixing a powder and a liquid that goes through several stages as it sets: granular, liquid, gel, putty, and then solid. While many steps are taken in…
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