Your dentist will most likely be your dental healthcare partner for a long time. Hence, it is imperative that you choose the right dentist for yourself as well as your family. Apart from experience and expertise, you need to consider many other factors, so that you don’t end up spending too much money, time or effort in reaching your doctor.

Does the dentist work with all insurances?
First, look at the dental procedures covered by your dental health plan. As it becomes necessary to find if the dentist you choose can submit claims to all insurance providers, including yours. In some cases, dentists who belong to certain networks cannot submit claims to providers who belong to the same networks, thus leaving you in a fix if your healthcare insurance provider belongs to the said category. Keeping in mind such details will aid you when the payments take place.

Does the dentist discuss treatment plans and cost estimates up front?
This is another important aspect to take note of when choosing a dentist. The dentist you choose should discuss the treatment plan in detail with you, including the time taken for the treatment, the medications used, the procedures followed, and the number of visits needed to complete the treatment. The dentist should also provide you a detail of the costs involved, up front, including all hidden costs, taxes and extra costs. This will give you a clear idea, as you can prepare yourself to know what to expect before, during, and after the treatment.

Is the clinic located close by and does it offer convenient timings?
If you are a working professional, you will need to choose a dentist who could provide a schedule for treatments and follow up visits as per your convenience. The doc should be flexible enough to accommodate your appointments at short notice or provide alternate dates for missed appointments. A clinic that is close to your home will also be an added advantage for hassle-free treatment. All in all, see the services closely as they need to suit your preferences and then go for one.

What kind of anesthesia does the dentist use?
Though it may sound like an out-of-context question, this is a very important aspect to take note of, especially if you always doubt the expertise the dentists have and their dental treatments. A dentist must make his/her patients feel as comfortable as possible in the clinic. Most importantly, the dentist should offer oral sedation as part of the treatment. If you know all this, you can tell whether you are in safe hands or not.

Does the dentist offer consultation prior to treatment?
Once you have a list of dentists in your list, call them to book appointments with each one of them. Visit the dentist in person, and get an insight into how well he/she knows about the treatment, which network or organization he/she is affiliated with, and all the other details mentioned above. This will allow you to narrow down your choices to those who meet your requirements.

Choosing the right dentist for your dental treatment is important. This way, you will know what things to consider and other important aspects before you finalize the one, who meets your requirements and budget.

As they say, prevention is always better than cure. The same applies to your oral healthcare. Spending thousands of dollars on your teeth and gum problems can be a nightmare that you can avoid by simply caring for your dental health on a routine basis. If you are unaware of the reasons to take good dental care, check out some of the popular ways listed below!

Prevention of gum diseases: Gums are the foundation of your teeth and they keep your teeth affixed at their place. Not doing enough for dental care may lead to infections in your gum tissues or bones. This may further lead to tooth loss, if not treated timely. However, you may avoid this situation by daily brushing and cleaning of your teeth and gums effectively. You may use tools like a Waterpik water flosser to ensure better cleaning and plaque removal through proper flossing.

Early detection of dental problems: If you care for your teeth and visit a dentist once every six months or so, then you can detect dental issues at an early stage. This will help you check for any cavity, gum problem, inflammation, or damaged filling. With right dental care, you can avoid a stage where you would need a root canal procedure or tooth removal. Your dentist can also correct the problem at the initial stage and suggest proper ways of dental care on a routine basis.

Avoiding bad breath: It is a common issue to have bad breath or halitosis. However, good dental care will avoid dental problems like halitosis. While regular dental checkup is required, proper cleaning of teeth, gums, and tongue through brushing and flossing is also essential. If you find these tasks problematic, then invest in helpful items like a Waterpik water flosser, which can save your flossing time and keep the process clean. Your breath will then stay fresh throughout the day.

Preventing stains: Many people are addicted to things like tobacco, alcohol, coffee, etc. Their regular consumption may leave the teeth stained. If untreated, this can lead to other oral diseases. Thus, effective dental care is critical to prevent staining of your teeth and keep them polished for that bright white look.

Ensuring good oral health: Good dental care and regular examination by a hygienist can help in maintaining your oral health. You can avoid innumerable dental issues, such as gingivitis, missing teeth, sensitivity, fractured tooth, worn enamel or filling, dry mouth, and something horrible like oral cancer. Every part of your mouth is important, starting from gum tissues and teeth to jaw and palate. Thus, keep a check on your dental care habits.

Maintaining good overall health: Keeping your mouth clean not only ensures good oral health, but also good physical health. Not maintaining oral hygiene can be a cause of other physical health problems that may be as serious as heart attacks.

Tooth pain is an affliction that can be quite debilitating and it a majority of the population. From a general perspective, pain is merely the body’s way of telling us that something is wrong, and the grade and type of pain can be indicative of the severity of the condition. The following types of tooth discomfort or pain and the related treatments may serve as a guide.

Sensitivity to cold or hot liquids and foods
If the discomfort is momentary, it usually signifies that the problem is a small one. The possible causes could be a decay in a tiny region of a tooth, a tooth filling that has come loose or a root that is exposed. Nerve root exposure frequently occurs as a result of bad brushing habits.

In the case of an exposed nerve root, keeping it clean and preventing dental plaque accumulation can help. Use of a soft toothbrush is preferred. There is a common misconception about frequent brushing helping in maintaining oral hygiene. Restrict brushing of teeth to twice a day. Fluoride-based toothpaste is usually helpful in combating sensitivity. Visit a dentist if the sensitivity doesn’t subside or if it worsens.

Sensitivity following dental treatment
Inflamed pulp tissue within the tooth, following dental work, can cause sensitivity. This condition usually doesn’t last longer than a few days, but it can take a little longer to subside depending on the magnitude of the dental treatment carried out. Over-the-counter pain medication like paracetamol or aspirin is usually helpful. Visit a dentist if the pain worsens.

A sharp pain on biting
A crack in the tooth, tooth decay, or a loosened filling are some of the possible causes. A loosened filling, as well as tooth decay, will have to be treated by a dentist. If there is pulp tissue damage, root canal treatment may be necessary. Treating a cracked tooth may pose more of a problem because there may be pulped tissue involvement, and/or the crack may be at a location that is difficult to access.

Pain that lingers
Lingering pain may be indicative of decay of the pulp and is often irreversible. You will need to visit a dentist before the infection spreads and leads to a worse condition. Root canal treatment is the therapy of choice.

A dull pain in the upper teeth and pain in the sinuses
Pain in the sinus areas of the face is usually related to pain in the upper, back teeth because of their shared nerves. The origin of this pain is often difficult to localize. As a result, pain in the sinuses from a cold or other similar infection can result in tooth pain, and vice versa. Grinding of the teeth can also cause similar symptoms, and hence, it must be ruled out. Visit a dentist or a general physician to determine the cause of the discomfort, so that an appropriate treatment can be started as soon as possible.

Constant pain that is difficult to localize
This is caused due to a severe decay of the dental pulp spreading towards the nerve root. Visit a dentist to isolate the problem. Root canal treatment may be required to salvage the infected tooth. Treatment should be sought immediately or the condition might worsen.

Constant unbearable pain, swollen and sensitive gums
This is caused when an infection spreads and forms an abscess, and the adjacent bone is also affected. Root canal treatment will be required. Until treated, over-the-counter pain medication might provide a degree of relief.

Home remedies for dental ailments
If you are looking for instant relief, you can use certain home remedies to act against toothaches. Although these might not be permanent solutions, they help to reduce the degree of pain until you go to your dentist.

• Clove oil: It contains a substance called eugenol that serves as a natural anesthetic. Applying clove oil helps numb the pain, although the effect is very short lived.
• Peppermint: It has numbing properties similar to clove oil.
• Saltwater: Gargling with salt water is helpful in treating infections and clearing out debris.
• Garlic: It has antibiotic properties and can curb the growth of infection-causing organisms.
• Alcohol or vanilla extract: They act as numbing agents.

Dental care and hygiene should be given equal importance as any other health care people take up. A good set of teeth that are also healthy help you eat well and eat anything. Your teeth tend to lose their health as you age giving you lot of dental problems in old age.

Before preventing, you must know certain things about your teeth and dental hygiene to be able to prevent your teeth from any problem.

Teeth are protected by a hard, outer coating called enamel. Enamel covers your teeth and protects them from external harm. Though every day, a thin layer of plaque forms on your teeth which produces acids that can harm enamel and cause cavities. Brushing helps your teeth to remove plaque every day but if and once cavity is already formed, brushing cannot remove that set of cavity. A dental help is required then.

Almost everybody goes through dental problem at least once in their lifetime. There are people who almost never have to visit the dentist for dental cure as they are extra careful about their dental health. You can be one of those people who doesn’t have to visit the dentist for cures but must visit a dentist for regular check-ups.

To prevent your teeth from needing a dental cure, you must first and foremost brush twice every day for at least two minutes. According to a survey and studies, people brush only for 40 seconds on an average. This should be avoided at all cost. Brushing your teeth for two-minutes is essential and helps get rid of plaque from between two teeth.

Though almost every dentist tells you to floss once daily, you must not floss unless your teeth need to be flossed. Not every set of teeth requires flossing. Teeth that are naturally and nicely intact with no spacing in between them, usually do not require flossing and in fact can get unnecessary space between each tooth because of flossing. Hence, an expert opinion on flossing is essential here.

Cleaning of the tongue is important too. Food residues are also stuck on the outer layer of your tongue and can cause bad breath.

To keep healthy teeth, always avoid energy and soft drinks and chewing gums. Opening a bottle with your teeth instead of an opening can cause some serious damage to your teeth. Brushing roughly also causes your gums to weaken. Smoking must be avoided at all if good dental health is what you want.

When essential care is taken for your mouth and teeth, you will prevent your chances of requiring a dentist or getting any toothache caused by gums problems, tooth decay/cavity or oral cancer.

The immune system reacts against foreign substances that enter the human body. They are usually harmless, but for people who are prone to allergies and have sensitive skin, the reaction can be aggravated in nature. Doctors refer to those triggers as allergens, which include pollen, animal dander, mold and particular food items like milk, fish, eggs among other things that cause irritation to the skin. Allergies can occur if your skin comes in contact with the allergens, or if you inhale or consume something that you are allergic to. As a response, your body starts to produce antibodies to combat the threat, which is termed as an allergic reaction.

Symptoms
The allergic symptoms are based on the type of allergy and how you are exposed to them. If you have a skin allergy or a nasal allergy, there are some common symptoms:

• Fatigue
• Sneezing
• Runny nose
• Watery eyes
• Rash or hives

Food allergies can cause diarrhea, cramps and vomiting. An allergy from an insect bite would cause redness, itching and pain in the affected area. Symptoms are sometimes not noticeable. But if the condition is severe, then a fever might occur and you would need to consult your doctor.

Anaphylaxis
It is the most severe type of reaction due to allergies. The situation can be fatal and almost life-threatening. An epinephrine auto-injection is the best way to control an allergy from spreading. However, immediate medical treatment is required, or your life would be in danger.

The symptoms of anaphylaxis include:

• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing
• Hoarseness in the throat
• Rashes and hives all over the body
• Tingling feeling in the hands, feet, lips and scalp
• Type of allergies

Allergies can be broadly divided into four categories:

Respiratory Allergy: It again can be further sub-divided into the following parts:

Hay fever: Also known as allergic rhinitis, it occurs from pollen grains and other substances. It is an immune disorder and is of two types – seasonal and perennial.
Spring allergies: It occurs during spring and can be controlled with the help of home remedies and medications.
Summer allergies: It occurs from the pollen of the grass and weed.
Fall allergies: Dust mites and mold are the biggest triggers of allergy during the fall season.
Winter allergies: These are indoor allergies caused from mold or dust found inside the house.

Food allergy: Consuming certain food items such as pulses, milk, egg and seafood can have an allergic reaction in a sensitive person.

Skin allergy: Some people can be allergic to the sun and would have heat burns on their skin. Latex, insect bites and dermatitis are the common causes of skin allergies. It leads to rashes, skin irritation and redness in the area.

Other allergies: It includes conjunctivitis in the eyes or allergies to drugs like Aspirin or Penicillin.

Treatment
Prescribed medication and a few restrictions are the only treatment for allergies unless it is anaphylaxis, which has a different set of therapy as the organs get affected. Being aware and exercising caution is the best way to fend off allergies.

Our oral health is what decides the quality of our smile and our overall well-being as well. There are many things that depend on the health of our teeth, gums, and mouth in general. While a regular dental check up is a must for all of us, there are also many ways in which we can ensure that we have our oral health taken care of on an everyday basis. Using a good toothbrush like the Oral B Electric toothbrush is one such measure. Let us find out more such tips for good oral health!

• Brushing your Teeth: While this is a no brainer, it takes a visit to the dentist for many people to find out the correct way of brushing their teeth. One should always brush one’s teeth at least twice a day, and after every meal whenever possible. This will ensure that the bacteria and grime do not settle and cause gum inflammation and infection at a later date. Apart from this, the right way to brush your teeth is to allow your toothbrush to go in an up and down motion for at least a minute over each section of your jaw. Remember not to run the toothbrush too hard over your teeth as this can cause damage to the enamel in the long run. Furthermore, you should use an electric toothbrush like the Oral B electric toothbrush so that the speed and pressure are regulated in the correct way.

• Flossing: Also, it is important to floss your teeth regularly so that the inner crevices can be cleaned. One can also use floss at the end of the day, so that smallest food particle which may be stuck between the teeth can be effectively removed. This will also prevent the buildup of plaque and any kind of staining due to the food that may end up rotting in the teeth and gums. You can also use a mouthwash to rinse your mouth regularly in case you do not have the time to floss on a daily basis.

• Choosing your Toothbrush: You should typically choose a toothbrush with rounded bristles so that the texture is not harsh and your enamel remains intact. Constant use of an abrasive toothbrush can lead to damage to the teeth due to the erosion of the enamel. This will eventually make the teeth weak and susceptible to gum disease and inflammation of the gums as well. You can take your pick from manual and electric toothbrushes like the well-known Oral B electric toothbrush for your brushing needs.

• Choosing your Toothpaste: You should choose a type that has at least 1,350 parts per million fluorides. This will ensure that your teeth are shining clean and no plaque gets to settle in any corner of the mouth. Yet, for children who are under six years of age, the amount of fluoride should be no more than 1,000 parts per million. This will ensure that their growing teeth do not get awash with chemicals.

Have you just lost a tooth and are wondering how to deal with this issue? Dental implants are the perfect solution for teeth lost due to an accident, age or some other factors. A dental implant takes the place of the missing tooth root. There is no doubt about the fact that a dental implant fixed to the jawbone is the next best thing to an original tooth as it is stable and stands well by itself without creating any issues for the surrounding teeth.

When do you need a Dental Implant?
Once a tooth is lost, you have three options. You can either go for dentures, dental bridges that are fixed, or a proper dental implant.
A dental implant depends on numerous factors including:
• The location of the tooth that is missing
• The health condition of the patient
• Expense
• Quality and health of the jaw bone where the implant needs to be performed.
• The preference of the patient

First, your dentist needs to examine and assess the above-mentioned factors to determine whether you are a good candidate to receive a dental implant or not.

Parts of a Dental Implant
Dental implants typically have three parts. These include:
• The Implant: This comprises a screw which acts like a root for the new tooth. This part is permanently attached to the jaw.
• Abutment: This is a permanent connector that holds the tooth or teeth set right in position. However, this can be removed by the dentists.
• Crown: This is the prosthetic tooth which can be seen outside. Manufactured with porcelain or zircon, it is known for its durability as well as good looks.

Main Benefits of Dental Implants
• These restorations are extremely durable and long lasting compared to other options.
• This procedure does not require the support of surrounding teeth, and neither are they harmed in any manner.
• The gums also are not in any way damaged during this process.
• The recession of jaw bone and gums is much lesser compared to other procedures.
• The procedure provides high level of comfort after it is done.
• It gives a good boost to your confidence and helps to put your best smile forward.