For younger children parents should supervise their child teeth brushing, as brushing teeth can be hard for young children to do thoroughly. Your child needs to develop good motor control so that they are able to properly brush their teeth without adult supervision.

One way to test if your child is read to brush their teeth on their own is by using “Red Tablets” they highlight all that your child has missed when bushing and will let them learn how to brush better. You can get them online or at your local drug store.

Another quick way to test your child brushing is to have your child eat an Oreo cookie and then have them brush their teeth. If you can still see the Oreos, then you need to be checking and helping them brush.

What can you do to maintain your child oral health

When it comes to good oral health care for your child/children make sure to choose healthy snacks and get adequate fluoride. Kids need a lot of water for hydration as well as to make their teeth stronger.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics they recommends that kids should not drink more than 4 oz. of juice per day, and the average juice box is 6 oz. Choosing water and snacks that do not contain simple carbohydrates will help. Good options include fresh fruits and vegetables, deli meat and cheeses. Also, you want to foster a good relationship between your kids and their dentist.

I would like to get my daughter braces for her crooked teeth.  She has taken such good care of her teeth and has never had any cavities.  I would like her to have perfect teeth now that she is a teen things like this is more important to her.   I looked into my current plan but was told they do not offer coverage’s for braces. I was checking into the cost of having braces to my surprise cost of invisalign are not much more then standard metal braces.  Yet other dental insurance plans I called will not cover for invisaligns. Are there any dental insurance plans that can help me here with the cost of my daughter getting invisalign?

Answer: If you are having a problem finding dental insurance that will offer benefits towards the cost of invisaligns you may want to review getting a dental discount plan. With most dental discount plans you can get a discounted saving off the cost of invisalings around 15 to 20 percent. This web site offers dental insurance as well as dental discount plans. Please call our member services at 310-534-3444 M-F 8-4 if you need or would like any help with regard to the dental insurance plan options we offer.

My daughter knocked out a few of her front teeth. They were her baby teeth that would be coming out in a year or so. Her dentist was saying it is not to big of an issue at this point but would keep an eye on it to make sure her adult come in correctly.

I though I would like to get her a flipper like they have in the beauty pageants. I am just not sure were you go for them. I am guessing a dentist would make flippers, but about how much would they cost.

Reply: You would go to a dentist in regard to having a dental flipper. In general cost for a front flipper tooth can range between $300-$500 and up. You can also expect additional cost from periodic adjustments or repairs if needed.

My husband currently has a dental bridge, however it is old and needs to be replaced.  However If we can afford to get him dental implants we rather have implants compared to a new dental bridge. We know they can be costly and they are not covered under our current dental plan. Are there any dental plans that provides some coverage’s towards the cost of dental implants?

Answer: Many dental insurance plans do not provide dental benefits towards the cost of dental implants. You may want to review dental discount plans as a way of reducing the cost of having dental implants. If a dental discount plan has a dentist that does implants then the savings can run around 15 to 20 percent.

Orthodontist  is concerned with the treatment of malocclusions (improper bites), which may be a result of tooth irregularity, disproportionate jaw relationships, or both. Orthodontic treatment can focus on dental displacement only, or can deal with the control and modification of facial growth.

If your dentist says you need to see an orthodontist, it means you have some irregular dental development, missing teeth or other developmental abnormalities that are in need of correction. Chances are you will be fitted for braces, a frequently relied upon treatment designed to establish normal function and appearance of your teeth and jaws.

Oral and maxillofacial radiology is a type of specialist that helps to diagnose a wide variety of diseases in the head and neck through the use of X-rays, computed tomographic investigations (CT scans), magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs), and other imaging technologies.

Dentists warn parents to keep up on kids’ dental care. Covid has impacted the dental health of many people children. Pediatric dentists say more and more parents are pushing off their child’s cleanings and dental check up over the past few years which has created a lot of cavity-prone children. A cavity can pretty quickly turn into a larger dental care need, the longer you defer that treatment.

Dental discount plans are a great way to reduce your dental care cost. For people that have dental insurance for work but are stuck waiting for open enrollment to add their baby to their plan, buying a dental discount plan can be very helpful.

Most dental discount plans start within the next business day of buying it. They do not have long term waiting periods therefore if you need to take your baby to see a pediatric dentist you can do so and save money. Another plus is with most dental discount plans you can buy it just for baby and not have to be force into buy a family plan if you do not need one.

Question: How do you start getting your child to brush their teeth.  My son is almost three and I am still brushing his teeth, because he will not do it on his own.  When he does try he just chews on the tooth brush he does not really brush his teeth.  Is he still to young to brush his own teeth?  Should I wait until he is older to get him to brush his teeth right?  Or is there a trick I can use to get him to brush is teeth correctly?

Reply: Many children like to copy their parents. Show him how to brush is teeth by brushing yours with him. You may have to do this a few times before he get it down. Try and make it fun to brush his teeth. Do you best to take your time with him.  Also your dentist will be able to give you very helpful advise if you find yourself still having trouble.