Back To School Means Back To The Dentist Too

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As part of the ritual of going back to school, parents will no doubt buy their children new clothes and supplies, and take them to the pediatrician for their annual check up. But Mark Helpin, D.M.D., acting chair of the department of pediatric dentistry at Temple University's Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry, says that this is also the perfect time to schedule a dental check-up.

"So much of dental care is reactionary; parents will bring their children in only if there's a problem. But it's highly unusual for a parent to wait until the child is sick to take him or her to the pediatrician," said Helpin. "Just as you schedule well baby visits and health check-ups with a pediatrician, you should also schedule oral health check-ups with a dentist."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tooth decay is the most chronic childhood disease in the U.S. five times more prevalent than asthma and seven times more prevalent than hay fever. Yet it is a condition that is entirely preventable.

Helpin says that the key to prevention lies with early, regular visits to the dentist, which should typically be every six months. In addition to treating and preventing tooth decay, both children and parents get valuable information about maintaining healthy teeth and gums.

The American Academy for Pediatric Dentistry recommends that children first be seen by their dentist within six months of the first sign of a tooth, and warns that without continued preventive care, poor oral health could lead to a number of health and development issues in adolescence and adulthood.

"It's important to establish a relationship with a dentist the same way you would with a pediatrician," Helpin said. "This is the idea behind the 'dental home' a place where an oral health care provider has established a relationship with the child. That doesn't mean just treating an issue; it also includes preventive treatment and nutritional counseling."

According to the AAPD, the concept of a dental home "enhances the dental professional's ability to assist children and their parents in the quest for optimum oral health care, beginning with the age one dental visit for successful preventive care and treatment as part of an overall oral health care foundation."

By including dental checkups in the back-to-school health screening process, Helpin says parents will be able to establish a routine where dental care and education are provided, to ensure good oral and overall health for life.

Dental Insurance vs. Orthodontist Insurance

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Are dental insurance and orthodontist insurance the same thing?
No. In fact, many dental insurance plans do not offer coverage for procedures done by orthodontists at all! Furthermore, there is no such thing as a policy that covers only orthodontist procedures. So, if your current dental plan doesn't cover them, you effectively have no orthodontist insurance.

Fortunately, for a modest increase in your monthly premiums, many group and individual dental plans can include coverage for orthodontic work (I.E. braces). If, for whatever reason, your company's benefits manager doesn't offer you the flexibility to get extra coverage in the company plan for your own needs, then you may have to purchase a supplemental plan to get the coverage you want. Furthermore, many companies will allow you to opt-out of the group plan completely and get partial reimbursement for whatever plan you choose for yourself and your family.

Either way, if you think that any beneficiary of your dental plan will require orthodontist work in the near- to mid-term, then you should make sure that your current plan offers that coverage or else start thinking about other coverage options such as purchasing a discount dental plan as a supplement to your existing dental insurance coverage.

Oral Piercings Cause Dental Problems In Teens

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Skin piercings might be the rage among teens, but researchers from Tel Aviv University have found good reasons to think twice about piercing one's tongue or lip.

Dr. Liran Levin, a dentist from the Department of Oral Rehabilitation, School of Dental Medicine at Tel Aviv University has found that about 15 to 20 percent of teens with oral piercings are at high risk for both tooth fractures and gum disease. Resulting tooth fractures as well as periodontal problems, he says, can lead to anterior (front) tooth loss later in life.

Only Teens Are Affected
High rates of fractures due to piercings are not found in other age groups, and cases of severe periodontal damage in teens without oral piercings are similarly rare, says Dr. Levin, who conducted the study with partners Dr. Yehuda Zadik and Dr. Tal Becker.

Ten percent of all New York teenagers have some kind of oral piercings, compared to about 20 percent in Israel and 3.4 percent in Finland. Dr. Levin warns teens to think twice before getting an oral piercing, as it can lead to easily preventable health complications and, in some (rare) cases, even death.

Premature Frontal Tooth Loss
"There are short-term complications to piercings in low percentages of teens, and in rare cases a piercing to the oral cavity can cause death," Dr. Levin says. "Swelling and inflammation of the area can cause edema, which disturbs the respiratory tract." He warns that the most common concerns -- tooth fracture and periodontal complications -- are long-term.

"There is a repeated trauma to the area of the gum," says Dr. Levin. "You can see these young men and women playing with the piercing on their tongue or lip. This act prolongs the trauma to the mouth and in many cases is a precursor to anterior tooth loss."

During the Israel-based study, the researchers surveyed teens both with piercings and without, asking them a number of questions about their dental health, their knowledge of the risk factors associated with piercings, and about their piercing history, before conducting the clinical oral exams.

Ironically, Dr. Levin notes, those youngsters who opted for oral piercing were very concerned about body image, but seemed to be unaware of the future risks such piercings can cauofse.

Practical Advice to Teens and Parents
Bottom line, the best advice for teens is to "try and avoid getting your mouth pierced," says Dr. Zadik. If your teen is insistent, he says, then it's essential that piercing tools are disposable, and that all other equipment is cleaned in an on-site autoclave to help reduce infection.

After the procedure, the area should be rinsed regularly with a chloroxidine-based mouthwash for two weeks. Thereafter, avoid playing with the piercing and clean it on a regular basis. Calculus deposits on the piercing may form over time and should be removed by a dentist. Checkups should be made regularly, even if you do not have any dental coverage. The risks for long-term oral damage are simply too great not not to see your dentist regularly when you have an oral piercing.

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