A dentist with 3 years experience in own practice in Peru, looking to become a dentist in California. What is the process?

Pass the state board exams. It is usually held twice a year. Sacramento, and in Los Angeles, I believe. You need to develop a patient base to use for the exams. There are several criteria the patients must meet. You must perform clinical, laboratory, and written exams.

If you're a teenager, do your parents make sure you have proper dental care?

I'm 55 and I didn't. I don't remember even being told to brush my teeth. Whenever I had a cavity my parents told me to get it pulled instead of filled because when I got older I would have dentures anyway. I got my first pair of dentures when I was 17. I hate my parents till today for doing that to me.

6 Tips That Can Help Lower Your Health Care Costs

If you want to protect yourself and your family without going broke, you will need to be pro-active when it comes to health care. Despite the extremely high cost of most medical care, access to free or discounted care is there for those willing to make a small effort to find it. Here are 6 tips to get you started.

1)Rx Discount Program - Prescription costs can be reduced substantially without buying insurance. There are discount purchasing groups that allow you to join them and receive their negotiated pricing on most prescription medications. One such group is UNA. There is no obligation or fee to register and it takes less than a minute to receive a personalized printable discount card which you simply bring to your druggist. He will save your discount group # in your file and you will then receive a reduced group price on all covered prescriptions. Discounts can be as much as 75% on some prescriptions. Go to www.ameraproducts.com and click on the red button “Free Rx Card”. There are no gimmicks attached to this one and over 50,000 pharmacies participate in this group. According to Wellness.com - April 2006: “Hands down, the finest prescription assistance program in the United States…”
2)Free Medical Q&A - Informational resources are abundant and free. If you have symptoms you want to confidentially discuss with a real doctor or if you want to research any disease or medication, here are a few good resources: www.webmd.com , www.afraidtoask.com and www.yournetdoctor.com .
3)Doctor and Hospital Ratings - before you select a doctor or hospital for surgery, you might want to know if you are making the right choice. There are research groups that independently research doctors and hospitals and rate them based on criteria which are designed to determine whether they have met the nationally recognized standards for excellence. One such group has made their data base of research on over 600,000 doctors and hospitals available to the public. Got to: www.healthgrades.com to see how your doctor and hospital rate.
4)Health Insurance - Given up on buying health insurance? Do a little more research. There might possibly be some good coverage available that is within your budget. Try www.insureme.com or www.healthinsuranceinfo.net before throwing in the towel.
5)Free Eyeglasses - If you are a student or have children and cannot afford eyeglasses for them, there is a program available that may qualify you for a free eye examination and free glasses. To see if you qualify, go to: www.sightforstudents.org and apply
6)Free Medical and Dental Clinics - Nearly every zip code has a medical facility nearby that will give anyone, without insurance or money, medical care. Most of these receive $ aid from governmental agencies or charitable organizations. How do I locate one? Just call any doctor or medical facility and ask them or visit www.ask.hrsa.gov/pc/ . This webpage will allow you to search for a clinic by zip code that will give you medical care, even if you do not have insurance or money. Another site that will help you locate free medical care is www.freemedicalcamp.com

Missing an anchor tooth or having gaps in between the teeth is missing much more than just your teeth. It spoils your smile. Indeed it may spoil much more by affecting your self confidence. You may miss out an important career opportunity or even a good social gathering.

In such a scenario, a dental implant surgery comes to your full rescue. It gives you the feeling of having a real and a permanent tooth for ever. It allows you to have a strong teeth even after you have lost them. This surgery replaces both the tooth and its root. It gives you better teeth condition that enables you to bite, chew properly and also considerably reduces several gum problems. So let’s study step by step the various aspects involved in dental surgery.

The Process

A dental implant involves some complicated processes therefore you should always go in for a specialist dentist or a good dental implant surgeon. To hold the tooth in place, a screw is implanted surgically into your jaw. After this the dentist will place the implant, once the process of healing is complete. Then follows the process of taking an impression of the existing teeth after which it will be sent to the dental laboratory, wherein a tooth will be designed to fit the original space of the tooth. The dentist will now place the tooth in the jaw, once the implant is complete.

The complications

Sometimes, after the completion of the surgery, there can be some swelling and gums can become tender. Taking proper medication, like Ibuprofen can reduce the symptoms. Moreover, surgery may also lead to infections sometimes, so you should always take care and follow some extra precautions after the implant is complete.

The Cost

A dental implant surgery now have become a little less expensive as they were before. Moreover the over all cost of your surgery depends on the total number of implants that are needed in your mouth. The cost will be definitely be higher if you have more than two implants. And if you are already suffering from some other oral mouth problem, then the cost can be still higher.

But, is the cost of a dental implant more than that killing stunning smile. I don’t think so.

Saw my dentist last night on my implants on 8/9. He is sending me in to the periodontist to check the lingual on teeth 7/8/9. What is that and is it more pain and long term or an easy fix?

He wants to check the bone density of your upper front teeth!
to see if the implant took, Did the bone regeneate around the implants?
The periodontist will possibly clean, scrape, underneath the gums or even reshape the gums around the implant areas!

with these procedures he will be using anesthesia and prescribe pain medication and or antibiotics too..

Canada had a huge surplus in money this year, why doesn't it start a new dental care plan so that everyone can have dental coverage without having to pay ass loads of money themselves or to insurance companies?

It's stupid because so many sicknesses and diseases are linked to dental hygiene and maintenance, why wouldn't they implement dental care as a preventative sickness measure to help us Canadians maintain good health?

This outrages me so much.

I guess it depends on what their other priorities are…

Gum disease believe it or not, can be avoided or at worst managed at a level where it doesn’t affect your quality of life. Take it from someone who has experienced gum disease at it’s worst, brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day; it will be worth it in the long run!

What Is Gum Disease?

Gum or periodontal disease is described as the inflammation and infection of the gums. Plaque build up on the teeth becomes hard and is known as calculus. This is a real danger sign for people because left untreated, serious complications will arise over a period of time. Let me give you a “ball-by-ball” description of exactly what can happen:
– The bacteria in the plaque can damage the gums leading to gingivitis. Okay, it’s a nasty sounding description but the good news is that it can be treated. – If left untreated, periodontitis, an advanced level of gum disease “will come knocking” and trust me, it’s not a friendly visitor. In fact, periodontitis just doesn’t visit but sets about to not only seriously damage both teeth and gums, but eats away at the bone supporting the teeth. Ouch! – Over time, the inflammation gets worse, the infection more severe, gum pockets begin to form because of the receding bone line and worse still, the gums begin to back off from the teeth. – If the above wasn’t bad enough, teeth begin to loosen, decay sets in, pain and discomfort becomes more frequent and it a nutshell, it becomes one hell of a mess. The end prognosis… a lot of teeth will be lost in the process which surprisingly can occur over a short period of time.

More Gum Nasties!

But that’s not all! Sure signs of gum disease include red, swollen and bleeding gums, bad breath, abcesses which form between both teeth and gums and of course, teeth beginning to lose their solid foundations within the gums. What does this mean? Well, it means a lot of pain and discomfort, thousands and thousands of dollars in treatment and depending on how you look at it, usually a pretty happy dentist only in the fact that you are keeping him or her in business.

Your Dentist Is Your Greatest Ally

In all seriousness though, the dentist is your greatest ally in warding off the destruction of periodontitis. Forget the old wive’s tale that visiting a dentist usually results in a lot of pain both physically and financially. When it comes to severe gum disease, the dentist is like your “vampire slayer.” Frequent examinations will involve thorough scanning of your teeth and gums. If there is any calculus build up present then it can be scraped away.

Remember, the calculus build up is ugly enough but it’s only the first step in the evolution of gum disease. Regular checks will keep calculus build up under control; ignoring regular dental check-ups is like putting up a neon light in your mouth inviting “Count” periodontitis to visit. Believe me, you do not want anything to do with it!

Crowns are generally used in cosmetic dentistry as a form of dental restoration and are fitted over the remaining part of the original tooth or used as a cap for dental implants.

Dental crowns are made of a variety of materials which include:

• porcelain (generally used for front teeth as a straight porcelain crown is very natural looking but they are not as strong as bonded crowns)

• porcelain bonded to metal

• ceramic crowns which have the appearance of porcelain and the strength of bonded so are suitable for any position in the mouth

• Gold Alloy, a very hard wearing crown that is available in gold or white.

Crowns are regularly used when teeth have been broken, have been largely destroyed through dental decay or are excessively worn. Crowns are moulded in a dental laboratory and, unlike basic filings, act as strengtheners for what is left of the original teeth.

With more and more people turning to cosmetic dentistry to create a perfect smile crowns have become widely used for improving the appearance of healthy teeth. This is a practice that isn’t totally supported in the dental industry as a portion of the original tooth has to be ground away to enable the crown to be fitted in place.

When there is very little of the original tooth left it may be necessary to insert a post into the root canal and cement into place before fitting the crown. The post will add support and help the dental crown stay in place.

As dental crowns are formed in a laboratory to get a crown fitted requires 2 trips to the dentist. Initially your dentist will take an impression of your teeth and provide you with a temporary crown if required. The new crown will be fitted 1 - 2 weeks later and will be fixed into place using dental cement.

Crowns are made to match the exact colour of your own teeth and will appear completely natural. You yourself might be aware of a crown for a few days after it is fitted but this will just be short term.

The life of a crown depends on the level of dental care. Many say a crown will last for 7 - 10 years but a well cared for crown can last a lot longer. Crowns are extremely hard wearing and durable but will not prevent further decay of the original tooth!

The cost of dental crowns is generally covered by dental insurance if they are used for restorative purposes. If you use any form of cosmetic dentistry, including dental crowns for appearance purposes you will normally have to cover the cost yourself.

A single dental crown will cost between $500 and $1,100 depending on restorative requirements and the materials used.

Teeth are very important part of our body and a person who possess good and healthy teeth he often gives a good look. With a good and healthy smile, you can subjugate many hearts. First, it is important to know that what the definition of healthy teeth is. Teeth that possess dazzling shine, are stainless, are firm and do not have any problem can be defined as healthy teeth. To be master of healthy teeth there are some things that you must be aware about. First thing, which you have to do is to brush your teeth twice a day without any set back. This saves your teeth from tooth decay and saves your gum from various diseases. You must buy a toothbrush after examining it carefully. A toothbrush should in a perfect shape so that it may reach every nook and corner of your mouth.

Toothpaste should also be applied that contains fluoride for fluoride helps protect your teeth from decay. If you also apply, flossing then is good as it adds to the care of your oral health. Flossing helps in removing plaque from the in between areas where normally toothbrush cannot reach. This also helps you in preventing gum disease. You should always floss behind the last tooth and unwind clean floss as you proceed and you should floss round the abutment teeth of a bridge with a floss threader. Normally we brush our teeth very roughly but this is not the right way of brushing. You should brush at a 45-degree angle in short, half-tooth-wide strokes against the gum line. While brushing you should incline brush vertically and should use the brush gently. On chewing surfaces, you should brush flat and should brush back and forth.

Apart from that, you should also visit you dentist at least twice a year. Because regular dental check up is requisite. No doubt, flossing and brushing helps you in keeping teeth healthy and shining, still the importance of regular dental check up cannot be overlooked. When you visit a dentist for dental check up then a dentist generally review and update your medical history, takes X-ray for detecting decay or oral diseases, the dentist also evaluates your gum tissues. In addition, if necessary the dentist provides you preventive services that may include blood pressure screening, scaling of the teeth to remove all plaque and tartar, polishing of the silver crowns, flossing, polishing of the teeth to remove all stains etc.

We all need medical help at some time in our lives and we also want the security of knowing that our children will be cared for, should they fall ill or suffer an accident. In developing countries, a lot of people struggle to buy the drugs and medicines they need and have to rely on charity. There is a campaign in the West to persuade pharmaceutical companies to make their products available at prices people can pay in poverty stricken communities. Sometimes, these companies will only put the high cost branded drugs on the market. They have also been known to flood the market with past their sell date products. Affordable health care is out of reach for a lot of people.

It can also be difficult for developed countries, especially when someone has a long-term illness. Most people need to have some sort of private health insurance to meet their needs. The problem is that a lot of families prioritize their money to be spent on rent and food, leaving little left for anything else. Affordable health care often comes at the expense of something else.

In general, the population is living longer. This is putting enormous strain on every country’s health system. There are more people living into their eighties and nineties and they have several medical problems. At the same time, middle-aged people are falling victim to heart disease and strokes. The debate rages as to whether the state should provide health care or if it should be left to the responsibility of the individual. It might work better as a blending of the two.

The UK is lucky in having a welfare state. Medical care is free at source. There are exceptions to this, involving dental and ophthalmic charges. There is also a standard charge for prescriptions. This welfare system has to be paid for through direct and indirect tax. Americans don’t enjoy a welfare state but they pay less tax on gasoline etc. Affordable health care is swings and roundabouts.

Private health care is available in the UK as well, for those who wish to pay for it. This means you get treatment a lot quicker and can be admitted to a private hospital on a chosen date for operations. The divide between private and state provision causes a lot of argument, with some people believing that no one should be able to jump the queue because they can pay to do so. Private patients also take doctors away from National Health Service patients. Everyone is agreed that affordable health care for all is a desirable goal but no one seems sure on how to go about it.