No dental insurance existed in the United States until 1954 when California introduced the first plan.In 1972, most dental plans covered $1,000 to $1,500 per year and crown fees were around $400 and insurance would pay for 80 percent. 45 years later, most plans still have $1,000 to $1,500 annual limits, but today’s crown prices have more than doubled...Dental insurance is no longer insurance. It is assistance, and only exists because it has become a traditional benefit.Many routine dental services are NOT covered by insurance carriers.Insurance companies will often “down-code” or apply an “alternate benefit” to a procedure in order to pay less.Many Insurance Companies tell their insured that they’ll be covered “up to 80% or up to 100%”. But most plans cover about 40% to 60% of an average fee.Some dental insurance companies will downgrade the service your dentist provides to use a material that is cheaper.Dental insurance companies usually conduct surveys to calculate the average cost of dental procedures. The ...

June is National Candy Month, but unfortunately, too much sugar plays a big role in cavities.We know that many of our patients love candy...in fact, we do too! However, knowing some tips and alternatives in order to minimize the damage that candy can cause is always helpful.Why Sugar Candy Is Bad For Your Teeth?Each time you eat candy that contains sugar, you only end up feeding bacteria inside your mouth. The more sugar you eat, the more it’s able to feed and produce acids that are powerful enough to dissolve tooth enamel and caused tooth decay if left unchecked.What Alternatives do You have?You can also choose sugar free candies. Xylitol is a popular sweetener used in sugar free candy. Xylitol has been shown to inhibit the growth of the oral bacteria that causes cavities.What You Can Do About It?There are two things you can do prevent your sugar consumption from doing much damage on your teeth: cut down on your sugar intake, and preventative care by taking proper care of your teeth. Brush your teeth thoroug ...

Pros and Cons of a Corporate Dental Office Pros: Corporate Dental Office generally accept all types of dental insurances. Have multiple locations and flexible hours. Cons: Corporate dental offices will take care of your immediate need, and then move on to the next patient. This limits the time needed to address any personal concerns, future issues, or time for education. Many times in a corporate office dentist are learning what they like, and what they don’t, figuring out what they want to do in the future. In other word, when you go back for a second visit, there is a good chance you will not be seeing the same dentist. Pros and Cons of a Private Dental Office Pros: Personalized care. Private practices exude a much warmer and friendlier atmosphere. At a private practice, you will usually see a dentist who is an owner of the practice and has been there since the office opened. There may be an associate dentist, who is likely there with the intention of becoming an owner in the future, and s ...

April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month so we would like to share Facts about Oral Cancer.
Fact #1.
Newly diagnosed cases of Oral Cancer are non smoking young adults, particularly women.
Fact #2.
HPV is becoming more and more responsible for the increase of the oral cancer in young people.
Fact #3.
Oral cancer is the 6th most common cancer worldwide.
Fact #4.
Oral cancer is the most expensive cancer in the nation to treat.
Fact #5.
40,000 people are diagnosed with oral cancer in the US every year. Out of those people ONLY half will be alive in 5 years.
Fact #6.
75% of oral cancer is caused by life style choices.
Fact #7.
Excessive and unprotected exposure to the sun is linked with cancer in the lip area.
Early Detection leads to early treatment. Early treatment leads to beating oral cancer! Oral Cancer Screening is incleded FREE with your Comprehensive and Recare Exams. Call us today to schedule an appointment (863)967-7548

Green teeth are a common occurrence on St. Patrick’s Day because of food and beer green coloring. Here's how to avoid a green smile after you celebrate and what you can do if you're stuck with green teeth the morning after celebrations.On St. Patrick’s Day you can get green beer, green baked goods, green eggs, and even green ice cream.What most people don’t realize is that the added green food coloring can also make your teeth green.Prevention is key here. Avoid eating green food, drinking green beer or other beverages of that color on St. Paddy’s Day. If you already have green teeth, it’s not too late.Start by brushing with a whitening toothpaste. Follow up with flossing.If that doesn’t work, you can see us, we can help you whiten your teeth further or get you in for a teeth cleaning that can help remove the surface staining caused by the green food coloring.Click on this link to download 15% OFF Custom Whitening Trays Coupon. Hurry! Offer Expires Soon! http:/ ...

Dental Insurance is a great benefit that is often provided through your employer. There are however some things you should keep in mind when thinking about purchasing dental insurance.   Annual limits: Your policy will come with an annual limit of $1000 - $2000. This means that when your coverage reaches that limit, you will not receive any more benefit until the next year. Even if that happens in January - Yet you will still have those monthly premiums.   Deductible: This is an amount that you will need to cover out of pocket before your plan pays for anything.   Allowed Amount: This is amount that the insurance company deems the limit they will consider for a service, regardless of the fee charged by the office. Your percentage will be based on this amount.   Alternate Benefit: This is a term insurance companies use when they want to pay for a different procedure than your dentist has diagnosed.   Your out of pocket cost will include: Your premium, your deductible, any amount over t ...

This is the most popular question when it comes to dental implants. And there is no easy answer. Imaging building a house... The price for building the house will depend on many factors, the land, type of foundation, design of the house, materials, desired finishes etc. You will need a plan! The same can be said for dental implants. The total cost depends on factors such as bone level and density, number of implants, location of implant, sedation, patient health, desired final prosthesis. Some procedures that can also be involved include procedures such as bone grafts, extractions, tissue grafts, PRF(Platelet Rich Fibrin), or sinus lifts. To get the correct answer for your situation the dentist needs to evaluate your dental condition, and discuss with you what your desires are for the final product. This is your treatment plan! Then and only then can you receive an accurate cost of your dental implants. Call us at (863)967-7548 - and schedule your appointment for a comprehensive evaluation. If you would like ...

You've all seen those commercials about teeth straightening without dental visits. Sure, it is convenient, but is it actually good for your teeth and gums? Let's Talk about it!There are a few companies that offer in-home orthodontic aligners, which patients use to straighten teeth without EVER seeing a dentist in person.They just ask you to take photos of your teeth, bite down on a mold, and you will get orthodontic aligners in the mail.The First Problem I see is there is no comprehensive evaluation done by a dentist prior the treatment. It is the protocol of the American Dental Association to have a complete oral evaluation done by a dentist before any orthodontic treatment. It is important for a dentist to diagnose the condition of the teeth/gums prior to orthodontic treatment. For example, if the patient has decay, plaque, gum disease or other conditions, this must be treated before the orthodontic treatment in order to prevent further complications or exacerbation of current diseased conditions. T ...

Mouth is dark, dirty, moist places full of breeding bacteria. In fact one mouth can contain more bacteria than our people on earth. When we brush our teeth, we scrubbing away all that access bacteria and also food particles and pluck. When we don't brush, all that nasty stuff just continually builds up in our mouth. Our immune system goes into overdrive to try to clear all of it out, but it can't and the consequences not brushing at all - could be much worse than the cavities or gingivitis.     Let's start with the basics....     Plaque is a sticky bacterial film that coats your teeth and feeds of leftover sugars in your mouth. It produces enamel eating acid that eats away the surface layers of tooth leaving dark holes known as Cavities. The longer cavities stay untreated the larger they get. So plaque can also cause inflammation of the gum, AKA – gingivitis, discolored teeth, oral abscess and horrible bad breath. When bacteria really starts to build up, you increase your ...

 Whether it tooth infection or injury, unfortunately sometimes teeth need to be removed. And some people think that there is no big deal when removing back teeth since you can't see them when smile. But it is a HUGE Deal. Sure, you aren't going to see the difference in the beginning, but over time tooth loss will actually make you look older. Loss of back teeth leads to more pressure on the front teeth. This pressure results in bucking out and spacing as people age, as well as the collapse of the face and premature aging.  And loss of front teeth leaving no lip support and that makes you look older as well.      This is exactly how the loss of one or two teeth can negatively impact your Appearance. Since the facial changes occur gradually, you may not notice them right away, but the skin around your jaw and chin with time will start to sag. Tooth loss can age you 10 years or more! If you already miss one or more teeth, don't wait, call us for FREE consultation (863)85 ...