We offer a variety of dental insurance plans for individuals, couples, and families to get directly. In California, we offer dental insurance as well as dental discount plans. Low-cost HMO dental insurance plans provide through Delta Dental, California Dental, and Dental Health Services. These are dental insurance plans that offer low monthly or annual costs. HMO dental plans are usually great for people who do not want waiting periods and need to find a plan that fits into a lower-income budget. 

The same with the dental discount plans we also offer in California. Dental discount plans offer discounted savings on all dental services rendered. They do not have any waiting period or yearly max limitations. Like an HMO, you need to stay within the plan network of dental providers, but they are a great low-cost dental plan option. Check out our Aetna dental plan if you want to review dental discount plans. 

For people who want a free choice of a dentist or are looking for dental plans where they can stay with their current dental provider, reviewing any of our dental PPO and Indemnity offers by Delta Dental and AmFirst would be good to check out. We continue to strive to add more dental insurance and dental plan options so that you have a wide choice of options and will hopefully find the best dental plan for your own dental needs. Please call our member services if you have any questions about the plans. They are happy to help you with any questions you may have. Call 310-534-3444 CA time M-F 8-4.

Why use sealants?

Sealants are a quick, easy, and painless way to prevent most cavities children get in the permanent back teeth, where 9 in 10 dental cavities occur.

Once applied, sealants protect against 80% of cavities for two years and continue to protect against 50% of dental cavities for up to four years.

Sealants can eliminate the need for expensive and invasive treatments like dental fillings or crowns.

If dental sealants are applied in schools for about 7 million low-income children who don’t have them, it could save up to $300 million in dental treatment costs.

About 7 million low-income children need sealants.

Sealants are thin coatings painted on teeth to protect them from cavities. They flow into the deep grooves of teeth and harden immediately so a child can chew.

Sealants prevent the most cavities when applied soon after permanent molars come into the mouth (around age 6 for 1st molars and age 12 for 2nd molars).

Sealants can be applied by a dentist, dental hygienist, or other qualified dental professional, depending on state law and regulations. Dental sealants treatment be done in dental offices or community settings like schools or using portable dental equipment.

Dental Sealants Prevent Cavities

Dental sealants are thin coatings that, when painted on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth (molars), can prevent cavities for many years. School-age children (ages 6-11) without sealants have almost three times more 1st molar cavities than those with sealants.

Untreated cavities can cause pain, infection, and problems eating, speaking, and learning. States can help millions more children prevent cavities by starting or expanding programs that offer dental sealants in schools.

The percentage of adults aged 65 years and over with untreated dental caries is 20.2%. Total dental caries, treated and untreated, declined in adults ages 65 years and older from the early 1970s until 1999–2004, before it increased in the latest National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (2011–2016). However, the prevalence of untreated decay and severity of decay has declined despite significant disparities among some population groups.

Both my husband and I are new parents, so we have many questions. First off, about baby oral health care. My baby does not yet have any teeth. So do you still need to clean baby gums? Or do you wait until the baby has teeth before you have to worry about oral health care?

Reply: You want to clean your child’s mouth after nursing or feeding or if your child drools often. You can do this with a damp soft baby towel. Cleaning your child’s gums is just as crucial as cleaning their teeth when they start to come in.

Doing that will also help your baby to get used to you doing this. Therefore brushing your child’s teeth will be much easier.

Does what you eat affect your unborn baby’s teeth?

I will be having a new baby in about seven more months. Someone told me that what you eat can affect your unborn baby’s teeth. Can you share some information with me about this topic?

Reply: Well, some people feel that being pregnant is an excellent excuse to overeat and eat more junk food than usual. A course that is not good for you or your unborn baby. 

I suggest talking to your doctor to ensure you get enough Nutrients such as protein, phosphorus, vitamins A, C, D, and calcium. All of which will help your baby’s teeth become strong and healthy.

I do not know of anything you could eat that will make for weak teeth, but it is an excellent question to ask your doctor.

I have had this toothache on and off for over a month. I have gone to the dentist twice, and they say they do not see anything wrong with my teeth. It is probably my sinuses pushing down, making my back teeth ache. I can not pinpoint that the pain is coming from just one tooth. But my toothache is not going away.

I am four months pregnant and not sure what to do at this point. The pain is giving me a headache on top of the toothaches. I want to go back to the dentist and have them check it out again, but I am afraid they will tell me the same thing and charge me for it.

Reply: See your doctor about your sinuses and try and see if that is the issue. If you still have a toothache after sinus treatment, visit your dentist. This way, they can not say it is your sinus if you already address that issue.

Did you know that sports are a significant cause of dental injuries? Sports are responsible for about 39% of all dental injuries in children. Wearing a mouth guard and other sports gear can reduce the risk of sports-related dental injuries. If your child plays sports, talk to your dentist to ensure they have a properly fitting mouth guard.

Healthy dental habits start early in life.

You want to wipe your infant’s gums with a soft, clean cloth after the morning feeding and before bed removes the bacteria, sugars, and acid that can cause cavities. As soon as your baby’s teeth appear, parents can start brushing their little one’s teeth with a soft toothbrush and plain water twice a day. Kids can start brushing their teeth with supervision at about the age of three.