Amalgam fillings are thoroughly researched and tested restorative material among all those in use today. Amalgam fillings are durable and highly resistant to wear and are the lower-cost filling option.

Amalgam fillings combine elemental mercury, silver, tin, copper, and other metallic elements. Although amalgam filling is still considered safe, the concerns raised were about the mercury content in amalgams. However, mercury, when combined with other metals, is rendered stable and safe for fillings.

Since amalgam filling can withstand high pressure, they become helpful in filling molars where the chewing load is higher. Most people with only rare occurrences of allergic response well tolerate amalgam filling. Some people may have short-term sensitivity to hot and cold after having an amalgam filling. An amalgam filling is silver in color, which may be okay for back teeth that are not easily seen but might not want you would want to have towards the front of your mouth.

Amalgam fillings are useful in baby teeth. If a child still has baby teeth but needs a filling, you may not want to spend the cost for white color fillings on teeth that will soon come out when your child starts to get their adult teeth in.

In the end, amalgam filling still has its place, and it should be something to consider when having a filling done. Talk to your dentist and find out all your filling options, then decide what you may feel is best for you and your family And remember, all dental services are less expensive when you have dental insurance or a dental discount plan. So keep us in mind for your dental plans needs.

According to a new research study, oral health deteriorates during hospitalization and is associated with an increased risk of hospital-acquired infections and reduced quality of life. This Research published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology provides the latest evidence that oral health is being overlooked in hospitals, with potentially serious consequences. The Research identified increases in plaque accumulation and gingival and mucosal inflammation. The findings were worst amongst patients who required help with their breathing.

New Braces Causing my Daughter Dental Pain.

New braces are causing my daughter dental pain. My daughter just got braces on, and she is saying she is in a great deal of pain and unsure what to do for her. I gave her Advil, but it is not helping her that much. Any good advice, please?

Reply: Braces can cause pain when you get them, as it takes a while to adjust. In most cases, Advil should help. You may want to talk to her orthodontic dentist to see what they can suggest 

Study on How Obesity can Contribute to Poor Oral Health. 

Links have been found that Obesity can affect your oral. A recent study revealed that the more profound the periodontal pockets, the higher the proportion of subjects with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or over. According to the World Health Organization, a figure is generally considered obese. In 2008, 1.5 billion adults, 20 and older, were overweight. Periodontal pockets are essentially food and plaque traps that irritate and decay teeth to the point where the tooth can eventually fall out if not treated by a dentist. The deeper the pocket, the greater the risk of tooth loss. Proper dental care and seeing your dentist can help prevent tooth loss due to periodontal pockets and gum disease. Having good oral healthcare and taking care of your overall health makes sense. On this website, we can help you save money on your dental care with one of our dental insurance or dental plans.

See Invisible Tooth Decay And Plaque with an Innovative Dental Device

Improving technology to improve dental care. A team of scientists from the University of Liverpool has won an award for developing a device that can identify early tooth decay and plaque before it is visible to the human eye. The innovation, iDENTifi, comprises a clinical digital camera incorporating Qualitative Light Induced Fluorescence (QLF) technology to take images of the mouth using blue light and special filters that can show cavities and plaque.

Before Getting Dental Implants: Gene Combination Identified As Risk Factor In Success Of Dental Implants. The health of your surrounding tissue and gums affects the success of a dental implant. Therefore identifying and reducing the risk factors is a critical step in the implant process. Now a combination of genes has been identified as a possible indicator of more significant tissue destruction leading to adverse outcomes for implants. An article in the Journal of Oral Implantology reports a study of individuals with the combination of interleukin (IL)-1 allele 2 at IL-1A-889 and IL-1B+3954. These people are “genotype positive” and are susceptible to increased periodontal tissue destruction.

Dental care for kids, I Need a New Dentist for My Son.

I have an HMO dental plan currently. Both my husband and I go to this one dental office in our dental plan. My son is two, so it is a good time to make a dental appointment. I just learned that our dental office does not help two years old.

He will not see my son until he is five. That is too long to have him wait. I do not dislike that office, so I want to have the same providers. Can my son have his dentist, and we keep seeing the one we want to?

Reply: You should be able to call your HMO insurance plan member services and have they refer you to a plan Pediatric dentist. Most dental HMOs will let you have a different dentist as long as they are plan providers. Take to member services to confirm this.

Poor Dental and Oral Healthcare can Lead to Sexual Problems.

Sexual problems are another reason why preventive dental care is essential. A study reveals erectile dysfunction linked to gum disease. The research1, carried out on 70 male subjects, showed a correlation between gum disease and the ability to achieve an erection. The data indicates that as the severity of erectile dysfunction increased, the prevalence of chronic periodontitis (gum disease) increased. More than four out of five men (81.8 percent) with severe erectile dysfunction had gum disease. In comparison, in cases of mild erectile dysfunction, the incidence of gum disease was less than two in five men. Seeing a dentist regularly and taking care of your dental and oral hygiene is always important, but another reason may make you go to your next dental appointment. Help keep your dental cost low by having dental insurance or a dental plan. We can help you with that.

How Cavity-Causing Microbes can Invade your Heart

Scientists have discovered that bacteria, typically found in our mouths, is a tool that can be used to invade heart tissue, causing a dangerous and sometimes lethal infection of the heart known as endocarditis. S. mutans is a bacterium best known for causing cavities. Normally, S. mutans confine themselves to the mouth, but the bacteria can enter the bloodstream sometimes after a dental procedure or even after vigorous flossing. Our immune system usually destroys them, but occasionally – within just a few seconds – they travel to the heart and colonize its tissue, especially heart valves. The bacteria can cause endocarditis – inflammation of heart valves – which can be deadly. Infection by S. mutans is a leading cause of the condition. The study raises the possibility of creating a screening tool – perhaps a cheek swab or a spit test to gauge a dental patient’s vulnerability to the condition.

Dental care for kids, Four baby teeth extractions.

My son has to have four of his baby teeth pulled. His adult teeth do not have room since the baby teeth will not come out. Well, I made an appointment for him to do this dental work. I would like to know if my son will be in much pain afterward.

He will be asleep while his teeth are pulled but will he be in pain when he wakes up? Should I only feed him soft foods? Any additional information you may have would be good.

Reply: Pain and very from person to person. If your son handles pain well, he will be able to deal better with having his teeth pulled.

Just have soft food on hand for a few days while he is healing, and expect some pain. The dentist will go over the aftercare for your son, so if you have additional questions, ask the dentist. Also, the dentist may even give you something for the pain if needed.

Technology, Rapid Prototyping Comes To Dentistry.

With a 3D printer, you can have prosthetic dental implants, false teeth, and replacement crowns made by your dentist without waiting days or weeks. By quickly scanning your jaw and “printing” your new teeth using a rapid prototyping machine known as a 3D printer? In Iran, a Researcher explains how medical imaging coupled with computer-aided design could be used to create a perfect-fit blueprint for prosthetic dentistry. Such technology has been used in medical prosthetics before, but this would be an early step into prosthetic dentistry using rapid prototyping.

Dentists Can Help to Identify People With Undiagnosed Diabetes

A study on identifying unrecognized diabetes and pre-diabetes in a dental setting found that dental visits represented a chance to intervene in the diabetes epidemic by identifying individuals with diabetes or pre-diabetes who are unaware of their condition. Since Periodontal disease is an early complication of diabetes, about 70 percent of U.S. adults see a dentist at least once a year. Said Dr. Ira Lamster, dean of the College of Dental Medicine and senior author of the study. Study Published in the Journal of Dental Research

My niece has some rotten baby teeth. Her breath is awful too. She is going to the dentist to have them pulled, but she is only seven, so it seems too soon to be pulling out teeth. Can you give helpful advice to ensure the rest of her teeth do not have to be removed? I feel it is a lack of proper care, but I can not come out and say that.

Reply: Trying to give advice when not asked for can leave you in trouble. If your family member is coming to you for advice, suggest they talk to the dentist about dental sealants. Dental sealants will help to prevent decay. Just because you may think it is a lack of dental care, it could be that their child has bad or no tooth enamel.

Post-Menopausal Women have a higher risk of Tooth Loss.

A study of over 1,000 post-menopausal women forecasted that around one in four post-menopausal women has a higher risk of tooth loss over five years. This risk increases to nearly 90 percent if other risk factors are present, especially diabetes and if they smoke. Having proper dental care and maintaining good oral hygiene reduces the risk factors

Studies show that gum disease can extend the time it takes for a woman to become pregnant.

The importance of having and maintaining good dental and oral health care tends to be underestimated by people. However, new research shows that for women, there is yet another reason to maintain good oral hygiene and health care. This new research has shown that the presence of gum disease can, by an average of two months, extend the time it takes for a woman to become pregnant. For the first time, researchers have demonstrated the significant impact of poor oral health on time to pregnancy in women trying to conceive.

California Dental, Kids’ Dental Care Needed.

I have three kids, and I need to be able to take them to an affordable dentist. I do not have money to take three kids to the dentist at $200.00 each. And that is just for the basic visit, X-rays, and cleaning. There would only be a way to address those issues if they needed something more.

I am trying to figure out what to do. My kids do not have any teeth issues right now, and I ensure they are brushing their teeth as they should, but I feel bad that I can not afford to get them the proper dental care.

Reply: It sounds like you may not have dental insurance in place for your family. Review dental HMO insurance plan options. They are the more affordable insurance plan running around $20.00 – 45.00 a month for a family plan. Most HMO insurance plans offer free preventive care, which saves $200.00 on each child based on the amount you stated you are currently paying. That is a $600.00 saving, well worth the monthly cost for an HMO dental insurance plan. 

Kid’s Teeth and Dental Care, Poor Tooth Enamel

I am looking for some good advice from anyone that may have suggestions. My son has terrible teeth enamel on his baby teeth. He is seven and has already had five fillings done. His dental care is getting to be very costly. Even though I have dental insurance for him, it does not pay out that much, and I have to pay the difference.

Does anyone know how to slow him down from getting cavities? As it is now, he is brushing three times a day and using toothpaste that is supposed to help tooth enamel, but it is not slowing down this issue.  

Reply: Have you spoken to your child’s dentist about dental sealants for your son’s teeth? Dental sealants help protect your teeth when you have poor tooth enamel.

Also good to have done if your child has poor brushing habits. However, ask your dentist about this as an option.

One of the most common infectious diseases in indigenous children in the US and Canada is early childhood tooth decay, which results in additional adverse health effects. The American Academy of Pediatrics and Canadian Paediatrics Society provide recommendations for the prevention of dental disease in you children and pregnant women in a new policy statement, “Early Childhood Caries in Indigenous Communities,” Which involves the collaboration with primary health care providers, policymakers, and public health practitioners in indigenous communities.

If you have been suffering from headaches, the first step of action is often to go to the medicine cabinet for pain relief or a visit to the Doctor. However, if your Doctor does not have a reason for your headaches and the problem persists, it might be something you should mention to your dentist. Many times the persistent cause of headaches lies inside your mouth.

Many dentists are worried that teenagers are putting their teeth and oral health at risk by trying dangerous do-it-yourself teeth-whitening techniques found on the Internet. Many teenagers go to online tips for doing yourself whitening since money and access to proper dental whitening care may be outside their reach. However, Children who mix quantities of different chemicals and apply them for long periods are at risk of eroding their tooth enamel and damaging their gums, increasing their risk of oral infection. The best action is to talk to your dentist about safely whitening your teeth or what over-the-counter products they may suggest.