It can be very cost effective to sign up for both your own employers dental plan and your spouses. Not everyone has that option. I had a root canal and two crowns and my daughter had her wisdom teeth extracted this year. My out-of pocket costs were $25.00. The additional premium is $25.00 per month.

Anyone out there from Florida? My dentist’s office says xrays “are the law in Fla.”…but when asked for a statute #…couldn’t provide one!

Anyone know if dental xrays are “the law” in Florida?

Never go to reg dentist too expensive go to discount like clinic or school they guarantee work too for teeth pulling I found for $25-45 dentist wanted $90+I had bottom bridge made all in one day $250 had 4 teeth pulled put asleep $225 I was told by my dentist over $900 Investigate…..

All the bad politicts that has been on TV lately it is making many of us sick.
I can speak for myself as well.
Is it true that some illnes can come and overtake someone even if it is politict.
Is it part of week and mental state.

I am a dental hygienist. It is a law that the dentist must take x-rays and perform an exam at least every 13 months. I cannot clean someones teeth unless they have had x-rays taken within the last year. Current x-rays detect abcesses, cavities that are just beginning, and loss of bone around the teeth. Catching problems early before they become expensive is beneficial to the patient, and we cannot catch these things without x-rays. So yes, it is the law in most states.

Prevention, prevention, prevention. In dentistry an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure. Don’t ever skip a checkup and don’t haggle or complain about dental x-rays as they will save you from a missed cavity that would be a much greater expense later if not treated early. Try a small town dentist near a suburban area to save since he or she may have lower overhead. Most dentists will provide a Rx for greater strengh fluoride toothpaste or rinse that will decrease costs long term. Also compliment the dentist and hygienst instead of saying you hate dentists. They probably will reward people that don’t stress them. Also don’t go to a “cosmetic” dentist but go to one that emphasizes prevention and self preservation care. And if you have children don’t neglect their health by giving them every new computer game but not having their teeth checked regularly.

My family and I have been going to Mexico for dental care for many years. The office of our Mexican dentist is spotless and modern. He received his degree in dentistry from one of the leading universities in Mexico (Guadalajara) and has completed several specialty courses in the U.S.

An example of why we go to a Mexican dentist: Several years ago I lost a crown that had been in place for about 23 years. I went to an American dentist who replaced it for $1,129. A few months later, I lost the crown on the same tooth on the opposite side of my mouth. I went to our Mexican dentist, recommended to us by friends, who replaced it using the very same procedure, step-by-step, as the American dentist for a total of $135. The replacements are equally satisfactory.

About 2 years ago, my wife needed a new bridge, a replacement crown and two caps. Our Mexican dentist performed all the work to the extreme satisfaction of my wife for a total of $1,050.

Just as any other place, there are good and bad dentists in Mexico and one should check references (my wife and I talked to five other Americans who had been treated by our dentist, two of them for over 20 years, before going to see him).

I admit to having had some trepidations about receiving dental care in Mexico, but now feel very comfortable going there. As an aside, we take advantage of our “dental trips” to Mexico to do a little shopping.

Let’s be more professional; the proper term is CROWNS, not capping.

Also, many colleges have dental schools, training would be dentists and dental hygienists which are supervised by licensed dentists. The savings could be quite significant.

They all take X-Rays if needed not not, charge up the nose and wouldn’t help for any reason including pain unless they have the mighty buck in their hand….

Andrea stated “it is the law” for x-rays. What law, what is the statute, so no I don’t believe that x-rays are the law. Some people are on a fixed income and can’t even afford cleanings. My daughter is on Medicaid and the only thing covered is emergency extractions, no other dental work. So before anyone goes off syaing how prevention and regular trips to the dentist are the way to go, make sure you include those who are less fortunate. By the way a trip to a school costs more that some regular dentists and you also have to wait most of the day to get seen.

What detergent product is the common ingredient found in soap that most toothpastes have mentioned in the article that we are supposed to eliminate?

Two patiens and myself, a dentist with 44 years experience, 45 research papers, parts of two books, just wrote a new book, Open Wider: your wallet not your mouth, a consumer guide to dentistry.

I have a web site where I will answer questions patients have about dentistry. http://openwider.ning.com. The outline of the book is at http://openwider.org. It is avaliable on Amazon.com

Fred Quarnstrom, DDS
FAGD, FASDA, FICD, FACD

While correctly highlighting the importance of oral health, I’m concerned that this article does not adequately address the issue of safety and quality in dental work.

Root canal treatment performed by endodontists is safe and predictable, with a 95 percent success rate, and root canal-treated teeth can often last for a lifetime. With continued research showing an oral-overall health connection, it is particularly important to preserve the natural tooth whenever possible and avoid treatment plans which include extraction or other procedures that could later prove detrimental to overall health. An endodontist should be involved in treatment planning if there is a question as to whether a tooth can be saved.

Root canals save approximately 16 million natural teeth a year. And thanks to advances in technology, they are virtually painless.

For those interested in learning more, I encourage them to visit our organization’s Website, http://www.aae.org.

One option to consider in lowering your dental care bills is what is known as a discount dental plan. There are many reputable companies out there offering discount dental plans. A discount dental plan primarily targets individuals without traditional dental insurance - for whatever reason. A good discount dental plan will provider 10%-60% savings on most dental care procedures and not subject you to unfair health restrictions or endless paperwork that is incumbent with traditional dental insurance. These plans are fairly inexpensive - starting around $80 - especially if you put it in the context of today’s dental care costs. Worth a look if you are not currently insured. http://www.dental-plan-providers.com is a good place to get more information.