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Health Magazine

Tips on Maintaining Dental Health – Ages 1 to 6

Ensuring your child’s dental health is important from the very first appearance of their teeth. Not only is it imperative to keep their teeth clean to prevent cavities, it is also essential that you set a good example for your child, creating a regular dental care routine that provides a healthy foundation for your child’s future dental health. Here are some tips on maintaining good dental health for children ages 1 to 6 years.
• From the very beginning, make sure to schedule regular visits to the dentist. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Dental Association both recommend that children should be taken to the dentist once they reach their first birthday. Your dentist will check your one year old’s teeth and identify fluoride needs plus address any other potentially dangerous habits that may be preventing good oral hygiene–including thumb sucking or sleeping with a bottle. Children’s teeth are the most susceptible to cavities during the first two years after eruption.
• Brushing is important as soon as teeth become visible. Parents should not use toothpaste for children under 2, just a little water. When they reach the age of two, children can then use pea-sized amounts of toothpaste.
• Remember to change your child’s toothbrush every two months and after children have been sick.
• The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that you assist your child in brushing and flossing until the age of 6. Make sure children’s teeth are brushed at least twice a day. Teach your children the proper brushing techniques. Select a toothbrush that has soft, rounded bristles. Demonstrate circular brush strokes to reach all surfaces of the teeth.
• Initiate flossing children’s gums as soon as the gaps between the teeth close. There are a variety of animal shaped flossers to help make flossing more fun for children.
• Rinsing should become a part of your child’s dental hygiene regimen. For children, many dentists recommend a product like Listerine’s Agent Cool Blue which tints plaque to assist in more efficient brushing.
• Try to restrict the number of sticky snacks your children eat. Sticky foods are called retentive foods as they become stuck in the grooves of the teeth and increase the chance of cavities. Healthy snacks are important to good oral hygiene as well as good health. The odds of experiencing cavities in primary teeth are significantly greater in children who did not have breakfast daily or ate less than five servings of fruit and vegetables per day.
Make trips to the dentist fun for your child. The right attitude makes all the difference to your child’s perception of the dentist. By being positive and setting a good example to your child, your child will grow up with a healthy smile and a friendly relationship with the dentist.…

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Good Health

Dental Insurance Options For The Self Employed

As any Michigan consumer will tell you, the need for dental insurance is a must. Michigan dental insurance is bought to offset the costs associated with dental care. The mere thought of out-of-pocket expenses prevents many Americans from receiving routine and necessary dental treatment.
On average, visits to the dentist cost anywhere from $150.00 for a regular hygiene checkup, to over $1000.00 for serious treatments.
In the state of Michigan, options are available for consumers who seek dental insurance coverage. Obviously, for individuals who have group coverage, then their needs are met. But for the self employed individual, or consumer who receives no benefits, you do have choices.
Various dental plans are available for consumers that are designed to help keep costs down and offset prices associated with regular and emergency dental care. Now, these plans do have limitations on numbers of visits, X-Rays, etc. Added to that, some services may be excluded from covered expenses.
Dental insurance in Michigan includes plans like these:
• Network Plans – Considered to be the most popular, when consumers chose a network plan they have to choose a dentist within their certain network. By doing this, you accept the network price, which usually is very affordable.
• Indemnity Plans – An indemnity plan allows you to select your own dentist. Considered fee for service, majority of these plans have co-pay options. So in turn, you pay a flat fee for your visit, but with an annual limit on coverage
• PPO – PPO Michigan dental plans are limited to a group of specific dentists who are available to provide dental care at a reduced cost.
Another popular option within the state for coverage include Michigan discount dental insurance plans. These types of programs work differently than the insurance plans mentioned above. First, a discount plan does use a network of providers. However after that, the plan differs tremendously for consumers. A discount plan has no maximum amount of benefits for a deductible year. The plan works with an agreeable amount for each service that both you and your dentist agree to within the plan. This can never change, and again their is no limit on benefits.
These discount plans are also administrated by some of the top insurers in the country. That is a concern when discussed, is who administrates the benefits?
Rest assured, their are choices and more importantly affordable choices for Michigan consumers who seek dental insurance. It all comes down to personal preference, as insurance programs and discount programs can fit each individual differently.…

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Health Gov

Quotes For Affordable Orthodontic Insurance – Dental Care

Today, we all need the dentist more than we actually want. Be it old, young, weak, strong, on the upper end or lower end, doctor or street sweeper, we all need the dentist. Dental care seems to play a minimal role within many families which is wrong as it is our health as well. So before you cross it off your checklist, get t know how important it really is. Now, if you’re on a tight budget, then don’t worry, get affordable orthodontic insurance.
When you’ve got insurance for dental care, you are more likely to visit the dentist than you would be without the coverage. This would most likely be because you don’t want to fork out the extra dollars. However, when you don’t have the coverage, you tend to treat aches and swells with over the counter medication. What you don’t know is that you aren’t curing the problem but you might be curing the symptoms to a problem which could only worsen the condition of your oral health.
Use the internet and get the lowest quotes available. If companies are big enough, they would use the internet to promote their services; don’t jump at the first good deal you see, but instead, take down all the information available and look up other companies as well. Once you get all that you need, think about the care that you need basing on your past medical and dental records as well as your current diet. Also take into consideration that anything can happen anytime, so leave some room for unexpected incidents as well.
As soon as you know what you need, draw up a budget plan and see how much you can spend on premiums and such. Then you would be able to determine which plan would suit you best. Also see where the clinics under the insurance are located as it’s always best to have something close to home. If you’re one who likes to travel, go for something with extended networks as well.…

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Whole Food Vitamins

The Benefits of Dental Membership Care

Many private dental practices are now offering their patients a Private Dental Membership plan. Dental Plans can vary from one dental practice to another, and are generally designed to help patients spread the cost of their routine dental care and reduce the costs of other dental treatments.

Patients joining practice memberships generally enjoy a range of special benefits too, from spreading the cost of their routine dental care over 12 months via direct debit payments, to reduced price treatments and other services.

Some of the benefits you might expect from a Dental Membership plan are:

No joining fees. Generally there is no cost to signing up for membership.

Monthly direct debit payments to allow you to spread the cost of your routine dental care ( examinations and hygiene visits).

Reduced price dental treatments compared to paying- as- you- go.

Added benefits, i.e. free exams for members children, reduced priced toothbrushes and other oral hygiene aids, dental insurance, priority access etc. These benefits may vary from practice to practice and are worth asking about.

Health promoting…. encourages regular attendance for patients, as prescribed by your dentist.

Helps the prevention or early detection of oral health problems.

Allows your dentist to regularly screen for gum disease, tooth decay, tooth erosion, bite related problems (that can cause headaches) and oral cancer

Confidence of knowing you have fresh breath following dental hygiene visits.

Regular oral health advice and instruction

Continuity of care.

Your local dental centre will be able to advise you on the specifics involved in membership and what they can offer.…

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Department Of Health

How to Handle Emergency Dental Care Needs

Emergency dental care is not something that you ever want to deal with. However, if it is the middle of the night and you cannot sleep because of your pounding toothache, you may need to do something. What should you do when you are faced with pain, discomfort, and the inability to concentrate on your daily activities because of the pressure you feel? The first thing to do is to know where you can go to get the help you need. In some cases, you will likely have more than one option, too.
It’s a Bad Situation
If you are facing bleeding or very intense pain and it is non-business hours (such as the middle of the night), a good place to go is the ER. Most hospitals can help to stop the immediate problem, such as an infection or the pain through medications. The ER technician is not likely to give you any type of cleaning or root canal, but they can give you the relief you need so that you can make it to a standard dentist appointment the next day. It is also a good idea to visit these facilities if you have been involved in an accident that could have damaged other areas of the head or body.
Find a Same Day Provider
Many of the best dentist offices do offer emergency dental care. These facilities may offer you the ability to get into the office within a few hours at most. Some have late hours that can benefit those who have to work during the day. Many also offer weekend service. The good news is that you can make an appointment and get same day service to handle your specific situation.
Do You Need Same Day Service?
Sometimes, such appointments can cost more than standard office visits. How do you know if you should head in right now or if you can wait until the next available appointment? If you are in very bad pain or the condition is limiting your ability to talk, breath, or chew, it is best to be seen right away. If you are able to reduce the pain significantly with over the counter medications, then this may be a good option until you can get in for an appointment.
Sometimes, emergency dental care does not cost any more than making an appointment with an office for the following day. The key is not to put off your dental needs. Get in and get the care you need before the problem gets worse and becomes much more difficult to treat. Pain is not something you should have to deal with for a long time.…

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Health Department

Conquering Dental Fear

What is Dental Fear?
Dental Fear is the most common fear found in individuals around the world. Most of them do not like to visit a dentist even if they are aware of the importance of dental care. This is because people tend to carry a fear of the pain that is associated with any type of dental problems. Even if they haven’t visited a dentist, the fear is lives there. According to the statistics revealed, dentists rank the top of the most feared type of doctors.
Source of Dental fear
The causes of dental fears are mostly familiar and common. Just like all other fears the dental fear can also be eliminated from ones mind. For this the source of the fear has to be found. These sources could be any one of the following
Bad Experience with a dentist.
The most common reason why people ignore the dentists is for feeling of humiliation and embarrassment for their dental condition. Certain dental procedures might be painful, this could be a reason for the dental fear. You might have heard of someone having a bad experience with a dentist. Having this in mind your perception towards dentists are also the same.
Secrets to Overcome Dental Fear
The dental fear takes place in the mind as it goes with other fears. So the best way to overcome this fear will be through psychological methods that will help you to eradicate the fear from your mind. But it is not for sure that following their methods will eradicate the fears altogether. This method of advice or treatment will make you realize that the dental fear in you is illogical. This will increase your interests in caring and visiting for dental care.
Making Comforts at Dental care
All of you will know that undergoing dental procedures and checkups can be scary at times. This is a common fear among the people. These fears are subjected with psychological fears with the dental care. The best way to overcome this fear is by re-learning about the experiences which are most common among children. This can be tried by conducting basic checkups wherein the doctor uses a mouth mirror to examine the teeth. If the children do not show any signs of objections and fear, then the dentist can go for further elaborated test. Following these steps makes sure that the individual is in his comfort zone when the dentist is examining. This is the most common step taken by the dentist when examining an adult.
Being in control
You have to be in control when the dentists are examining. The idea is letting the dentist know you are comfortable during the proceedings. It is important that you remain in your comfort zone and effectively communicate with the dentist so they will also know your state. If you get anxious or nervous at any particular situation, it will be good to send out a warning signal to your dentist. He will then stop the proceedings.…

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Health Department

Prevent Dog Heart Disease or Dog Liver Disease With Proper Dental Health

Dog Teeth and Heart Disease or Dog Liver Disease Can Be Linked
Last time we described how important “inspecting” your dog’s teeth and gums was to his or her health as well as your peace of mind and wallet. After 20 years of raising our Dalmatians, we have learned a lot about critical dental care. We want to share what we have learned to help others as they care for their own “best friend”. Dog teeth and heart disease and periodontal disease are linked.
Routine Veterinary Visits are Important
A cardinal rule regular vet exams. The plaque we described earlier actually turns into tartar, or calculus- quickly. Bacteria can develop, It can eat away at the teeth and gums.
Many problems like dog bad breath, dog periodontal disease, dog heart disease, oral pain and tooth loss occur. The bacteria can cause disease in the mouth, dog liver disease or heart disease in a dog.
The key here is prevention. When that does not work, early detection and correction are important. Take care of dental disease as soon as you suspect it, no matter how minor it may at first appear. Of course, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure so, work hard to prevent it!
Prevention Is the First Line of Defense
You know the steps in preventing dog dental disease. Keep a regular regimen of inspecting your dog’s teeth and gums. Observe problems and attend to them early. Brush your dog’s teeth. This will reduce the chance of dog heart disease or dog liver disease.
Professional Care Issues
From time to time, a professional dental cleaning may be necessary. The first time we had this done for Lady – it was a shocker – and expensive. But it was critical and we did have to have it completed. Some dogs need dental cleanings one or more times per year, while others can go longer.
The entire procedure requires the same work as you and I have at our dentists. The process usually requires a general anesthesia. With the dog sedated, the vet will clean your dog’s teeth and clean the gums. That is also an excellent time to get a thorough and expert examination for problems.
Each procedure will most likely be fashioned to meet your dog’s individual needs. But generally, the vet will scale and polish the teeth. The vet may find that some problems a best resolved with a tooth extraction. Your vet may even refer you to a – wait for it – a veterinary dentist for specialty procedures.
Sedation Has It’s Risks
Now for the final warning. Your daily care is critical to preventing dog heart disease and dog liver disease, your wallet and even your dog’s safety. You should discuss this with your vet in detail. Sedating a dog is serious and requires a vet and staff that know their responsibilities. Our experience was a real awakening for us. During her procedure, Lady was “rolled over” to get to a few teeth in one part of her mouth. Sedation relaxes many muscles in a dog – include those supporting their digestive system and stomach. The “rolling” actually twisted her stomach and caused a constriction that the vet “missed” the next day.
We picked Lady up and took her home in less than 48 hours from her procedure she swelled up and began salivating severely. It was late at night – off to the emergency vet clinic we went. Over 15 hours and a lot of very tender care were needed to save Lady. We rubbed, an sat with her for hours.…