How To Prepare Your Child For A Palate Expander

What  is a palate expander? 

A palate expander is a orthodontic device used to widen the upper jaw so that the bottom and top teeth will fit together correctly.

How is an expander used?

An expander is attached to the upper arch by bands places around the teeth. There will be some discomfort when the expander is placed since there has never been anything attached to the teeth before. You will feel pressure on the teeth, on the roof of your mouth, behind the nose and between the eyes when the expander is activated. Your orthodontist will determine a treatment plan of when you can turn the key to expand the expander.

Ways to Prepare your child for the expander:

•  Stock up on soft foods.
• Stock up on liquid Advil.
• Prepare from some serious slurpage - since the mouth isn't used to the new device.
• Get some orthodontic wax.
• Don't get the expander on a Friday or before a holiday weekend - I'm sure they want to enjoy the weekend and that yummy holiday food!
• Prepare for the turning of the key to hurt.
• Give Advil 30 min. prior to turning the key - Makes it a little more tolerable.
• Don't research more into it - do what the doctor orders.

Remember if you have any concerns please consult dentist!

Getting The Most Out Of Your Dental Plan Is As Easy As 1-2-3!

When you purchase a dental plan one of the things that you expect is to save money at the dentist office. That is what a dental plan is designed to do. However, whether or not you get the savings that you were looking for in some ways falls upon your shoulders as a member of the plan. How you use the plan can determine whether or not you are receiving the full benefits that you are entitled to. 

Saving money and getting the most out of your dental plan is very simple! Easy as 1-2-3 as I like to say. Here is a simple approach to making sure that you getting the most out of your dental plan.

1. USE THE PLAN! You have already paid for, or are paying for, the plan. In some cases, 1 or 2 trips to the dental office will save you at least what you have paid for the plan. The more you go to the dentist, the more you use the plan, the more money you will save. 

2. MAKE SURE YOU GOING TO AN "IN-NETWORK" DENTIST OR SPECIALIST: I cannot stress this enough. There are many dental centers out there that will says they will accept your plan to get you as a patient. That does not necessarily mean that they are credentialed and approved by the plan to see their members. You may go into that dentist, get your treatment and receive a savings, but you may (and most likely are) not receiving the full benefit you are entitled to. Dental centers that are "in-network" will always have the most up to date information from the plan and are kept in the loop about any changes to the fee schedule of benefits. A dentist that is not "in network" will most likely working off of old information that obtained from a 3rd party and be charging you more money. Always check with your plan to make sure that the dentist or specialist is "in-network"

3. CHECK YOUR SAVINGS: When you sign up for a dental plan you are issued a fee schedule. Keep that fee schedule handy when you go to the dentist. When you get your bill or treatment plan, compare the prices on that to your fee schedule and make sure you are getting charged correctly. Also, know what your discount is for unlisted procedures (at Savon it is 50%) so you can check and make sure you getting that. Lastly, know your discount percentage for a specialist. (at Savon it is 25%) If you are unsure if you being charged correctly, contact your plan. They can assist you in make sure that that all charges are correct!

Get Ready To Smile!

Fun Facts about our oral health!!

• It takes 43 muscles to frown and only 17 to smile.
• Some of the things we admit to picking our teeth with
• Business cards
• Earrings
• Keys
• Screwdrivers
• One in four say electric toothbrushes are only for the lazy.
• 61% of us have been attracted to somebody by their smile alone.
• One in five believe fluoride to be a marketing gimmick.
• June is national smile month.
• Half brush our tongue when brushing our teeth.

Keep Smiling!

Referred to a Dental Specialist? Don't Fret, It's a Good Thing!

No, really...it is!

As a dental assistant I used to chuckle at patients, quietly of course, who would scoff at the fact that the doctor was referring them out. So I used to explain it like this...

If your medical doctor diagnosed you with a heart condition...you wouldn't think twice about being seen by a cardiologist would you? Of course not! You know your medical doctor was trained to treat you, but your Cardiologist, is a master at it. I don't know about you, but I'd rather let the master do the work. 

For many, many years, the dental offices were one-stop shops. Anything you needed done from cleanings, extractions and root canals, to dentures and periodontal treatments you could have done at one office. Most general practices offered just about everything. 

With the growth of treatments and technologies in the field radically changing daily, general dentists worldwide are forced to keep on their toes to be able to continue to offer all these services at their A+ rate. The reality of this is, not every general dentist can be 100% proficient, in every aspect of every field of dentistry.

This is where the beauty of specialists come in. They are able to offer the A+ treatments to patients when their general dentist is not comfortable performing a procedure or has diagnosed treatment that doesn't fall into their scope of practice. It's your general dentist's way of saying " I want you to have the best treatment possible for your situation." And why not have a doctor who does this procedure all day, day in and day out do it? 

So, if you receive a referral to a dental specialist, make sure you thank your doctor. He's looking out for you, your comfort and your dental health.

Original post by Dawn_DA March 2010

5 Biggest Flossing Mistakes

Oral Modification-A Trendy Form of Self Expression With Ancient Roots

Oral modification goes back further than recorded history. Vikings, Mayans, West African Tribes (to name a few) used various methods of oral modification to identify themselves, to distinguish class, tribe,seniority, religion, coming of age, etc... Whether it be sharpening of teeth, adorning teeth with jewels, splitting tongues or piercings, all of these have roots deep in our history.

Nowadays, it's not unusual to see people covered in tattoos, body piercings, sporting diamond covered "Grillz" or bejeweled pearly whites. Some even go as far as to have horns anchored in to their skulls and have lip and tongue tattoos.

Through the ages, self expression has taken a leap from the modest 20's where even showing a shoulder was inappropriate, to a world where the more bizarre one can be, the better. But is it better? Individualism and self expression are rights that should not be taken away from anyone. But with rise in popularity of body modification in general and people doing it because it's "cool", the concern is that it is taking away from the cultural and historical aspect of the trend.

What are your thoughts on the subject?

Original post by MoobieDoo 2011

Latest Information About Dental Trends

This data was analyzed from 2013.

• Most appointments were booked online between 11:30 am - 12:00 pm.
• Most popular appointment times were weekdays at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm - Men preferred Friday at 10:00 am while women preferred Monday at 2:00 pm.
• Most popular day to see the dentist is on Tuesdays and least popular day is Fridays.
• Monday was also the day with the most same day appointment booked.
• January was the most popular month to book an appointment.

Click here to see more dental information and trends!