Dental Insurance Explained
April 16, 2013
At Blanco Circle Dental Care, we understand that figuring out how to pay for your dental care is important to our patients, so we’re here to help. We accept a variety of insurance plans, CareCredit, cash, checks, and all major credit cards.
Today we want to educate you about your dental insurance. The name can often be a bit misleading, as it’s not an insurance plan in the same sense as your medical or life insurance. A better way to think about it is as a benefit plan. If you have eyeglass benefits, it’s very similar to that.
Every insurance plan is different, so please contact your insurance provider for the specific details of your plan. Generally, a dental insurance plan has a maximum paid benefit of between $500 to $2,000 a year and cover certain procedures. Most plans cover a maximum of $1,000 worth of dental work.
This is a fixed amount that does not vary based on your needs. You may require dental procedures beyond your yearly maximum coverage to ensure the health of your smile. If you choose to only limit your dental treatments to what your dental insurance covers in a year, it could have a negative impact on the health of your smile.
We want all of our patients to be able to afford the dental care they need for their dental health. Whether it’s through dental insurance or other methods, we are here to help come up with a plan so you can afford your dental treatments.
At Blanco Circle Dental Care, Dr. Gary Klugman and Dr. Christina Bianco provide quality general, cosmetic and sedation dentistry services. Our Salinas, CA dental office serves patients from Hollister, Monterey, Seaside, Prunedale, Marina, Greenfield, Gilroy, and King City. Call us today to schedule your next appointment.
Xylitol: Natural Sugar for Healthy Smiles
April 2, 2013
While we all know that eating lots of sugar and sugary foods is bad for our teeth, sometimes it’s just hard to avoid using sugar. Did you know that there’s a natural sugar called xylitol that’s actually better for your teeth than other varieties of sugar? At Blanco Circle Dental Care, we are always searching for ways to help our patients better care for their smiles.
Xylitol is another form of sugar that has extremely few calories and is safe for diabetics. It’s naturally found in some fruits and vegetables, including berries and mushrooms. The real benefits comes when you look at how it affects your dental health.
After you eat foods containing regular sugar, the bacteria on your teeth will multiply and attempt to wear away at your enamel. Xylitol helps to neutralize the bacteria and prevent the acid erosion of your enamel.
Thus, it’s a way to get the taste of sugar in foods while helping to protect your teeth. This is a great solution that we urge all of our patients to consider using. While xylitol can be found in some over-the-counter sugar free chewing gum, you can get a more effective dose from gums like this one from CariFree. There are a variety of xylitol products available, including gum, mouthwash, toothpaste and mints.
Making the switch to xylitol gum or using other xylitol products could be a great way to help protect your teeth against cavities. We want all our patients to have healthy, beautiful smiles and are here to help in any way that we can.
At Blanco Circle Dental Care, Dr. Gary Klugman and Dr. Christina Bianco provide quality general, cosmetic and sedation dentistry services. Our Salinas, CA dental office serves patients from Hollister, Monterey, Seaside, Prunedale, Marina, Greenfield, Gilroy, and King City. Call us today to schedule your next appointment.
Selecting the Right Tools for Proper Teeth Care
March 19, 2013
Just because you’re brushing your teeth regularly doesn’t necessarily mean you are taking good care of them. Even people that brush regularly can still wear their teeth away. It is important to look carefully at your brushing technique, your toothbrush and your toothpaste. Blanco Circle Dental Care wants all of our patients to take the best care of their teeth possible.
Make sure you’re not brushing too hard. If your toothbrush bristles are looking frayed or bent after a short amount of time, it could be a sign that you’re brushing too hard. Brushing too hard can wear the gum tissue away. Also, make sure you’re using the right kind of toothbrush. If the bristles are too hard or rough, you could actually be wearing the enamel off of your teeth when you think you’re cleaning them.
Selecting the right toothpaste is very important to ensure a healthy smile, and is something most people don’t think a lot about. Not all toothpastes are created equal. Make sure it’s not too abrasive, or you could be accidentally wearing away the surface of your teeth when you think you’re cleaning them. Whitening toothpastes are often among the worst, as they may be ‘whitening’ your teeth by using abrasive materials to remove the top layer of your teeth. To get a copy of our list of different kinds of toothpaste and their abrasiveness, email us at drk@salinasdental.com.
It is not enough to just brush your teeth. Make sure you’re using the proper tools while doing so to ensure the continued health of your smile. Pay careful attention to your toothpaste selection, they are not all created equal. Call us to learn more and make sure you’ve made the right choices for your smile.
At Blanco Circle Dental Care, Dr. Gary Klugman and Dr. Christina Bianco provide quality general, cosmetic and sedation dentistry services. Our Salinas, CA dental office serves patients from Hollister, Monterey, Seaside, Prunedale, Marina, Greenfield, Gilroy, and King City. Call us today to schedule your next appointment.
Effects of Acid on Tooth Enamel
March 5, 2013
Acidic foods and beverages can have a negative impact on your enamel. Enamel is the thin outer covering of the tooth that helps to protect it against damage from everyday use. At Blanco Circle Dental Care, we want our patients to be informed about their teeth to know how to better take care of them.
Acidic items include carbonated drinks, fruit juice, wine, fruit, pickles, yogurt, and honey. Citric acids that are found in these items can dissolve the enamel on your teeth. Once the enamel wears away, your teeth will be more vulnerable to decay and damage, as well as being more sensitive.
It is a better idea to skip sodas and have water instead, but if you can’t skip acidic foods and drinks, there are some things you can do to minimize the negative effects on your teeth. It is important to talk to us as we can give you specific tips based on your tooth health and your personal habits.
Generally, try and have acidic items at meals so the effect of the acid is minimized. While you’re eating, your body will produce saliva that will also help to keep the acid from lingering in your teeth. It’s a good idea to use a straw when having acidic drinks, and to avoid swishing them around in your mouth. Also, brush your teeth or rinse your mouth out with water after eating acidic food to help neutralize the acids.
Some signs that you may have acid erosion of your enamel include the following:
- Discolored teeth
- Cracks
- Small dents on tooth surface
- Teeth with a sand-blasted appearance
- Increased sensitivity
- Teeth appearing translucent near the edges
It is important to visit us regularly so that if your enamel is eroding, we can help alert you to the problem and come up with solutions for your smile. Erosion of enamel due to acid is a serious dental health concern, so it is important to stay informed.
At Blanco Circle Dental Care, Dr. Gary Klugman and Dr. Christina Bianco provide quality general, cosmetic and sedation dentistry services. Our Salinas, CA dental office serves patients from Hollister, Monterey, Seaside, Prunedale, Marina, Greenfield, Gilroy, and King City. Call us today to schedule your next appointment.