Is Your Child's Dentist a Pediatric Specialist?

Many parents take their children to the Pediatrician for their expertise and training in the treatment of children and adolescents. This is also the idea behind the Pediatric Dentist. A Pediatric Dentist has completed additional education beyond dental school in an officially recognized specialty program. They are the Pediatricians of Dentistry.

If a dental practice says they treat children, are they "Pediatric Specialists"? Well, maybe --and maybe not. If you saw an add for these practices, wouldn't you think they are specialists in Pediatric Dentistry? Fact is, you cannot tell by the name or the advertisements:

Kids-R-Us
Little Smiles
Wee folks

I have run into an increasing phenomenon of practices "pretending" to be specialists in Pediatric Dentistry. They are usually general dentists who have set up a business model to emphasize the treatment of children. The most common manifestation is the clinic or practice treating mainly Medicaid insured patients. Now, a general dentist can legally treat children usually as part of a family practice. In fact, some general dentists do a good job, but do not have the additional specialty training and education of a Pediatric Dentist. In most states it is illegal to call onself a Pediatric specialist if one is not. These practices usually do not offer the full range of services as the specialist. Marketing can easily decieve the public. Don't assume that, if a practice looks like a kid's dentist, that they really are specialists.

Make sure your child's dentist is really a specialist in Pediatric Dentistry. If you are not sure, ask. Ask specifically if the dentist is a specialist in Pediatric Dentistry. Listen for the answer. If they say, "our dentists treat children" or "yes, we see children" or, "our practice is dedicated to treating children", they really did not answer your question. You need to be specific and get a specific answer. You can even research on where they did their specialty residency after dental school. Some states requre a specialty license. Now, sometimes there is a group practice that does actually have a Pediatric specialist on staff. However, is the dentist that is treating your child the specialist?--or, is that Pediatric Dentist retired, or only come in every other Friday? It could be that most of the dentists seeing your child are actually general dentists. Ask.

How Dental Science Affected This Year's Super Bowl

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DENTAL NEWS: Did you know that 35 members of the Super Bowl winning New Orleans Saints wore custom mouth guards that utilized the latest in Neuromuscular dentistry science?

Did you know that these cool new mouth guards probably played little if any role in helping the Saints beat the Colts 31-17 last Sunday?

Last September, these 35 New Orleans Saints players were fit using the J5 Myomonitor -- a special unit designed by Myotronics, Inc. -- to relax the muscles of the face so as to better to find the optimal biting position. Once this 'perfect position' is pinpointed, a dental impression is taken and the mouth guard is fabricated. With the jaw in the optimal position athletes have reported better range of motion, flexibility and balance as well as improved body posture.

This isn't the first time Neuromuscular dentistry has been in the spotlight. The Myotronics, Inc. company's Neuromuscular dentistry system has been featured in both the USA TODAY newspaper and on Monday night football by ESPN football commentator Jon Gruden.

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DENTAL VIEWS: Maybe my beloved New York Giants football team will utilize these new mouth guards next year to improve upon their dismal record they had this past season.

Related Blog Posts
Cosmetic Dentistry Secrets The Dental Industry Doesn't Want You To Know ( March 20, 2007 )
When Is A Dental Emergency An Emergency? ( February 7, 2009 )

Pick Your Doctor

Our practice is certainly unique:

Alabama Pediatric Dental Associates and Orthodontics

Baby Oral Health Tips Via The ADA

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Dental News
Seeing as how February is National Children's Dental Health Month (and you thought it was only Black History month), the American Dental Association (ADA) has issued several tips on the importance that proper dental care plays in the future health of children, in particular when they're still babies.

The ADA recommends that parents act proactively in this critic stage of a child's development to insure the health of their children's teeth because attitudes and habits established at such an early age are critical in maintaining good oral health throughout life.

Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
Baby bottle tooth decay can destroy your child's teeth. It occurs when a child is frequently exposed to sugary liquids such as milk, including breast milk, fruit juice and other sweet liquids. The ADA recommends the following steps to prevent your child from getting baby bottle tooth decay.

* Begin clearing your baby's mouth during the first few days after birth. After every feeding, wipe the baby's gums with a damp washcloth or gauze pad to remove plaque.

* Never allow your child to nurse or breast feed for prolonged periods and don't give him or her a bottle with milk, formula, sugar water or fruit juice during naps or at night in bed.

* Help your child develop good eating habits early and choose sensible, nutritious snacks.

* Encourage children to drink from a cup by their first birthday.

* Discourage frequent use of a training cup.

Baby's First Dentist Visit
The ADA recommends regular dental check-ups, including a visit to the dentist within six months of the eruption of the first tooth, and no later than the child's first birthday. Preventive care such as cleanings and fluoride treatment provide your child with "smile" insurance. Routine dental exams uncover problems that can be treated in the early stages, when damage is minimal and restorations may be small. When necessary, X-rays are taken to see how the teeth are developing and to spot hidden decay.

Related Blog Posts
New Perinatal And Infant Oral Health Guidelines ( June 14, 2009 )
Back To School Means Back To The Dentist Too ( July 27, 2008 )

Dental Insurance Vs. Discount Dental Plans - Which Is Best?

You're searching to save money on your dental bills. But will dental allowance or a abatement dental plan save you the a lot of money? Here's a allegory that will appearance you which one is best for you.



Dental Allowance Plans



With dental allowance you pay a account exceptional for which you accept dental work. The plan provider reimburses your dentist for allotment of the work, usually 50% to 80%, again you're amenable for paying the rest.



Insurance affairs usually accept a set deductible and banned on the bulk of casework you can accept aural a accustomed year.



There are aswell cat-and-mouse periods of 3 to 12 months afore you can accept dental treatment, and preexisting altitude are not covered.



Premiums for one being boilerplate out to $200 to $500 per year, and you can accept your own dentist.



Discount Dental Plans



With abatement dental affairs you pay a annual exceptional for which you accept 10% to 60% discounts on all your dental work. There are no cat-and-mouse periods afore you can see a dentist or dental specialist, and preexisting altitude are covered.



You can see a dentist aural one to three canicule afterwards abutting a plan and get all the dental plan you need.



Discount dental affairs accept no banned on the bulk of plan you can accept done, and there are no deductibles. There are no form-filling and paperwork hassles like there are with dental insurance, and abatement dental affairs awning corrective dentistry which dental allowance doesn't.



With these affairs you can accept from over thirty civic networks, and added than 100,000 dentists and dental specialists.



Premiums for one being alpha at $80 a year.



Bottom Line



Last year I bare two fillings, two basis canals, and a amount of crowns replaced. When I arrested out dental allowance affairs I begin that none of the plan I bare was covered. In addition, I would accept to delay for six months afore I could get any added plan done, and the annual exceptional was $420.



I again took a attending a abatement dental plans. What a difference!



All of the plan I bare was covered, I was able to see a dentist the aforementioned anniversary I active up for the plan, and my antecedent assay was free.



Not alone did I save added than $2,500, but I begin a dentist who was around painless, and who took the time to explain every procedure.



If you charge plan now or in the approaching and wish to save a lot of money on your dental work, abatement dental affairs are the way to go.

Is Dental Insurance Even Necessary?

In a recent survey of the most wanted work benefits and perks, health insurance was at the top of the list. That's only to be expected. Everyone knows that you need health insurance. It might come as a surprise, though, that the second most desired work benefit is dental insurance. Why is dental insurance so important and necessary?

Anyone who has ever suffered a toothache can tell you that when your teeth hurt, your whole world seems to become one throbbing, aching tooth. There are few things that can disrupt your day more than a bad tooth.



And yet, most people don't consider dental insurance to be that important - and major employers are only just starting to realize what a potent piece of their employee benefit dental insurance is. Dental health is far more important than most people realize, and doctors are realizing that more and more each day.

Dental health is closely tied to overall physical health in ways that most people are only beginning to realize. Gingivitis - infection of the soft tissues of the mouth - can easily become systemic infection that requires hospitalization.



Misaligned teeth can cause neck pain and headache, and broken teeth can open the way to opportunistic infections that can, in the worst-case scenario, be fatal. Neglecting your teeth is neglecting your health.

Without dental insurance, many adults neglect routine dental care because it's simply too expensive. A simple filling averages $125-$200 depending where in the country you live. Routine examinations and cleanings - recommended at least once a year for adults - average $75 and up, and a full set of dental x-rays can easily cost over $200.



The cost for emergency services is even higher. A root canal - one of the most common oral surgeries - can approach $1,000. And cosmetic dentistry - from whitening teeth to full replacement bridges - averages $1500 to $3000, depending on the procedure.

Good dental insurance reduces the cost of routine dental care, often paying in full for one set of x-rays and a cleaning each year. That routine care can prevent many of the more expensive emergencies. Even more important, routine dental examinations can often turn up the first signs of more serious health problems - the first signs of illnesses like diabetes are often found in your mouth.



Comprehensive dental insurance is one of the key ingredients in good health care.

Is dental insurance really necessary? The answer is an unqualified yes.

Mansi aggarwal recommends that you visit free online dental insurance quote for more information.

Health Insurance Plan Online Searching Tips

It has never been so simple to acquisition a acceptable dental or bloom allowance plan nowadays because of the advance of internet technology. But it is aswell simple for scams and artifice to advance over online. One should be accurate if allotment a dental or medical allowance plan using online seek tools.



There are some websites that advertise abatement dental or bloom affairs now. Is such a plan good? A abatement bloom plan is not a bloom insurance. Associates don't accept to pay premium. But they accept to pay affiliate fees.



Associates are said to get abundant abatement in acknowledgment if they appearance their affiliate cars at plan providers. It is said that associates can save a lot of money while they still get acceptable casework after affairs a bloom allowance policy. There are a lot of added advantages according to some online promoters. Following is a allegory amid abatement dental plan and acceptable dental insurance:



DISCOUNT DENTAL PLAN Characteristics Include:



No banned - plan associates accept discounts on a lot of dental affliction casework all the time.



Quick activation - actuate aural a few canicule

Less paperwork - associates just charge to appearance their abatement dental plan agenda at a accommodating dentist appointment

No bloom restrictions

Select affairs cover discounts on dental specialties, including corrective dentistry and orthodontics

Available anon to individuals, families, businesses and groups



DENTAL INSURANCE Characteristics Include:



Limitations, deductibles and anniversary maximums

Waiting for above dental procedures

Time-consuming claims action

Certain dental casework are rarely covered

Consumers pay big-ticket premiums



Looks like there are a lot of benefits.



But the key catechism is: Does the money account it? My claimed acquaintance and my accepted faculty acquaint me no. I acclimated to buy some agnate abatement bloom plan. It was not expensive, alone a few hundred dollars a year. But it doesn't save our my at all. Some doctors or dentists usually accord some abatement to one who doesn't accept a insurance. And they couldn't accord added abatement any added even if you are a affiliate of a abatement plan.



The money for a doctor appointment varies a lot depending on doctors.



Some doctor visits amount abundant beneath money than others even one doesn't accept any abatement dental plan membership. So it doesn't accomplish faculty to buy a abatement dental or bloom plan to save money for me. If you absolutely wants to save money, try to acquisition a acceptable doctor or try to acquisition a acceptable allowance plan online. You don't charge a agent. It is free,easy and quick.



Another tip for online bloom plan analytic is to compare. Choose a few reliable bloom allowance seek accoutrement to get some quotes and to analyze them.



It is chargeless and easy. Then you can accomplish your accommodation to buy a bloom allowance policy. Choose allowance providers whose articles and casework are aggressive and reliable.

Dental Insurance -- A Must Have

Most of us have gone through the paining experience of shaving nicks and toothaches. Although a nick is a matter of few days but the toothache will require a good sum of money out of your pocket to get rid of it. It is very important to keep track of your dental care as it is very important for your health.

The expensive dental treatment gave birth to the must-have dental insurance to overcome the expenditure on dental treatment. Previously only big companies insured its employees for dental problems but now many small companies provide facility of dental insurance to its employees.



This leads to increase in productivity and less sick time as the employees are healthier. What's more, all this for the cost of only ten percent of the total medical coverage?

You can select the most suitable option from the different options for dental insurance plans available to you.

Some of the most expensive plans for dental insurance include direct reimbursement plans. In these direct reimbursement plans the company pays directly for the treatment of its employees from the money reserved for this purpose.



The reimbursement to the employees is done by a simple formula to calculate the reimbursement money by calculating the deductibles and complexity of co-payments. Although these direct reimbursement plans may not be affordable by smaller companies but the ADA strongly recommends this plan.

The most cheap plan for dental care is the "Managed care plans" that is similar to those medical HMO. Regular co-payments are used to pay for the treatment but the main clause is that there is a specified pool of dentists from where the employees can get their treatment from.



This plan is most suitable plan for small businesses. In "Managed care plans" the amount of co-payment varies with the procedures adopted. While advanced procedures will have to bear higher co-payments, the co-payment is not required in case of preventive procedures.

It depends on the company, its policies and financial managers to select the best plan for their company that could benefit the employees to the maximum.

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