The countdown to Mother’s Day is on. How are you celebrating your mother this year? Check out a few of our ideas on how to make your mom smile this Mother’s Day. read more
Spirit Dental Resources
Spring cleaning is not just for clearing out your home it’s a time to spruce up many areas of your life. This spring, don’t forget to clean up your smile! To do this, there are certain beverages and foods to avoid when eating and drinking. Read up on some of these stain-causing foods and drinks to keep your smile white and healthy!
Italian Dishes (pasta sauce)
The tomatoes in pasta sauce can leave your teeth vulnerable to staining. Tomato sauce is very acidic and the bright red hue can stain your pearly whites. Colgate.com states that eating a salad or broccoli before your pasta meal will create a protective film on your teeth. So before you eat your main course, have some dark greens or a salad.
Curry
Curry is commonly found in Indian food and other exotic dishes. Its deep pigmentation can cause teeth to yellow over time, so again, eat some greens before your exotic dishes. Milk, which will also counteract the spiciness found in many curry dishes, is another protective choice for your teeth.
Berries
Berries provide great health benefits for your body, but they also stain your teeth! The deep hues found in blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and cranberries are the main culprit of staining your teeth. The methods in which you eat them (raw, in a smoothie, in desserts, etc.) all have the same potential staining effects. It is important to not let them linger in your mouth, so drink water or milk after having berries to help combat the staining effect.
Balsamic Vinegar
It may be a healthy alternative for a salad dressing, but its dark color is a bad choice for your teeth. If you don’t have the chance to brush after eating balsamic vinegar, eat some lettuce without dressing at the end of your salad to clean your teeth.
Drinks
As many of us know (no doubt from our mothers), a number of drinks are bad for the overall health of your teeth. Some may cause discoloration, some erode enamel, and some do both. Drinks to avoid or limit include:
coffee
tea
soda
sports drinks
red and white wine
all tea (including white)
Make sure to brush after drinking these or drink water to rinse your smile! It’s hard to cut all of those foods and drinks out of your life, and the truth is, you don’t need to. We suggest you limit yourself on your intake of these natural stainers and eat more smile cleaning foods: apples, carrots, cauliflower, celery, broccoli, kale, spinach, and other dark green veggies.
Most people think of mouthguards as something you wear if you play football or hockey, but the use of mouthguards can be beneficial to tons of different sports. It’s true that the number of facial injuries in both football and hockey are quite low due to the requirement of mouthguards in these sports. Sports like baseball, basketball, and gymnastics, however, have higher facial injuries because mouthguards are not required.
With a range of different mouthguards on the market, it may be difficult to determine which is the best for you. However, there are three main types of mouthguards, readymade, boilandbite, and custom fit.
ReadyMade
Readymade mouthguards are often the least expensive and the most easily accessible, but they offer the least amount of protection. Because the mouth guard is loose fitting and does not form to your teeth, the mouthguard can move. Also, you sound like your mouth is full of marbles when you try to speak. Choosing this mouthguard, however, is much better than using nothing. If you are in a pinch and need a readymade mouthguard, one of the best choices is the Shock Doctor Pro Mouthguard.
Boilandbite
Boilandbite mouth guards are the most popular. This mouth guard is heated in boiling water and then the softened plastic forms to your teeth. This forming process reduces the amount of extra space between the mouth guard and your teeth and makes a custom fit for your mouth shape. The Venum Predator Mouthguard is a great option for this variety.
CustomFit
The most protective and streamlined are customfit mouth guards. This type is perfect for those who play numerous sports and that need the most protection. In addition, a customfitted mouth guard is better for those who have braces or permanent dental work. Customfit mouth guards can be made just by coming into the dentist and having a fitting. It’s easy and will help protect you from injuries. Whether you want to learn more about which mouthguard you should purchase or if you would like to have a custom mouthguard created, give us a call and we will help you make the best decision.
Have missing teeth and feel dental implants are a must? Many dental patients are in this type of situation without having the funds in hand to move forward. Making the right decision is not always the easiest choice, but it does not have to be an arduous task. This is where high quality dental implant coverage comes into action. Let's take a look at what patients receive upon signing up with a high quality dental implant coverage plan. A customized solution in accordance with your dental needs is a must in this day and age.
Costs
Let's begin by understanding the process and what it entails. Dental implants are permanent options, which are fixed into the gum providing long term stability. However, with such security comes a higher price.
The average dental clinic will charge patients around $1,100-$2,000 per tooth and this is a lower estimate compared to what is the going rate in the open market.
This can add up in a hurry for those who need multiple implants in one go.
The coverage is designed to help cover these requirements right from the get go without having depressing conditions attached.
Immediate Coverage
The waiting periods other coverage plans tend to bring along with them are horrendous and can get in the way of a necessary treatment. In fact, many patients end up having to foot the bill regardless of having the plan in place.
This does not have to happen with a professional agency which goes the extra mile to meet your requirements. The days of having to sit through a waiting period are long in the past and you are not going to have this issue with Spirit Dental.
Regardless of your particular case, there are no waiting periods attached to your name upon signing up.
No Hidden Conditions
What about hidden conditions? There are many options on the market, where a person has to deal with hidden conditions. These are conditions where only certain cases and patients merit dental implants within their coverage.
As one can imagine, this is horrible and can lead to a patient not being able to maximize on their coverage as desired. It can also leave one without a penny from the coverage they are paying for.
This does not have to be the case with Spirit Dental where all patients regardless of their case are eligible for dental implants. There is no such thing as partial coverage with Spirit Dental.
Dental implants should never be regarded as a 'cosmetic' surgery. Many agencies feel this is how it should be defined, but reality states these implants are a must. Without the implants, a patient is not able to chew properly nor will their face appear as lively as it should. It can have a direct impact on your quality of life as a whole.
These manufactured implants can make all the difference and being able to afford them is challenging without high quality insurance backing you up along the way.
At present, approximately 75 percent of orthodontics patients are children. Having proper insurance children's orthodontics coverages is important if you're the parent. There are many great plans out there and you'll be glad to know that you're able to afford your child's orthodontia care.
Without proper orthodontia care your child's teeth can put to much pressure on various area's in your child's mouth and create problems later on in their life. For this reason, many children require braces.
Braces may seem horrible at first to your child. But they don't have to be painful and your child will greatly benefit from wearing them for the prescribed amount of time. Additionally, braces can offer your child a healthier smile and a long term solution for teeth and mouth repair.
Having a healthier smile and a long term solution for crooked teeth can help to boost your child's self confidence and improve their overall appearance.
There are a variety of orthodontia coverages that you can select from. If you have more than one child that may require orthodontia care you'll want to look into one that offers a family plan so that you can save as much money as possible on your premiums and your deductibles.
It's important to help your child understand that braces aren't forever and won't always be in their mouth. Additionally, the braces of today aren't like they were even a mere decade ago.
The price of braces is going to vary depending upon the amount of time they must be in your child's mouth, the amount of movement that the orthodontist must do in the mouth and they specific kinds of treatments that the orthodontist must do for your child's health care.
On average, braces are around $5000. That is assuming that the person doesn't have orthodontics coverages on their dental policy. It's also important to note that this won't cover the cost of X rays or other tests required to diagnose the specific issues in the mouth.
For this reason, it's important to make sure that your specific dental health plan includes orthodontic coverage. If you suspect your child will require such care it's best to get it all signed up for on your regular dental policy before you begin your venture into treatment options.
Once you have the coverage, you'll be glad to know that many orthodontists give a free first time consultation for your child's exam. This alone can save you a lot of money. Plus, you'll be able to find out what must be done and what your specific orthodontics coverage will provide for.
In this fashion you can find out what your portion of the services provided are going to cost. Before you get your policy you may want to look over the various options on potential policies and see which plan will be best suited for your specific needs.
By having insurance children's orthodontics coverages in your policy you're sure to save a lot of money and be able to provide your child with quality orthodontia care.
Being a 'senior' can often come across as insulting when it comes to dental coverage plans. They are ruthless and charge a pretty penny without providing comprehensive protection for one's dental requirements. The assumption ends up becoming seniors are a liability and therefore deserve to be treated poorly. This is downright unfair and is regarded as a major slight. This is where Spirit Senior dental plans are able to show the way in what the right approach is and what comprehensive coverage is all about in this day and age. Let's take a look at what these dental plans are revered for.
Immediate Acceptance
Seniors should not have to wait around to get accepted. Are you afraid you are going to be put on a waiting list? Many seniors in America are stuck in this position and don't know what to do.
Those who go with Spirit Dental will be ensured of gaining immediate acceptance. You are not going to be made to wait unnecessarily.Those days are long in the past and should never be brought up again. A quality insurance agency makes sure you are getting the level of coverage, which is going to go a long way in providing immediate acceptance.
Three Cleanings A Year
Want to get cleanings on a regular basis? These plans will provide each individual with three cleanings per year within the established plan. It is not going to cost extra to avail these opportunities.
Implants Covered
What about missing teeth? This can become a major problem as time goes on and the teeth age. If that is a position you find yourself in, dental implants become a must for your health in general.
These plans are going to ensure you are covered for the entire process without having to fret about being disqualified or having to foot part of the bill.
Choose Personal Dentist
What about wanting to get your own dentist? Do you have to wait around in order to get a dentist who will listen to what you want and will know your case inside and out?
No, you will be able to go back to your own dentist. You will never be asked to select from a list of dentists as that is never going to suffice and is going to ruin the rapport you might have built with a local dentist. This alone can make it worthwhile to go with a dental plan where your opinion matters.
With the days of Medicare coming to the rescue for seniors needing oral care, it has become pertinent to find a coverage plan for this particular requirement. Those who are not careful will be left without a solution in sight and this can be scary to deal with at the best of times. With the Spirit Senior dental plans, all of these worries go out the window as you will be provided with a meticulous solution for all of your customized needs and wants. Oral care has never been easier than it is now for seniors.
Many parents are shocked when they discover just how much it will cost to get braces for their teenager. The cost of such treatment can easily be as much as $5000 or more, and many families find it difficult to afford these costs. However, it is important to make sure that your child is able to receive the orthodontic treatment that he needs.
Finding a way to afford these children's orthodontics costs can take some planning. It is not something that you should leave until the last minute, or even until your child pays his first visit to the orthodontist. You need to start saving as soon as possible so that you will have enough set aside for braces.
If you start saving at an early age, you will find it much easier to put aside enough money to make braces more affordable. For example, if you start putting an extra $20 into savings each month when your child is born, by the time he is a teenager, you could have several thousand dollars in the bank. This will be enough to pay for a significant portion of the cost of braces.
You might be under the assumption that your dental insurance will pay for most of the cost of any orthodontic treatment that is needed. However, in the vast majority of cases, this is not the case. Most dental insurance policies pay for the cost of basic, preventative procedures, such as examinations and cleanings.
Any major procedures that require the attention of a specialist are covered at a much lower rate. For example, your policy might cover 100 percent of the cost of a cleaning, 90 percent of the cost of an X-ray, and 80 percent of the cost of a filling. However, it might pay only 50 percent of the cost of braces.
In addition to this lower percentage, your plan is likely to have a maximum benefits limitation for major procedures such as orthodontia. In most cases, this will be a lifetime limit rather than an annual one. As long as your child is covered by your insurance plan, your policy will provide no more coverage for braces or other treatments once the lifetime limit has been reached.
Unfortunately, most plans have a fairly low limit, often no more than $1000 to $1500. Since braces can cost quite a bit more than this, you are going to have to pay for the rest of the cost on your own. This is why it is such a good idea to start saving for braces as soon as you can. Otherwise, you may have to come up with several thousand dollars on fairly short notice.
Talk to your orthodontist about ways to make children's orthodontics costs more affordable. They will be happy to work with you to come up with a payment plan that fits your budget. By doing so, you can make sure that your child is able to receive the proper treatment for his teeth.