The FDA has issued amalgam fillings harmless, however some people are not convinced. Amalgam fillings are silver and color and have a mixture of mercury, powdered silver, tin, and copper. The reality is that there are few things in the dental industry that have gotten more attention than these fillings. In December of 2010, the FDA advisory panel got together again to reevaluate the safety of amalgam. They decided to uphold the prior statement, however they advised the FDA to continue in the evaluation of the safety of these fillings.
The field of cosmetic dentistry is growing at an unprecedented rate. When home whitening strips came out, the effectiveness grew into a viral explosion of people becoming obsessed with the color of their teeth. There are two major types of teeth whitening and we will take a look at each. As all both of them vary in their effectiveness.
This is the most effective and quickest way to whiten your teeth. The procedure uses a highly concentrated amount of peroxide gel. This procedure cannot be done at home because certain precautions need to be taken to protect the gums. The dentist will put a protected with the help of a rubber dam to prevent the peroxide from hurting the gums.
The cost for this type of treatment can be pricey. The peroxide is normally left on your teeth from 15 to 20 minutes. In some cases they will leave it on for an hour, if there are stubborn stains. Normally this procedure will cost around $650, and normally dental insurance will not cover it. However you can normally get the procedure discounted from 20-60% by using a company like True Dental Discounts.
Take home strips are recognized by many dentists as a legitimate product to whiten your teeth over time. Take home strips and gels contain lower concentration of peroxide gel. These OTC strips normally cost around $100 to $400 and need to be left on your teeth overnight.
OTC teeth whitening strips and gels are the cheapest and most convenient way to whiten your teeth. Normally you can find teeth whitening strips or gels, in any major department store. The gel can be applied in a few different ways, the most popular being whitening strips, whitening trays, or whitening gels. Sometimes these whitening kits are not designed to whiten all your teeth, but only whiten the front teeth. The kits normally range between $20 to $100. The home whitening kits generally work well for most people with mild staining, however many people with severe stains end up disappointed by the results. If you do have more severe staining it is best to go to a dentist to have your teeth professionally cleaned.
Having a strict budget may be very cumbersome especially when health issues arise unexpectedly. Trying to spend a fortune on your dental health may not be a very good idea if you have a tight budget. It would be best if we had an inexpensive dental plan in order to cover most of our bills. The problem is, these types of dental plans are often very rare and expensive.
Most of us have a strict budget and do not have extra money to spend on dental health. Unfortunately, dental issues often seem to arise at the least opportune times, catching us off guard and negatively affecting our finances. Fortunately if your only option is to pay out of pocket, you will be pleased to know that there is a product known as a discount dental plan, that will reduce your out of pocket expenses up to 20% off your dental.
So besides signing up to a discount dental plan to get your dental done at a discounted rate, the other things you can do is to focus on having a good preventative maintenance routine. This is important not only at home, but also at the dentist. You should set up 2 scheduled appointments a year for a checkup and a cleaning. This is important because it is a relatively small cost for this and by doing this he can address minor issues while they are still minor.
It is important to have a good relationship with your dentist. He can help you plan and budget for future expenses, by letting you know what to expect and budget for sometimes years in advance. Some dentists also have payment plans to further help spread out the costs.
No matter how tight your budget is, there is always room to adjust. You can always sacrifice a portion of every part of your non-fixed expenses. Dental health is a very serious matter, so do not neglect it.
Many of us have bad breath or fear the embarrassment of having stinky breath and not knowing it. Some foods are bad for bad breath like garlic and onions because they contain oils which are carried through the bloodstream to your lungs. When you breath out, the stinky leftovers are exhaled. The good news is just like there are bad foods to eat, there are also good foods. Good foods can actually mask the stinky breath. Here are some foods that will temporarily mask the bad smell.
Apples and pears. “Fruits also help to produce saliva, which helps to revitalize the natural balance of the mouth and wash down odor causing bacteria.
Fluoride is all around us, it is in foods and used as a supplement in some drinking water. This helps benefit the tooth development in people younger than 16. Topical fluorides are also available in many dental tooth pastes or rinses. While you are only using the fluoride for a short time, the elevated levels of fluoride levels last for hours after. When you go to the dentist professional fluoride treatments are given. They are applied as a varnish, foam, or gel. When the dentist applies fluoride to your teeth, it is in a much higher concentration than over-the-counter treatments. In certain cases special fluoride concentrations are prescribed to children who live in areas where fluoride is not added to the drinking water. Normally these supplements will be given to children between the age of 6 months to 16 years old.
Fluoride supplements should be given if your drinking water is not fluorinated. They are available in liquids and tablets. Your dentist or your pediatrician will need to prescribe them to you.