I have an overbite and overcrowding. The orthodontists said that I have to get top braces first and then 6 months after I get the bottom braces.  I am getting brace in about three week from now.  I like to know will they hurt a lot. What food will I be able to eat and what food should I not get while I have braces. How will braces feel in my mouth and any suggestion in band colors or colors to stay away from

Xerostomia or other wise know as dry mouth is a common problem among older adults. According to the Oral Cancer Foundation an estimates that 20 percent of elderly people suffer from dry mouth.  Dry mouth is also a hidden cause of tooth loss and gum disease in 30 percent of adults.

There are many reasons why you may have dry mouth but for older adults one large factor is that dry mouth can be a side effect to many medications. Medications such as blood pressure, decongestants, antidepressants and pain pill other medications may also cause dry mouth so if you are experiencing dry mouth issue be siree to discuss treatment options with your dentist.

Most people know that smoking is bad for your over all health and can cause a multitude of health related problems, however smoking is also a major contributor to many dental problems.   Here are some dental problems that are associated with smoking or using tobacco. Gum disease, receding gums, stained and discolored teeth, tooth loss due to gums disease, bad breath, tartar build up which can lead to tooth decay, and oral cancer.

It hopefully goes without saying that one should quit smoking to avoid oral and dental problem associated with smoking as well as the multitude of health problems.  However, if you are a smoker not quitting they make sure to see your dentist at least twice a year and more if advise by your dentist.

If you are thinking about buying dental insurance you should not wait until you need to have a root canal. Many dental insurance companies have waiting periods before certain coverage’s are in effect. By waiting until you need dental insurance you may not have benefits for the dental service needed. Therefore buying dental insurance well in advance of treatment is best advised.

Dental insurance cost can be a large factor for many seniors that live on a fixed income. Are you looking for the most affordable dental insurance rates with dental benefits that best fit your needs ? On this website we provide dental plan options such as Dental discount plans, Dental HMO insurance plans and Dental PPO’s and Indemnity insurance plans. By providing a large range of dental insurance plan types and options it make it easier to find a dental insurance plan that fits your budget and your dental needs without having to spend hours or even days searching different sites to compare dental plans.

If you are a senior then you know the importance of your oral health care and how it is linked to your over all health and wellness. Therefore seeing a dentist as advise is an important part of maintaining your oral and dental health. Dental insurance provide coverage’s that help keep your costs more affordable when you visit your dentist for treatment. In most cases dental insurance plans provide free to very low cost preventive care services. By maintaining preventive dental care helps to avoid having larger dental care needs in the future.

In California this website provide many good low cost dental insurance plans which are available for seniors. Dental HMO insurance plans provides dental insurance services at a much more affordable cost making it easier for many seniors to budget in there dental care needs. Dental discount plan also are low cost plans that help to reduce the cost of dental care services. Take a moment to review the many different dental insurance plan options and please call member services if you have any questions about the dental insurance plans we offer.

It is important to understand with most dental insurance plans there will be out of pocket costs. Out of Pocket costs is any amount the enrollee is responsible for paying, such as coinsurance or co-payments, deductibles, and costs above the annual maximum.

Dental Bonding is a composite resin applied to a tooth to change its shape and /or color. Bonding can also refers to how a filling, orthodontic appliance or some fixed partial dentures are attached to teeth.

Jaw and facial pain is a common problem affecting millions of people worldwide. It causes many treatment challenges in the healthcare community when it comes to diagnosis and treatment.

As there are so many potential causes to jaw pain, correct diagnosis is vital. Doctors need to identify the exact cause in order to provide the best course of pain-relieving treatments.

Question: Does baking soda whiten teeth I do not have money to spend on whiten products but I been told that baking soda can whiten your teeth. Is this true.

Answer: While baking soda can help to brighten and prevent discoloration of your teeth, it will not necessarily make your teeth a whiter shade of white. You will probably need a whitening product that contains bleach for that.

Receding gums are also known as gingival recession. The pink gum tissue normally covers the root of the tooth. This can become exposed when the gum is pushed back or if the tooth is in an abnormal position.

Receding gums are common and often unnoticed at an early stage. There are many risk factors, but age is a main one – 88 percent of people older than 65 have receding gums in at least one tooth.

A new method of stimulating the renewal of living stem cells in tooth pulp using an Alzheimer’s drug has been discovered by a team of researchers at King’s College London.

Following trauma or an infection, the inner, soft pulp of a tooth can become exposed and infected. In order to protect the tooth from infection, a thin band of dentine is naturally produced and this seals the tooth pulp, but it is insufficient to effectively repair large cavities. Currently dentists use man-made cements or fillings, such as calcium and silicon-based products, to treat these larger cavities and fill holes in teeth. This cement remains in the tooth and fails to disintegrate, meaning that the normal mineral level of the tooth is never completely restored.

However, in a paper published today in Scientific Reports, scientists from the Dental Institute at King’s College London have proven a way to stimulate the stem cells contained in the pulp of the tooth and generate new dentine – the mineralised material that protects the tooth – in large cavities, potentially reducing the need for fillings or cements.

Dental Caries (cavities), is an infection of the teeth, which represent another physiological burden, especially important for those whose systems are already weakened by diseases and aging. In 1988-94 nearly one-third of adults 65 years of age and older with natural teeth had untreated dental cavities in either the crown or the root of their teeth. Dental caries is one of the main causes of tooth loss for both young and old adults. Although the prevalence of dental caries has declined in the U.S. overall, declines have not occurred among the most socially disadvantaged groups of older adults.

Scientists have developed a dental implant containing a reservoir for the slow release of drugs. Laboratory tests in which the reservoir slowly released a strong antimicrobial agent showed that the new implant can prevent and eliminate bacterial biofilms – a major cause of infection associated with dental implants.
dental implant with reservoir

The researchers, from various departments at KU Leuven in Belgium, describe how they designed and tested the implant in a paper published in the journal European Cells & Materials.

The quality of today’s dental prostheses (dentures and partials) can help persons who have lost some or all of their natural teeth improve their quality of life by restoring lost function and esthetics.

“Chew your food!” This is a phrase likely to have been heard by many of us during childhood. According to a new study, we would be wise to take that advice. Researchers have found that chewing food prompts the release of an immune cell that can protect against infection.

The study, recently published in the journal Immunity, found that chewing food – otherwise known as mastication – can stimulate the release of T helper 17 (Th17) cells in the mouth.

Th17 cells form a part of the adaptive immune system, which uses specific antigens to defend against potentially harmful pathogens, while enduring “friendly” bacteria that can be beneficial to health.

According to the study team, led by Dr. Joanne Konkel of the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, in the gut and the skin, Th17 cells are produced through the presence of friendly bacteria.

However, the researchers note that the mechanisms by which Th17 cells are produced in the mouth have been unclear.

Oral health problems can hinder a person’s ability to be free of pain and discomfort, to be able to maintain a satisfying and nutritious diet, and to enjoy interpersonal relationships and a have positive self-image. Oral and dental health problems are more frequently found in an older adult population for whom other health problems are often more of a priority. However studies show links to poor oral health and over all health care issues and therefore should not be seen as not important, since oral health is connected to your overall health care.

Even though most seniors understand that their dental care is important many do not see a dentist regularly due to increasing dental care cost.  However seniors seeking to reduce the cost of their dental care services should give thought into buying dental insurance. There are many good low cost HMO dental insurance plan that are affordable under tight budgets and can make a big difference in the cost of dental care. Stop putting off your dental care needs and look into buying dental insurance to make dental care more affordable.

CHICAGO,  A report in the February issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) shows that dental benefits play a significant role in meeting the dental needs of children, including checkups and treatments. The study is particularly timely as February is National Children’s Dental Health Month.

The report finds U.S. children enrolled in private or public dental care plans were more likely to receive dental care than children who did not have coverage from 1997 to 2014. The study also showed that unmet dental needs of children who were enrolled in a dental care plan, private or public, steadily decreased from 2009 to 2014.

Why do some people develop cavities even though they always brush their teeth carefully while others are less stringent regarding dental hygiene yet do not have any holes? Ultimately, both have bacteria on the surface of their teeth which can attack the enamel. Enamel forms via the mineralization of specific enamel proteins. If the outer layer of the teeth is defective, tooth decay can strike.

Researchers from the University of Zurich have now pinpointed a gene complex for the first time that is responsible for the formation of tooth enamel. Two teams from the Centre of Dental Medicine and the Institute of Molecular Life Sciences used mice with varying mutations of the enamel proteins involved in the so-called Wnt signaling pathway. Thanks to this transmission route, human and animal cells respond to external signals and specifically activate selected genes in the cell nucleus. The signaling pathway is essential for embryonal development and also plays a pivotal role in the development of cancer or physical malformations.

Estrogen therapy has already been credited with helping women manage an array of menopause-related issues, including reducing hot flashes, improving heart health and bone density, and maintaining levels of sexual satisfaction. Now a new study suggests that the same estrogen therapy used to treat osteoporosis can actually lead to healthier teeth and gums. The study outcomes are being published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS).

Denture-induced stomatitis is caused by ill-fitting dentures, poor dental hygiene, or a buildup of the fungus Candida albicans cause this condition, which is inflammation of the tissue underlying a denture.

According to the latest data, diabetes affects approximately 422 million people worldwide, and this number is expected to increase.

In the United States, 29 million people live with the disease. Of these, over 8 million people have it but have not been diagnosed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC also estimate that 37 percent of American adults over the age of 20 have prediabetes.

New research – published in the journal BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care – suggests severe gum disease, or periodontitis, might be an early sign of diabetes.

The authors also suggest a simple finger stick diabetes screening procedure could be carried out in the dental office to avoid the adverse effects of leaving diabetes untreated.

 For some as we age we can start to have receding gum issues. This is when the gum recedes from the tooth. When this happens the tooth root is exposed and has a higher risk of tooth decay.