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The problem of insufficient access to dental care is not entirely because there are not enough dentists, it’s often due to where the dentists are located. Like it or not, cities have far greater concentrations of dentists, than rural areas. Dentists have a better chance of establishing and maintaining their practice when they are closer to more patients. Obviously there are more patients in urban areas. However, poor urban areas can be under served by dental services too.

Some communities, and/or states help place dentists in rural or under served urban areas through stipends, or dental student loan forgiveness. If your community is under served, you can check with your local department of health services to see if programs to recruit dentists exist in your area.

The ADA is expanding their approach to deliver more dental care to under served areas by creating the position of Community Dental Health Coordinator (CDHC). The CDHC, under the supervision of a practicing dentist, helps persons in need of dental services navigate the often bureaucratic maze of the public health system for teeth cleanings, dental sealants and fluoride treatments. If you can’t reach your local department of health services, the CDHC, through the ADA’s offices, maybe able to assist you.

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According to the ADA, February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. Each February, the ADA promotes awareness of dental, and oral health for children. Dental health is vital at all ages, but especially for children as it can effect their overall development, which is critical at every stage of childhood.

Brushing, flossing, and scheduling regular dental check ups gives children a good foundation for a lifetime of healthy dental care habits. So be sure to monitor your child’s brushing and flossing regime during February, and if they have not had a dental check up recently, schedule one with your dentist, or if you do not have one, find one from sites like www.freedentistfinder.com.

If cannot afford a dentist for your child, in may parts of the country, dentists are periodically offering free dental care for children. Check with either your city/county health care services, the paper, or the internet, if there are upcoming free dental clinics for children in your area.

Equally important for children is establishing healthy eating habits. Learning about the food pyramid is a great place for children to begin. Show an example of the five main food groups: grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy, and meats to reinforce examples of what healthy foods are. In some parts of the country, fresh, ripe, strawberries are already coming into season, and they make a great healthy treat, after class, for active youngsters.

So this February, do yourself, and your youngster a favor, and check out the educational classroom materials the ADA has to offer by clicking on the link below. They have free online resources for oral health presentations, ideas for the classroom and coloring and activity sheets that can be used as handouts either for your children, their school class, or for your dental office.

ADA classroom resources and materials:

http://www.ada.org/public/education/teachers/ideas.asp

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In addition to tasting good, foods such as parsley, coriander, spearmint, tarragon, eucalyptus, rosemary and cardamom can help freshen your breath. You can even make a tea out of them.

Active culture yoghurts can also aide in reducing bad breath, as they lower odor causing hydrogen-sulphide in the mouth.

Fibrous foods such as carrots, pears, and apples are also good helpful in fighting the dreaded halitosis. Also fruits, like oranges, which are high in vitamin C can prohibit the growth of bacteria.

Lastly, although it’s not a health food, sugarless gum can provide a masking scent, as well as increasing saliva production, which is nature’s way of cleansing the mouth.

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Studies at the University of Illinois College of Dentistry have shown that certain compounds in black tea can suppress production of bacteria which cause dental plaque. Black tea was also found to block enzymes which which feed on sugar residues, and adhere to teeth. Amazingly black tea also contains fluoride, which may explain some of its bacteria fighting properties.

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Thousands of dentists provide free care to hundreds of thousands of disadvantaged children each year through the ADA’s annual Give Kids A Smile program.

State dental societies regularly organize Missions of Mercy, in which thousands of people receive free care, often in remote areas, in temporary dental “hospitals.”

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Recently, CBS News aired a segment about Lynda Paskiewicz, a mother seeking care for herself and her two children at a free dental care event in Wisconsin. Over two days more than 1,300 people joined her. Thousands of dentists across the country volunteer at such events to help people who do not have access to dental care.

An estimated 12 million children face cost barriers to adequate dental care. Finding low cost dental care is a common concern for many people right now. More than 100 million American go without dental coverage.

Although many dentists around the country are generously offering limited time free dental care sessions, there are few options for Americans to find low cost dental care. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) sometimes seeks volunteers who have specific dental, oral, and craniofacial conditions. Participants receive low free or low cost care. You can reach them at 1-800-411-1222.

We’ll cover other low cost dentistry providers in future.

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Finding the perfect dentist for you is not an easy task. Most of us simply make do with the dentist we have, unless they make a glaring mistake. Since almost all dentists are licensed, and insured, no single dentist referral source can accurately claim their dentists are the best. Besides your experience with that dentist is the only one that matters to you. Still, it’s a good idea to ask those who have experience with either the general dentist, or specialist, you are considering. Word of mouth is a great point of reference for dental quality care, but hardly the only one, since for all the good experiences others have had with a specific dentist, there are also those who’s procedures did not work out as hoped. Even if someone has had a negative experience with a dentist, it does not mean the dentist isn’t qualified, or capable. People’s expectations have a way of coloring their views.

Here are some basic questions you should ask of the dentist you are considering:

• When are their office hours? Is their office convenient to public transportation, or do they provide parking?
• How do they handle emergency situations? Some dentists are available after hours, while others use a referral service.
• What types of anesthesia is the dentist certified to give?
• Does the dentist strongly believe in heading off dental problems before they start?
• Ask the dentist to estimate the cost of common procedures like a cleaning, filling, or dental X-ray.
• Does the dentist participate in your dental plan? What form of payment do they accept? Do they offer a discount for one form of payment over another. Can paperwork be done online, or in advance?
• Are they currently licensed, without Board Review, and do they have insurance?

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