Research that was published in BioMed Central’s open access journal BMC Cancer shows that a four-gene signature may accurately predict which patients are at higher risk of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma recurrence. Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma is responsible for nearly a quarter of all head and neck cancers. It is one of the leading causes of cancer death, this was largely due to the failure of current histological procedures in predicting the recurrence of the disease.

Your teeth and gums age as you do. Even if you take excellent care of your teeth, just by chewing and cleaning will wear them down over time. Faster if you clench or grind your teeth. As you age your teeth can start to look darker due to aging dentin. Older people may have more plaque buildup on their teeth.

Though this is not necessary due to their age then age related physical changes that can make basic dental care like brushing and flossing their teeth harder to do. (Such as people who may have arthritis) Not only are your teeth aging but your gums age too.

Gums will naturally start to recede over time. If your gums recede to where the roots of your teeth are exposed your teeth may become sensitive. As you age your dentist may advise that you to see them more often in order to maintain good preventive health care.

Fluoride is safe and effective in controlling tooth decay when used properly. Too much of anything can be bad and that the same with fluoride. Children should use toothpaste with fluoride however for young child they should be supervise by an adult. Children under the age of six are more likely to swallow toothpaste after brushing instead of spitting it out. You want to make sure they only use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste when brushing their teeth. Encourage your child to spit out and rinse as much as possible. Avoid flavored toothpaste with younger children as it may encourage swallowing or eating of the toothpaste.

Within the last twenty years dental materials and techniques have improved dramatically allowing, the average person to improve the appearance of their teeth. Demand for cosmetic dental procedures is greater than ever. However with that said you should keep a few things in mind while making your decision.

Cosmetic dental services can be expensive. So much so depending on the amount of work needed you may want to start saving and budgeting in cost factors. For example, porcelain tooth veneers may cost $500 to $1,000 per tooth. Dental implants can cost as high as $1500 or more also per tooth. Take into account that most dental insurance plans do not cover for cosmetic procedures cost is something to take into account.

Try and find a cosmetic dentist that will offer a free consult. This give you a chance to get to know the dentist as well as what they may advise without committing to anything.  Ask for referrals and check on the dentist experience and credentials.

There are times when a dentist will advise having dental sealants. Dental sealant is a sealant is a clear plastic protective coating for teeth. Dental sealants are normally painted onto the chewing surfaces of the back teeth (molars and premolars).

Molars and premolars have grooves and crevices where food can get stuck. Some of these crevices can be deep enough that the bristles of a toothbrush can’t reach into them. This can provide the prefect environment for bacteria to grow and cause cavities.

Having sealants will help to prevent cavities from forming since they cover the groove so that food can not get into them. In the past sealants where mostly used for children though adults can also get sealants when necessary.

Many adults wonder why they should spend the high cost of saving their child baby tooth when it just going to fall out anyway. Although pulling a baby tooth may be less expensive, if a dentist suggest doing a root canal and crown work in order to save the tooth give some consideration and thought to what he/she is saying. There are good reasons why you should save a baby tooth compare to pulling a baby tooth too soon.

Primary (baby) teeth serve several functions, besides just letting your child chew, baby teeth are needed for a child to learn how to speak correctly, as well as play a role in the child physical appearance. Baby teeth are there to maintain the space needed and to help the permanent teeth come in correctly. Pulling baby teeth too soon can make braces necessary in the future for adult teeth Tooth decay in a baby teeth can also effect the growth and envelopment of the permanent teeth. Damage to one can lead to damage to the other. This is why a dentist would want to treat and save any baby tooth whenever possible.

Communication is the key to receiving the best dental care.

1) Communicate with your dentist. Dentist will sometime talk in dental terms you many not understand. They assume if you are not asking any questions it because you understand what is being told to you. If you dentist is suggesting dental services that you do not understand ask questions until you do. If you are not sure why you need a suggested dental service do not hesitate to ask why.

2) If you speak a different languish then then dentist bring someone with you if necessary that can help translate and make things clearer for you to understand.
3) When booking a dental appointment, let them know you may have questions for the dentist and for them to book in the added time necessary .

4) Do not keep your dentist in the dark. Many dentist will have you fill out a medical health form. It is important that you complete it and be upfront about any medical conditions. Such as if you have heart disease, diabetes or high blood pressure the dentist needs to know this since gum care will be extra important to maintain.

5) If you have dental fears let your dentist know ahead of time. That way they can take the time needed to address your fears.

Get the best dental care by being an active dental health care consumer. When going to the dentist be active in knowing and learning about your dental care services. What you should know before having any dental work started. If you have dental insurance dental benefits.

1) Make sure you are seeing a dentist that is either a provider of your dental plan or that you have a dental insurance plan where you can see any dentist.

2) Know and understand the terms and conditions of the dental plan you have before seeing a dentist. Read your plan limitations and if you have any questions call member services. It is important for you to understand if you dental plan has waiting periods, maxim limitations and deductibles before starting any dental services.

3) Know ahead of time how the dental office is going to file any claims made and what is expected from you.

With today’s economy many people do not receive dental benefits though their jobs and can not afford the high cost of dental care without. Here are some tips that will help to keep your dental cost low.

1) If you do not receive dental benefits though your job, see about buying either dental insurance plan or a dental discount plans. In most states there are low cost dental insurance plans as well as dental discount plan that are affordable and will help to keep your dental care cost low.

2) Dental care starts from home. This is important fact and what does help to keep your dental care cost low. Proper preventive dental care habits at home will save you from larger more costly dental issues. Brush and floss daily. Use mouthwash that has tarter control and stay always from sugary sweets.

3) Even on very tight budgets, most 99 cent or dollar stores stock toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss and mouthwash. You do not have to buy a $10 or more toothbrush and most dental floss is less then a dollar. In many cases you can even go to a local dental office and get toothbrush and floss for free.

4) Seeing a dentist at least twice a year is important part of preventive dental care. Most dental insurance plans offer preventive dental services for free. Dental discount plans offer very low cost for preventive dental care services. By seeing a dentist regularly for preventive dental care, your dentist will be able to catch any dental issues while they are still minor. As we all know the bigger the dental issue the higher the cost to fix. Proper preventive dental care will keep your dental cost low and more affordable.

5) If you are low income and do not receive or have dental benefits, and can not afford even a low cost dental insurance and or plan, there is still options available to you by using your state resources. See if you have any dental clinics or dental schools near you. Both options will normally work around what you can afford for dental care. The American Dental Association website provides information on free dental care programs that run throughout the year.

6) Whether you have dental insurance or not, do your best to budget in money for your dental care needs. At times dental services are needed that can be costly. By budgeting in your dental care you can save money for when you need to have larger dental issues address.

In the past a you would get a cavity and the dentist would fix it with a filling. Now however dentist can often use treatments to stop tooth decay before a cavity even develops. Tooth decay often provides signs before it actually causes a cavity in your tooth. Your dentist looks for these sign such as white spot on the tooth enamel or any suspicious spots on your X-rays. In this situation, if your dentist sees a suspicious spot on a tooth or on your X-ray, the proper treatment may not be “drilling and filling.” But instead the dentist could paint fluoride varnish or calcium pastes on the problem tooth. These treatments often can stop or slow down the decay process. They also help the tooth to repair the area where the cavity was forming. This process is known as remineralization.

During this type of dental treatment you may have to see the dentist more often during the next few months of treatment. At these visits the dentist would check to see if the treatment is working and may treat the tooth again. A dentist can not catch the early signs of tooth decay if you do not see a dentist regularly so in order to maintain healthy teeth and gums brush and floss daily and see your dentist at least twice a year or as advise by your dentist .

Here are some useful tips to brushing children teeth and oral health care.

1) Use children toothpaste that has fluoride in it. The use of fluoride in toothpaste as been proven to prevent dental tooth decay. Use only a small pea size amount of toothpaste.

2) Make sure to teach your child in the proper use of toothpaste. Monitor them carefully while they are bushing their teeth. DO NOT assume that your child can use toothpaste without supervision.

3) A child can start brushing their teeth between 3 – 6 years old but make sure that you thoroughly brush their teeth afterward to make sure the teeth get brush correctly. At 3 – 6 years of age is a good age to start getting use to brushing but they are normally not old enough to have the proper coordination to brush their teeth on their own yet.

4) Generally speaking a child should be able to brush responsibly by the age of seven and should be able to do so without supervision. However all children are different so if the child as not shown that they can brush and use toothpaste properly, then they should be supervised until they are older.

5) Keep toothpaste out of the reach of children until they have shown that they are responsible and know how to use is property. Many children toothpaste are made to taste good can child can treat it like candy. NO toothpaste should be eaten contact poison control if your see your child has consumed toothpaste.

There are many tasty toothpaste available to kids to make brushing fun and easier for the child. Kids may really love toothpaste that taste like bubble gum, therefore brush their teeth without complaint. This is helpful for a parent trying to make sure their child developing good dental habits. However the risk is that kids toothpaste may taste too good. A child may start to eat or use too much toothpaste.

Check your child toothpaste you will see that most children toothpaste will have the warning about using only a pea size amount of toothpaste and that young children should have adult supervision. This is because of the fluoride in the toothpaste.

Fluoride is good for teeth and it can strengthen teeth as well as prevent dental cavities. That’s why there is fluoride in toothpaste. But it is not good to have too much fluoride. It can cause dental fluorosis (white or brown spots on the teeth.) Preventing fluorosis is the main reason that you need to supervise brushing for young children. Also too much fluoride at once can become toxic. Many parents are surprised to learn that children’s toothpaste contains the same amount of fluoride as adult toothpaste.

You can go into most drug or food store and see rows and rows of toothbrushes from the standard manual brush to electric/battery-powered toothbrushes. Many of the toothbrush siting their own reason why they are the best due to their bend and flex head to varying lengths of bristles. Certainly some of the toothbrushes available look very high tech but are they better then the more basic brushes? The truth is not necessarily.

In fact, toothbrushes are usually not subjected to rigorous clinical trials. So there is no actual proof that one is better than next. So what should you know about picking out a toothbrush that best for you? Consider things like comfort and how well the tooth brush reaches your back teeth. Toothbrushes come in different shapes so you are trying to find a toothbrush that fits your mouth and brush your teeth. The brush should allow for you to to reach even the teeth at the very back of your mouth.

Try to stay with toothbrush that have “soft” or “extra soft” bristles — Hard bristles increase the risk of harming gums when you brush. Buy a toothbrush that has the seal of acceptance from the American Dental Association (ADA) The ADA seal shows that the dental product as been tested by the ADA and has met their standards. Consider buying a powered toothbrush if you are less then diligent about brushing your teeth since powered toothbrushes tend to make brushing your teeth easier.

Years ago the standard advise for dental care was to brush and floss your teeth daily and see your dentist at least twice a year. It still is good advise to brush and floss regular daily for good oral health care habits at home. However is many not be sound advise to only see a dentist twice a year. Thought most dental insurance plans may cover for twice a year cleanings there are times when a person should see the dentist more often then just the twice a year standard.

For anyone that has periodontal disease may need to see a dentist up to four times a year, Smokers should also visit the dentist more frequently as they may have higher dental and gum risks related to smoking. How do you know what is best for you? Talk to your dentist. A dentist will be able to examine you, then considering your dental and medical history will be able to suggest how often to visit them based on your own oral health needs.

By now many people know that flossing daily is good for our oral and dental health. Flossing daily can help to prevent tooth decay and periodontal (gum) disease  Periodontal disease has been link to a growing number of health concerns such as diabetes, strokes, and heart disease as well as low birth weight an premature births for babies who mothers have periodontal disease during pregnancy.

Dentists and dental hygienists always stress the importance of flossing regularly in order to maintain healthy gums. Now with new studies linking many other health factors to gum disease and poor oral health we are no longer just flossing for good teeth but for good over all health care.

Over the past 15 or so years oral and dental health of older American has improved dramatically. Senior Americans can not expect with proper dental care to keep their teeth. Losing your teeth just because your older is no longer the norm.

Unfortunately dentistry is still is not offer in Medicare. Which means many older Americans may not have their needed dental care due to lack of dental insurance. Many seniors are living on fixed incomes and that being the case may put off dental care due to the additional expense.

The Good news is that in most states there are affordable dental HMO insurance plan options or low cost dental discount plans that help to reduce the cost of dental services right at the dental office. Saving money off the cost the dental services at a low more affordable cost to older Americans

With athletes losing teeth every year from playing the sports they love it is always important to make sure you are protecting your teeth when play sports.

Sport Injuries to the mouth can be disfiguring, they also can take time away from school and or work. Dental repair due to sport injuries can also become expensive. Take the time for some preventive dental care when play sports and use a properly fitted mouth-guard. If you are not wearing a mouth-guard that fits correctly it looses the protection benefits.

Millions of people that needed dental care have not gone stating that they could not afford it. A recent study shows that even people with dental insurance put off their dental care needs because of out-of-pocket expenses were still to costly for them. These cost issues do not only impact the lower-income household but middle income households as well. Preventive dental care has never been more important to maintain.

Most dental insurance stress preventive dental care providing no to very low co-payments for preventive dental care services. By having good at home dental habits and seeing your dentist for preventive dental care you help to keep your dental cost low by not having larger dental issues come up. By brushing and flossing your teeth daily you help to prevent cavities from starting.

By seeing your dentist twice a year they can detect any early signs of tooth decay or gum disease and treat the issue while it still minor. Do not put off dental care state cost, Do maintain good preventive dental care habits for healthier teeth and gums and over all lower dental care cost.

Yes you can get help for dental care though the US Department of Health. Everyone is eligible to use a free clinic, it just requires a lot of waiting in line. Since most dental clinic provide services on a first come first serve basis and normally do not make appointments. To find a federally funded health care center you can go to US Department of Health and Human Services – Health Resources and Services Administration website.

For people who do not have dental insurance and are low income, dental schools are a good way to receive more affordable dental care. There are people that either do not receive dental benefits though work or they feel they can not afford dental care insurance.  These people will also tend to avoid going to the dentist even when necessary due to cost. 

Dental schools provide a good way to receive dental care at a more affordable cost. Most dental schools often offer cheaper dental care services, then a local general dentist.  Dental schools will normally work with you to determine the cost of dental care, by evaluating patients free of charge and by working to create a treatment plan that is priced within your means. Though every school is different, most schools have walk-in, emergency care and appointment services.