As you can imagine, most dental offices are bombarded daily with questions about dental insurance. “Do you take my plan? How much is covered? Why is dental insurance coverage so bad?” These are just a few of the questions we hear daily. So, why is dental insurance the way it is?

Dental insurance was first offered back in the early 1970’s. Back then, the first insurance companies offered a yearly maximum benefit level of $1000 per year per patient. In 2019, those insurance companies, and many others, offer an average yearly benefit of $1000 per year. Yes, you read that correctly; it has not changed. However, back in the 70’s you could have gotten a… (Read More)

I have focused the majority of my career on family preventive and general dentistry. While I enjoy most aspects of what I do, I firmly believe that a good percentage of dental problems are avoidable, which means that dentists shouldn’t be as busy as we are with routine fillings, removal of teeth, and many other procedures. While there are other factors at play, such as genetics, personal responsibility is often at the head of the pack.   

Prevention often takes a back seat to fixing problems.  Decayed, broken and worn teeth all had nothing wrong with them at some point. Granted, you have to fix what is already broken, but “How could it have been… (Read More)

I think it is safe to say that our healthcare system has some flaws. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a healthcare system that realized that everything in the body is connected? Unfortunately, there are no reasonable solutions for this in the near future. Therefore, it is important for you to take your health into your own hands and plan appropriately.

Patients will sometimes balk at treatment not covered by their dental insurance. Dentists will often hear, “Just do what my insurance covers. I don’t want anything extra.” In fact, a recent ADA poll showed that a lack of dental insurance was the #1 reason most patients gave for not visiting a dentist. Here are… (Read More)

There are many people who suffer with pain involving some area of the head. Toothaches can cause pain, but these are mostly avoidable with proper diet, home care and regular visits to your dentist. Teeth can also play an indirect role in facial/head pain.

Orofacial pain includes a number of clinical problems involving the chewing (masticatory) muscles and/or temporomandibular joints (TMJs). Problems can include TMJ discomfort involving muscle spasms in the head, neck, shoulders and/or jaw, migraines or other types of tension headaches, pain with the teeth, face or jaw; and can even play a role in anxiety and/or depression.

You swallow approximately 2,000 times per day, which causes the upper and lower teeth to… (Read More)

Besides teeth whitening, the most common forms of cosmetic dentistry are likely porcelain veneers and dental bonding. Each of the two is highly effective at improving the look of smiles! However, the difference between veneers and bonding isn’t always obvious. How do you tell which treatment will benefit you more? As it happens, your local dentist can help you answer that question. Read on to learn three factors you should consider when examining these cosmetic procedures.

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