Monticello Family Dentistry

Kids get so many sweet treats this time of years, it’s no surprise that non-candy Halloween treats are becoming more popular.

Here is a list of our 10 favorite treats! 

1. Play-dough

2. Glow sticks

3. Bubbles

4. Mini bottles of water

5. Bouncy balls

6. Book-markers

7. Pencils

8. Chap-stick

9. Key chains

10. and our favorite…. A TOOTHBRUSH!

 

 

 

Protect your teeth while playing sports. Mouth guards help prevent damage to your teeth and can protect you from concussions. Here are some simple tips to keep your mouth guard in top notch shape.

*Rinse before and after every use

*Periodically wash in cool, soapy water and rinse thoroughly.

* Store in a protective container that has openings for ventilation

*Inspect regularly for wear and tear

*Replace when necessary

Dry mouth can be caused by prescription drugs, head/neck radiation and other medical conditions. A decrease in salivary flow can alter your speech, decrease taste sensation and make eating more difficult. It can also lead to an increased risk of cavities, oral infections and tooth sensitivity. The goal of treating dry mouth is to reduce complications and increase patient comfort. Symptoms of dry mouth can be alleviated by saliva substitutes or chewing sugar free gum. Patients with dry mouth should have regular dental visits and impeccable home care in order to reduce their risk of cavities.

The following tips will give you insight on how to navigate your dental insurance policy.  Dental insurance policies are straightforward and specific regarding what procedures are covered and exactly how much you have to pay out of pocket.

Preventative:

Preventative dental includes cleanings, x-rays and exams. There are two limitations to be aware of on preventive: frequencies and time frame. For example most policies allow 2 cleanings, 2 exams and 1 set of x-rays in a year, but policies will vary on the amount of time you need between each preventative visit.

Deductibles and Co-Pays:

An insurance deductible is the minimum amount that must be paid before the insurance company will pay for anything. For example, if the deductible is $150 and your procedure is for $92, the insurance does not kick in until you pay the entire deductible. Once the deductible is met, most policies only cover a percentage of the remaining costs, which usually ranges from 50% to 80% of the total bill. Co-pays are a set amount that is required for each visit.

Important Questions to Ask:

All dental insurance is different. Some important questions to ask your HR person or your insurance company are:

1. Is there a missing tooth clause?
2. Are there any waiting periods?
3. What are my preventative frequencies?
4. What is my deductible?
5. What is my maximum dental allowance a year?
6. What percentage is covered on preventative, basic work and major work?

If you’d like to set up an insurance consult, call us today 763.295.3676. Monticello Family Dentistry would be happy to help explain your insurance plan to you.

A question we are frequently asked is, at what age should I start bringing my child to the dentist? The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends that a child go to the dentist by age 1 or within six months after the first tooth erupts.  There are many things you can do to create a fun first visit for your child. The following article offers some great insight to help prepare your child for their first dental visit: http://yourdentalhealthresource.com/how-do-i-prepare-my-child-for-their-first-dental-appointment/

Why do you need to clean between your teeth? Even if you brush twice a day, there are places your toothbrush bristles can’t reach. There are several ways to clean between your teeth and flossing is most common.

Information provided by American Dental Association.

Many patients desire whiter teeth. There are a few things to keep in mind before deciding if you should whiten your teeth and which whitening products are the best for you.

Before beginning a whitening regiment, patients should have an exam to ensure there are no underlying dental conditions. Gum disease, gum recession, dental restorations and age can all influence whether whitening is good choice for you.

The three options for whitening include in office, prescription strength trays that you wear at home and over the counter. In office whitening is the fastest and can lighten your teeth in just a few hours. Sensitivity and over whitening are more common with in office whitening. Prescription strength whitening trays are typically done over the period of a few weeks. It allows patients to fine tune the amount of whitening they receive and typically there is less sensitivity than in office whitening. Over the counter whitening also allows a gradual whitening and like prescription strength trays there is generally reduced sensitivity.

We encourage you to consult with your dentist before starting any whitening regiment.

Five common habits that could easily chip, crack or damage your teeth and gums.

1. Chewing ice
2. Opening packages with your teeth
3. Chewing pens and pencils
4. Oral piercings
5. Not using a sports mouthguard

• information provided by www.patientnews.com

 

Preventing Decay with Xylitol

In the days before water fluoridation, decay was a huge and terrible problem. Fluoride has helped to significantly reduce decay, and now it is uncommon to find rampant decay in people under the age of 40.

Those of us who are over the age of 40 are still susceptible to decay, especially if we are taking medications that cause dry mouth. When we have dry mouth, it changes the balance in the battle between our immune system and the bacteria that cause decay. If we use candy like peppermints or lemon drops to help moisten our mouth, it is even worse. Sugarless gum is a good alternative, because it does not “feed” the bacteria that cause decay. Gum that contains Xylitol is even better, because research has found that Xylitol actually reduces the bacteria that cause decay.

Xylitol is a natural sugar that is found in Birch trees. It is very unique because we humans can taste it and digest it, but bacteria cannot digest it. The really cool thing is that the bacteria do not know that they cannot digest it, so they wear themselves out going through all of the effort trying to eat it. None of the other sweeteners have this effect.

Xylitol is rather expensive to produce, so manufacturers like to substitute other sweeteners like Sorbitol to reduce their cost. It takes at least 500mg of Xylitol to have any effect, so if Xylitol is not listed first among the ingredients, there is probably not enough. If Sorbitol is listed first, then it won’t work.

Until recently it was difficult to find a reasonably priced source of Xylitol chewing gum, but now Hershey’s has come out with a line of chewing gum that is called “Ice Cubes” that contains 1000mg of Xylitol in each piece. It can be found at most candy stands, and it is not expensive.

Researchers suggest chewing one piece for 5 minutes three times a day. This will help to stimulate the natural moisture in your mouth and reduce the harmful bacteria that cause cavities.

The prevalence of cavities in children has decreased with every decade since the 1970s until the mid 1990s. Cavities are the second most common chronic disease in kids behind the common cold. According to the National Institute of Health 42% of kids between the ages of 2 and 11 have a cavity on their baby teeth. 21% of kids ages 6 to 11 have cavities on their adult teeth.

At Monticello Family Dentistry we recommend that all children have a dental home by age one. We also recommend that parents continue to brush their kids teeth until they can legibly and consistently write their first name without assistance.