Karen’s Free Health and Fitness Tips

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:

Healthcare reform is being hotly debated across the country right now, but the need for dental services isn’t being discussed. The cost for just healthcare is in the trillions and just like employer based insurance, dental is an afterthought. Everyone needs to have their teeth checked and the price for these services isn’t going down any time soon. Many people no longer get dental through their employer and the government health reforms won’t have any affect on that; the government also won’t be providing it through a public health system. The good news is that there are many options available to the general public to keep your families teeth in good shape.

Dental insurance is the most common type of plan that people think of when they are shopping around. Companies like Delta Dental, Cigna and Metlife all offer these plans and they usually cost in the hundreds each month for a family of four. They usually have some limits on how many times you can go to the dentist and what kinds of things you can have done. Teeth whitening and other cosmetic work isn’t covered, but most of the services your family needs are taken care of with a small co-pay. Depending on your budget, these plans work for most Americans as long as you are willing to pay on a monthly basis.

So you think you need harsh chemicals to fight gingivitis, bad breath or tooth plaque? Not so! Natural therapies for oral hygiene can boost your gum disease fighting power both inside and out. Let’s examine a few of the most popular natural therapies used today.

Herbal Natural Therapies for Oral Hygiene

Certain herbs have antibacterial properties and can aid in your oral hygiene routine as well as make your breath smell a little sweeter. Essential oils of almond, peppermint and spearmint, for example, may all be rubbed around the base of the gums as therapies for oral hygiene.

Tea tree oil has even more bacterial-fighting agents than the essential oils previously mentioned as therapies for oral hygiene. Adding a few drops of tea tree oil to your toothbrush during regular brushing will leave your gums feeling clean and invigorated.

Green tea has been credited for centuries as one of the best natural therapies for oral hygiene. The Chinese have long used green tea as an oral rinse for daily mouth care. Green tea contains powerful antioxidants that also help boost the immune system.

Vitamin Natural Therapies for Oral Hygiene

It is very important for a killer smile to have a set of well-arranged and pearly white teeth. There are many who not have a perfect set of teeth but it will not matter much if the teeth are perfectly white. It is very important to have healthy teeth, healthy gum and breath smelling fresh because we are always interacting with someone or the other. Therefore it is very important to keep your mouth free from bad breath. Good dental health is important for self-happiness also.

A set of well-arranged and pearly white teeth will surely impress everyone all around you. Who does not want to have a set of white healthy teeth? Remember that dental care is more than brushing the teeth. Brushing your teeth twice a day is of course essential part of dental care that will prevent tooth decay, bad smell and gum disease. Brush and toothpaste plays an important role in dental care. Brush should be such that you are comfortable with it and it should reach all the areas easily. Your toothpaste should contain fluoride that will help you to prevent tooth decay. It is advisable to use floss to remove plaque and prevent gum disease.

To have a healthy set of teeth, you’ve got to take time off to visit the dentist on a regular basis. Most people rely on brushing teeth thrice a day and are very dedicated to their dental floss. This is important but not an option for not visiting the dentist.

Cavities find their way through even though you have been very regular with your brushing. Only professional cleaning tools can help to completely get rid of substances that are present in between your teeth that are the cause of cavities.

You may be even using electronic toothbrushes and waxed dental floss for taking proper care of your teeth but these do not act as a substitute to a healthy dental check-up and hence it is better to be aware of the professional tools that are used by dentists to clean your teeth.

The dentist makes use of professional tools such as a polisher that polishes your teeth to make it smooth. The drill is used to remove decay from your teeth and fill the hole that the decay leaves behind. Dental burs are used in the process of teeth restoration like filling cavities and repairing chips.