Question: I do not think that my sister has good oral and dental health care.  Her teeth look really yellow to me and when I ask if she seen a dentist she says she can not afford to see one.  She is a single mom, I would like to help her out because I do not think she has the money too get the dental care she needs. Is there a cheap dental plan out there?

Answer: I would suggest reviewing our lower cost dental HMO insurance plans and or our dental discount plans options.  They are lower cost plans that will help to greatly reduce the cost of her dental care compare to not having dental insurance.  Seeing a dentist regularly is important as you know, and cost can be a factor therefore these plans may be a good option for her to be able to better afford the needed dental care

Question: I just need dental for myself.  I do not get dental insurance from work. I know I have more then just a cleaning to do since I have not been to the dentist in over three years and one of my back teeth is starting to hurt me.  I just do not have a lot of money to be paying at the dental office so need help from some kind of plan that is not too costly either.

Reply:  What is the best dental plan would depend on your needs.  Just based on what you said though. I would suggest reviewing our dental HMO plans and or even our dental discount plans as a starting point. As both of these plan types, will help make your dental care much more affordable. They do not normally have any waiting periods for their covered and or discounted services under the plan which is important if you currently have a tooth that is hurting you.  Review our dental insurance and or plans that are available to your in your state. Call our member services at 310-534-3444 if you have any questions about the dental plans.

Question:  I have a family of six and we are without dental insurance. With the cost for dental services and the way they keep going up I really could use some help. I can not afford to get dental insurance plans right now but notice that I can afford to get a dental discount plan. I know they may not be the best but for basic care will they help me save money?

Answer: Dental discount plans are a good low cost alternative to dental insurance for a family they run around $15.00 a month and they do what they say they will. In short help you save money on your dental care needs.  A dental discount plan provide discounted saving for all dental services render by their dental providers.  Just make sure there is a dental provider under the plan that you are reviewing that you and your family can go to.

On a scale of 1-10 how important is oral hygiene based on first impression

When we first meet someone we make a first impression on that person.  Depending on the person the way we look, talk or carry ourselves will stand out and be remember.  What are some of the thing that you may look for when first meeting a person.  Some people  may look for friendliness or a strong handshake.  For others hygiene is a big issue.  Oral hygiene for me is a must.  Bad breast and yellow teeth would be a big turn off.

Since teeth are the first things I see, I would say oral hygiene would be rank as a 1 for me.  Am I just a teeth freak or do other people agree with me.  Would love to know what you think.

Reply:  I can see where you are coming from.  First impressions of a person is often based on looks. For good or bad, how we look can make or brake how people see us. Our smiles are one of the first things people will see so oral and dental health can make an impression.  Yet try and go beyond the first look and really see the person.

Question: For a low cost dental which is better dental insurance or a dental plan? 

Answer: That can depend on what types of dental services you may need. Dental HMO insurance is the lower cost insurance option but dose not provide coverage’s for all types of dental care.  Where as a dental discount is a low cost dental alternative to dental insurance.

Dental discount plans provides discounted savings for all dental services you have at participating providers of the plan.  Each plan type will help you save money on your dental care needs in California we have both dental discount plan options as well as HMO insurance options just enter your zip to review all our dental insurance and plan options to compare each plan.  If you have any questions about our dental insurance/plan please call our member service line at 310-534-3444 as they be happy to help.

I have this friend that I have know for years. However within the last year her diet or something has changed and now she has bad breath.  It really stinks like fish or something.  I do not have to be close up to her to smell it either.  I thought at first it was just me smelling it since we hang out all the time.  Though  just the other day I heard some of our co-workers joking about her bad breath.

I want to say something to her without hurting her feeling.  She takes things really personal.  I do not want her upset with me because I tell her that her breath stinks and that other people are starting to make fun of her.  Any suggestions?

Reply: Sometimes the right thing to do is not always easy.  If you are really her friend, then take her aside and tell her. Will this hurt her feeling? Maybe. However, in the end if she listens to you she will not have to be hurt even more. How do you think she would feel if she was to hear the jokes that are going around about her at work.

Question: I live in California, I really do not care what dentist I go to but it seems that the dental insurance plans that are network plans do not have dentist with in a 50 miles from me.

Answer: There are some area in California that for some plans do not have local providers.  Normally those areas would be more rural areas that may have fewer dental offices. If this is your cast and you do not wish to driver 50+ miles out, then you may want to review our Dental PPO’s insurance plan options as they will still provide benefits to out side network dentist.

What does your dentist tell you to do? Is there something that he or she says to you every time you go?  My dentist is a good guy,  but every time I go he asks,  “Are you brushing and flossing like you should?”  It’s like he is waiting for me to say yes before he will look at my teeth. (By the way I do brush and floss twice a day every day)  One of these days I would like to say no I have not brush or floss since the last time I saw you.  I wonder if he would still look in my mouth then?

Question: I am 28 and although I have dental insurance though work I really still do not like going to the dentist.  I have yet to go in for my free twice a year cleaning because even that makes me a nervous wreak.

Answer: One good way of avoiding having to have larger dental care needs is by seeing your dentist regularly. Avoiding the dentist is never a good idea.  By seeing your dentist for your  check ups and cleaning the dentist is able to spot any minor dental issues and treat them before they become larger more costly dental care needs.

I understand having dental fear issues but talk to your dentist go over your fears the more you address your concerns and fears the better you will be able to handle them. Do not let your fear stop you from having and maintain healthy teeth and gums.

Question: I take good care of my teeth and brush them like I should.  However, I just started to notice a grayish black spot at the bottom of my front tooth right at the gum line really.   I try brushing it off to no avail.  It does not hurt so I do not think it should be a cavity.  Do not know what to think.  Can you get a black spot on your teeth without it being tooth decay?

Answer: Best advise is to see your dentist. Only a dentist will be able to advise you on whether or not you have a cavity. However, you may like to know that cavities do not always hurt.

Question: I am reviewing the different dental insurance plans options you have and with regards to the California dental network plans the 460, 411, 595 how do they differ?

Answer: In short they are all HMO plans so they work the same way.  However the more you pay for the cost of the plan the less you pay for the higher cost dental care services.  Therefore if all you have is the twice a year check up and cleaning you  may not have a need to get the more expensive California dental plan 595. Yet if you do have larger services you may not want to get the least costly plan either since by spending a little more will save you money on your larger dental care needs

Question: I heard that chewing gum is really good for your teeth and help keep your teeth healthy.  Is that true?  Now that they have gum with whiten in it what gum would you say is best?  I like Orbit and Trident.  Is one better then the other when it comes to your teeth?

Reply:  Chewing gum after eating when you are not able to brush your teeth right away, is helpful to your teeth. Any gum that is sugar free has that benefit.

Now they are making gum with teeth whiting. From my personal experience I do not see that gum really whitens my teeth all that much if at any. However, to be fair I also brush with toothpaste with whitening. So I do not think it would be something I would notice.

I say if your are going to chew gum anyway you may was well chew what you like that is sugar free. If you want whiting I do not see where it would hurt any.

Did you know that the position of your teeth and your smile serve an important role in the aging of your face?  As we age we show less of our upper teeth when we smile, tooth wear alters the youthful proportions of our teeth, teeth yellow, and the soft tissues of the face begin to sag as they become less supported.   An esthetic orthodontist is able to enhance the facial appearance and reverse signs of aging through orthodontic treatment alone or through coordination with other dental and medical professionals.

I just hate going to the dentist.  Every time I have to go I try and put it off.  When I do go I have a bad attitude I know it is wrong but I just hate being there. Without fail I wine up sitting in the waiting room each time for over 30 minutes even though I get to my appointment on time.   I start to think why is it they have to call me the day before my appointment to make sure that I get there on time and ask me not to be late.  I should be the one to call the day before telling them to be on time.  Is not my time important?  This puts me off even more.

By the time I get sited in the lovely looking dental chair, I get that one dental assistant that seems to like playing with it.  Also why is it that they got that sucking thing so that you do  not drown in your own saliva, yet they wait until you are drooling down your chin or until  the dentist tells them to suck. Then when they do suck up your saliva they suck so much that they almost always get your tongue or the inside of your cheek.

Just when I think I am done, I have to listen to how I do not floss good enough.  Why they say this all the time when I have no cavities or gum issues I do not know.  It bugs me though, it like they are talking to a five year old.  What is even worst is when they want to show me how to floss.   It almost like they are just trying to make me mad.

Do not miss understand me I do not hate dentist, just the whole experience of going.  I am not now nor ever been scared of the  dentist.  But they can use help on the process.

Reply: There are many people that may have some of the feeling you do about going to the dentist.  It is a good thing though that you are still seeing your dentist regularly as that is an important part of your oral and dental health care.

As how they may keep you waiting when you are there: I would say this dose seem to be the norm at times, not only for dentist but for doctors too.  I am surprised when I go to the doctors and I am not waiting for at least an half an hour or more after my appointed time.  With that said you may want to call your dentist an hour before your appointment to see if they are running on time.

You may also like to talk to your dentist on how they are making you feel. Dentist tend to run on auto pilot. It is not like they are trying to treat you like a five year old and I sure if you talk to him or her it would stop.

One of the first things many people will notice about you is your smile. Therefore your smile is like your calling card. Having a great smile will help in in the increasingly competitive market.   More adults looking for an edge in the jobs market and they are investing in themselves.  They want to look the part and make an impression.  A great smile is a big part of this and studies have even shown that a better smile can lead to better earning potential.

Question: I drink coffee at least two to three times a day. I know that coffee can stain your teeth but I do not want to stop drinking coffee.  What is the best toothpaste that a coffee drinker like myself  can use.  I  can not afford to get my teeth whiten.  Beside they would only get stain again since as I said I am not stopping my coffee drink ways.  I am just looking for a tooth paste product that may help keep them from getting to bad.

Answer: There is really no one best toothpaste for this.  Just brush with a toothpaste that has whitening in it for best results.  Also make sure you are maintaining good dental habits by brushing your teeth at least twice a day and don’t forget to floss. You may also want to use a mouth rinse that has whiting to help reduce staining from your coffee.  Another good tip is drink your coffee though a straw.  The less contact the coffee has one your teeth the better.

In a prior post we talked about the fluoride content and effectiveness of your toothpaste.  In order to get the most from your toothpaste, consider buying  toothpastes that exclude ingredients reduce fluoride bioavailability like SLS. Also buy your toothpaste in smaller containers,and at more frequent intervals so that your toothpaste stays fresh.  This simple trick will help your teeth stay strong and is especially important for individuals at a high risk for cavities.

When one is searching the internet trying to find a plan that will help them with their ever increasing dental cost, you will come across many different dental plans and dental insurance.

I am writing these reviews in hopes that they may help people in deciding what may or may not be the best plan for them. I will not be stating that one plan is better then the other, I will be only giving you some company information and how the plans works as well as pro and cons as I see them.

Careington Discount Dental Plans

The Careington Dental plan is one of the dental discount plans you will come across. Careington Dental plan is not insurance but a popular dental discount plan. First off you may need to know what is a dental discount plan is. A discount plan is not insurance. Nor do you have to be a licensed insurance agent to sell a dental discount plan.

The managing organizations have negotiated with local dental offices to establish a set price for a particular dental procedure and offer deep discounts (some up to 60%) off the regular ADA pricing code. I short think of it sort of like your local Sam Club or Costco. You pay for membership in order to get the reduce or discounted saving they offer. Now that you have some idea of what a discount plan is let talk about Careington.

Careington Providers

Careington partners with more than 40 leading companies and provider networks to deliver substantial discounts on a wide array of health care and lifestyle services. The company’s health and wellness discount plans, which include pre-negotiated discounts on dental and vision care, doctor and hospital visits, prescription drugs, legal and tax advice, identity theft protection and more, are used by more than seven million members nationwide. Careington as been in business for over 20 years now. There long standing in the business as made them a top contender in the dental discount plan market.

Careington Dental Marketing

Careington is in Frisco TX however, their plans are available in every state with thousands of agents selling it. Carington member services is top notch. One does not have to stay on hold for very long to get though and most questions and concerns can d be solve over the phone.

Pros about buy a dental discount plan: Dental discount plans have several advantages over traditional dental insurance plans, namely, there are no exclusions for pre-existing conditions. Depending on who is selling the plan they normally will start with in a week or two some times even with in the next business day from ordering. This allows a patient to receive immediate coverage for work without meeting any waiting period or enrollment effective dates. That is great for the person who may have a toothache today.

Careington Dental Plan Advantages

Also a great advantage of a discount plan is that you will get a discount even for the services that some insurance company may not cover for. Such as whiting, cosmetic services, and specialist. There is no claim form hassles. Cons of a dental discount plan. My only real con about the dental discounts plans are with the providers. Sometimes there is confusion in what the discount price is that the provider will charge you for. To help avoid that confusion I suggest that you know the ADA codes the provider is charging your for so that you can compare that to the the plans list.

There is not an outside network, you have to chose a dentist that takes the plan. In some areas you may not have any providers. Or sometime providers stop taking the plan without notify the company. Therefor I always advise to call the listed providers before buying the plan to confirm that they are still in fact accepting the plan. A discount plan is just that. It is not Insurance. Depending on the website sometimes this is hard to tell.

Careington – Is it the Right Choice for You?

Make sure that if you are buying a dental discount plan like Careington, that you know it is not insurance or to be confused with insurance. In the end I feel if you decide that a discount plan is the right choice for you, then Careington is a good plan to take the time to review. Careington’s compliance and licensing department identifies ongoing regulatory requirements for all states to ensure that the company’s discount plans are compliant with the most current legislation.

Compare Careington Dental Plans

Careington has certificates of authority and is registered as a Discount Medical Provider Organization in all states where required. The company has also filed PPO registrations where required to ensure that Careington’s proprietary dental network is in compliance with the most current regulations.

The longer your toothpaste sits on the shelf after it is manufactured, the more time there is for fluoride to combine with ingredients in your toothpaste like abrasives, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), etc. which reduce the overall fluoride content and effectiveness of your toothpaste.   Studies being conducted have shown that this reduction in fluoride availability can occur rapidly over the first few months after toothpaste is manufactured.  This occurs even before your toothpaste reaches its expiration date.

DentaChoice Plus Review

In this dental review I will be talking about the DentaChoice Plus Aetna Dental Access offer though DentalOpinions.com. Some may recognize Aetna as a highly popular name in the health care industry, for such products as medical, pharmaceutical, long-term care, group-life and dental plans. Although Aetna is an insurance company, I will be only discussing their dental discount plan for this review.

A dental discount plan is a managing organization which has negotiated with local dental offices to establish a set price for particular dental procedures and offer deep discounts off the regular ADA pricing codes.

About Aetna Insurance Company

Aetna as been in business since 1850 first selling life insurance. Building on their 156 – year history. Aetna strives to be the leader in the insurance industry. Their values are to put their customers that use their services first. Some of the ways they go about that is by having quality service and accountability.

About DentaChoice Plus Aetna Dental Access

The DentaChoice plan is a dental discount plan that is a fairly new program for Aetna and has been out now for over two years. Although new in the discount plan market, Aetna gives this program the same quality of service that it has been giving to all of their other programs. Aetna has a vast provider data base network for the DentaChoice program. This was done by having many of the same dentist who have been providers of Aenta dental insurance for years.

Pros and Cons the DentaChoise Plus Plan

If you feel a discount plan may be the way for you then the DentaChoice Plus plan through Aetna is worth reviewing. Like most discounts plans, it has no waiting periods, deductibles, maximum limitations or claim forms. Depending on who is selling the plan, it can have an effective date as soon as the next business day from enrollment.  Even though this is a dental discount plan it is managed by an insurance company for well over a hundred years.

Some of the cons would be that it is an in-network plan only. So if you are trying to stay with your dentist, the dental office or dentist must be a provider of the plan for you to use it. With any provider plan I aways suggest one should call and confirm with the dentist that is listed to confirm they are taking the plan. This is very important when thinking about buying the DentaChoice Plus plan.

At times there may be some confusion in confirming with the dentist just what plan you may be asking about. The mistake made is some people will call the dentist asking if they still accept the Aetna plan, when Aetna is also insurance. So make sure you are clear with the dentist when calling about the DentaChoice Plus Aetna Access plan. Saying just Aetna may lead to a miss understanding for the dentist and a costly expense for you. For more information see DentalOpinions.com.