Understanding Supplemental Dental Insurance. Supplemental dental insurance is an individual or family insurance policy purchased to cover a portion of the dental costs. Supplemental dental insurance will normally not cover the entire dental care procedure.
If you have a primary dental insurance plan that you purchased or your employer provided, the supplemental dental policy typically covers the remaining dental bill. For example, if the dental plan policy covers half of the dental cost, the secondary or supplement dental insurance plan should cover the remaining balance of your dental procedure.
A supplement dental insurance plan may also be purchased to cover the dental charges when there are annual dental benefit plan limits or exclusions.
Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a painful, frustrating condition often described as a scalding sensation in the tongue, lips, palate, or throughout the mouth. Although BMS can affect anyone, it occurs most commonly in middle-aged or older women. BMS often occurs with a range of medical and dental conditions, from nutritional deficiencies and menopause to dry mouth and allergies. But their connection is unclear, and the exact cause of burning mouth syndrome cannot always be identified with certainty.
Moderate to severe burning in the mouth is the main symptom of BMS and can persist for months or years. For many people, the burning sensation begins in late morning, builds to a peak by evening, and often subsides at night. Some feel constant pain; for others, pain comes and goes. Anxiety and depression are common in people with burning mouth syndrome and may result from their chronic pain.
Other symptoms of BMS include:
- tingling or numbness on the tip of the tongue or in the mouth
- bitter or metallic changes in taste
- dry or sore mouth.
There are a number of possible causes of burning mouth syndrome, including:
- damage to nerves that control pain and taste
- hormonal changes
- dry mouth, which can be caused by many medicines and disorders such as Sjögren’s syndrome or diabetes
- nutritional deficiencies
- oral candidiasis, a fungal infection in the mouth
- acid reflux
- poorly-fitting dentures or allergies to denture materials
- anxiety and depression.
In some people, burning mouth syndrome may have more than one cause. But for many, the exact cause of their symptoms cannot be found.
A review of your medical history, a thorough oral examination, and a general medical examination may help identify the source of your burning mouth. Tests may include:
- blood work to look for infection, nutritional deficiencies, and disorders associated with BMS such as diabetes or thyroid problems
- oral swab to check for oral candidiasis
- allergy testing for denture materials, certain foods, or other substances that may be causing your symptoms.
Treatment should be tailored to your individual needs. Depending on the cause of your BMS symptoms, possible treatments may include:
- adjusting or replacing irritating dentures
- treating existing disorders such as diabetes, Sjögren’s syndrome, or a thyroid problem to improve burning mouth symptoms
- recommending supplements for nutritional deficiencies
- switching medicine, where possible, if a drug you are taking is causing your burning mouth
- prescribing medications to
- relieve dry mouth
- treat oral candidiasis
- help control pain from nerve damage
- relieve anxiety and depression.
When no underlying cause can be found, treatment is aimed at the symptoms to try to reduce the pain associated with burning mouth syndrome.
Some boast that they can whiten your teeth at least three to four shades brighter, the main ingredient is baking soda and peroxide; if those are listed on the box then you’ll probably get what you pay for. Some whitening strips do cause teeth sensitivity, I used some and it was too much for me, I’ve opted to stay with the whitening toothpaste.
Most individual dental insurance plans require you to satisfy waiting periods and deductibles before having major and sometimes even minor restorative work done. Discount dental plans help make maintaining good oral health a lot more affordable. And, with no waiting periods or complicated coverage procedures, dental discount plans are about as simple as you can get.
How do discount dental plans work? As we become aware about our oral health, there has been a demand for affordable dental care. Discount dental plans are the newest option for those without coverage. These dental discount plans are much cheaper than traditional dental insurance, and also offer almost equal coverage for all dental work, even cosmetic procedures not covered by standard indemnity dental plans.
The catch is that dental discount plans are not really insurance at all. They work more like club memberships, where the cost of membership (your “premium”) earns a steep discount on any club service (dental work) you buy. The discount normally applies to all dental office services performed by an approved “plan” dentist, but no procedure is covered completely.
Source: BestDentalPlans.com
Supplemental Dental Insurance
Supplemental dental insurance is an individual or family insurance policy purchased to cover a portion of the dental costs. Supplemental dental insurance will normally not cover the entire dental care procedure.
If you have a primary dental insurance plan that you purchased or your employer provided, the supplemental dental policy typically covers the remaining dental bill. For example, if the dental plan policy covers half of the dental cost, the secondary or supplement dental insurance plan should cover the remaining balance of your dental procedure.
A supplement dental insurance plan may also be purchased to cover the dental charges when there are annual dental benefit plan limits or exclusions.
I hope this information on supplemental dental insurance has helped.
Dr. David Blunt