What are Amalgam Fillings? 

Amalgam fillings are the most thoroughly researched and tested restorative material among all those in use today. Amalgam fillings are durable, highly resistant to wear and they are the lower cost filling option. Amalgam filling are made by combining elemental mercury, silver, tin, copper and possibly other metallic elements. Although amalgam filling are still considered to be safe the concerns that was raised were about the mercury content in amalgams. However the mercury when combined with the other metals is renders stable and safe for use in fillings. Since amalgam filling are able to withstand high pressure they become useful for filling in molars where chewing load is higher. Amalgam filling are well tolerated by most people with only rare occurrences of allergic response. Some people may have short term sensitivity to hot and cold after an amalgam filling as been done. Course amalgam filling are silver in color which may be okay for back teeth not easily seen but might not be want you would want to have towards the front of your mouth.

If you do not receive dental insurance though your employer, it can be often times not thought about. However, having dental insurance will help make dental care more affordable. Yet why should you buy dental insurance when you may feel all you are having done are cleaning and have no real need for dental insurance to help you with that. The fact is if all you are having are basic dental cleanings you may feel like the cost of dental insurance would excess the cost of the dental services.

One of the main reason you should see a dentist once every six months is to remove tartar build-up. But do you know what tartar is? It has been made clear though many studies that our oral health is intricately linked to overall well-being. So it is important to understand what tartar is and how to prevent tartar build-up.

HMO dental plans are not always the best fit for young children. When buying a dental HMO plan for a child six and under you want to make sure that there is a dentist in the plan network that provide services for children at a younger age. Many general dentist will not provide services to young child, or they will but only if your child is able to be well behaved. Many general dentist may not be able to provide the best care for a young children who may kick or bite or not sit still while having a dental check up.

This is the plan where you choose your own dentist. The dental insurance plan pays the dental office (dentist) on a traditional fee-for-service basis. A monthly premium is paid by the client and/or the employer to an insurance company, which then reimburses the dental office (dentist) for the services rendered. An insurance company usually pays between 50% – 80% of the dental office (dentist) fees for a covered procedures; the remaining 20% – 50% is paid by the client. These plans often have a pre-determined or set deductible amount which varies from plan to plan. Indemnity plans also can limit the amount of services covered within a given year and pay the dentist based on a variety of fee schedules

According to a 2010 study in the Journal of Food Science published by the Institute of Food Technologist (IFT), researchers from the department of Food Science and Technology at The Ohio State University discovered that drinking milk while eating garlic-heavy food can reduce the malodorous breath associated with garlic consumption.  Both fat-free and whole milk lowered the concentration of volatile odor-emitting compounds from garlic in the nose and mouth. Due to its higher fat content, whole milk was found to be more effective. Although drinking milk after eating a garlic-infused meal can still help, the study found that drinking it during the meal will have better results.

Question: I am self employed and do not have dental insurance. I was wondering if a family dental plan is really worth buying or not.  I have two teeth that are starting to bother me and would like to see a dentist.  My wife and son are okay for now but I would also like for them to go in for a dental check up. However,  the few plans I have review does not seem like they are really saving you money when a crown still can cost up to $250-$400 that does not seem like a big saving to me.

Compared and save on dental services not normally covered by dental insurance.   Dental discount plans are a great low cost options in order to save money off all your dental services.  Even dental services that may not be covered by dental insurance.  Such as cosmetic dental services, preexisting and adult braces to name a few.

BabyDental.com blog web site is for individuals and families watching over the care of their young ones. The site was designed as a consumer forum centered around the dental health care needs of infants to young adults.

A contracted fee is the fee for each single dental procedure that a contracted dentist has agreed to accept as payment in full for covered services render to the plan member.