Karen’s Free Health and Fitness Tips

Your child’s Dental Care begins before birth. Did you know that your child’s teeth can begin the first stage of development in the fetus between the third and sixth month of pregnancy and as soon as 6 weeks? This is when the basic substance is formed. A soon to be mom should practice healthy eating habits early on. Good nutrition is very important during pregnancy for the proper dental care, oral health in the development of a child’s teeth. The right amounts of calcium, vitamin C, vitamin D and phosphorus are needed to be included in a mother’s diet, along with dairy, soy products, leafy greens and fortified cereals. Certain medications should be avoided during pregnancy, like tetracycline, it can cause harm to the substance found in the developing teeth of the embryo.

Your Child’s first visit to the Dentist
It is very important to make sure your child’s first visit to the Dentist is a pleasant experience. We all know how important first impressions are, they can last a lifetime. Your child’s first visit should be between the age of 1 and 2. The dentist can check for the beginning signs of tooth decay and also suggest a fluoride treatment to help prevent decay. You can also discuss with him, thumb sucking, a habit most children develop. He can advise you on some of the methods used to break this habit and help prevent the dangers to the developing teeth. Inform the dentist about any illness or medications your child may be taking. If you don’t understand any of the recommendations, don’t be afraid to ask for a more detailed explanation.

Many people mistakenly assume that all their dental needs are covered by their health insurance plans. While many health insurance plans – most notably HMOs – may offer some dental coverage, most of your dental needs won’t be covered by the typical health insurance plan. In fact, you may even find that a dental insurance plan only goes so far in covering your true dental costs. Supplemental dental insurance can help cover your out of pocket expenses, or lower your dental costs with participation in various dental plans.

Supplemental dental insurance is not meant to be your primary dental insurance. Rather, it’s meant to help cover the costs associated with your dental needs which may not be covered by your primary health or dental coverage. There are several varieties of dental insurance supplement plans, but they fall under a few broad categories.

Dental Discount Plans

A dental discount plan is designed to lower dental costs by leveraging the large number of their members to negotiate lower prices for their members. Discount dental plans aren’t actually dental insurance, but they do lower your dental costs by passing the savings on to you. You save money by getting your dental care and serviced provided by their member dentists. When you pay, you present your dental discount plan member card, and are billed at the discounted price for members. A discount dental plan can cost as little as $5 per month per person covered.

Dental care is part of the health issues. It is very important in our life as teeth are not renewable. Teeth are essential for chewing food and healthy teeth contribute a lot to a person’s beauty. Nowadays, many people have started to think deeply about this. As a result, the insurance companies have come out with specific health plans that cover dental issues.

Dental care insurance is indeed important for those people whose work is related to beauty smile. The professions like air steward and air stewardess, actor and actress, public relation officer, singer, beautician, model, broadcaster, etc, need regular dental care and teeth maintenance. This type of insurance is to fulfill their requirements to cover all the dental bills.

Under this health plan, all the dental issues are clearly specified and fully covered. Even regular checkups are covered. Indirectly it has encouraged the policy holders to go for checkups frequently to maintain a baseline of dental health. Besides, one of the main treatments that covered by the insurance is the cleaning treatment which protects the teeth from all types of infections.

In case you’re wondering, yes, there is still such a thing as cheap dental care, if you know what you’re looking for and you’re willing to think “outside the box”. Everyone knows about dental insurance because insurance in general is what most people usually look for when they’re in need of some type of coverage. However, in this case, dental insurance is not necessarily the best cheap dental care option available to you. Let me explain why.

Dental insurance does not immediately cover pre-existing conditions. This means that if you are suffering from tooth pain or need to have an abscessed tooth pulled right away that you’ll have to pay for all of it yourself. Dental insurance plans require a waiting period of usually one year before they’ll begin providing coverage for any type of existing conditions. Even then they may not cover 100% of the cost.

If you think about it for a moment, this really makes complete sense. If you go and get a new insurance policy on your vehicle they’re going to do an inspection of it and take pictures of any damage that was already there. Well, dental insurance is the same way. The insurance company doesn’t want to pay for problems that you had before you came to see them.

Staying current with dental care cleanings and treatments is important - regardless of your age.

In today’s economy, however, some look at preventive dental care treatments as an extra cost that can be cut. Unfortunately, doing this tends to only lead to more painful situations - for both your teeth and your pocket book.

First, we’ll explore the challenges of paying for dental care for each age group, including children, students, newlyweds and seniors. Then, we’ll provide a solution that can help make dental care more affordable at any age.

Dental Care Budgeting Challenges for Each Age Group

Children from Kindergarten to 12th Grade

For families on limited budgets, or families just temporarily hurting from the tough economy, preventive visits to the dentist may get lost in the budget cuts.

This is unfortunate, because dental disease currently accounts for 51 million lost school hours per year, and it is preventable in most cases.

Many parents share the misconception that dental care can be postponed until their children’s baby teeth are replaced by adult teeth. But on the contrary, dental health issues from childhood often transfer to adult teeth.

The latest definition of pediatric dentistry as given by the ADA is as follows:-

“Pediatric dentistry is an age-defined specialty that provides primary and comprehensive preventive and therapeutic health care for infants and children through adolescence, including those with special health care needs.”

This definition given by the ADA is very comprehensive and covers a whole lot of points. Firstly, the clause “age-defined” points out that, pediatric dentists have no limitations on the type of treatments they offer and it is specifically done for infants and children through adolescence till a specific age. The primary and comprehensive care part signifies that there is no need for a referral of patients. Parents can get their children treated just as they do it with a paediatrician. The definition also lays out that pediatric dentists will treat children right from infancy till their late teens.

It’s often been said that a dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human’s. That’s never been proven, but the fact remains that dogs put their mouths places humans would never dare to (or be able to, for that matter). Dogs don’t think twice about sifting through garbage, digging in the yard and licking themselves wherever they can reach. They also use their mouths to carry toys as well as dirty “treasures” from the yard. With their mouths working overtime, good dental care for dogs should be a priority for any dog owner.

A dog’s teeth can be a good indication of overall health. But as important as good dental hygiene is for dogs, many dog owners overlook it. Just like in humans, it’s important to practice routine oral maintenance on your dog. Not only can it help its teeth stay healthy now, but it can also protect against more serious issues later.

If bacteria are allowed to grow in a dog’s mouth, plaque can accumulate on the teeth. If it’s not addressed, it can escalate to more serious concerns. Since a dog’s mouth is used to play and eat, among other things, it’s important to keep it in top shape. The best way to do this is through maintenance and prevention.

What is Fluoride?

Fluoride is derived from fluorine and exists naturally in water sources. It is the thirteenth most common element in the Earth’s crust. Fluoride helps prevent and even reverse the early stages of tooth decay. It strengthens tooth enamel, the outer layer of our teeth, so it can better resist the acid formed by plaque. Fluoride also allows teeth damaged by acid to remineralize (repair themselves). Fluoride is especially critical to the health of developing teeth in children.

Why is Fluoride Controversial?

The addition of fluoride to the water supply is dangerous and damaging and some advocacy groups publish reports on the hazards of fluoridation. They point to toxicity warnings on toothpaste, concluding that any substance needing such careful dosage must be dangerous.

In response to these claims, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reviewed research on dental cavities prevention and public policy. The NIH agreed with anti-fluoride activists that many studies in this area are of poor quality, however, the NIH panel concluded that the unevenness of research does not invalidate the clear benefits of fluoride. The NIH stated that the dramatic reductions in tooth decay in the past 30 years are due to fluoridation of the water supply, and parents and health professionals should continue to ensure that children receive enough fluoride to prevent cavities.

Clean and shining teeth, healthy gums and pleasant breath all contribute to a beautiful smile. Ayurveda believes in the three doshas vaata, pitta and kapha, the mouth is the seat of the kapha dosha. Hence, care must be taken not to vitiate the kapha dosha. Problems with the kapha dosha lead to several dental problems. Many methods are known to Ayurveda to maintain healthy teeth.

Causes of Dental Problems

· Blocking of food particles

· Excessive tartar formation, bad breath, inflammation and ulceration of gums, bleeding from gums

· Toothache due following reasons:

· Dental cavities/decay, consumption of soft drinks, refined carbohydrates, and sugar. Use of too cold or too hot foods/drinks, use of tobacco, khaini, gutka, betal. Smoking, pricking of toothpicks or other such modes to remove trapped food particles within tooth-gaps. Trauma, Accident/Fracture of Jaw-bone, lack of dental hygiene/care.

General Dental Care

Your teeth are the most important part of your body. If you are going to take care of them, they will help take care of you. In fact, healthy teeth help you chew the right foods and speak clearly. They also help you look at your best and let you enjoy a bright smile that may further work wonders to enhance your personal and social life. Believe it! Nothing can be better than a genuine smile that may make an impact on the person next to you and charm him or her with a fresh breath. But not every one of us is blessed with beautiful set of teeth or fresh breath. However, few basic dental care practices can protect you from dental disease, cavities and enjoy a broad smile. Moreover, a proper dental care can also help in preventing from digestive problems.

Here are few basic tips or methods that can be easily followed in day-to-day life and may help you in protecting your teeth-

Brushing: