People still need dental care beyond the limitations of what dental insurance offers, and they are finding a variety of ways to obtain it within their financial means. Here are just a few ways people obtain and pay for dental care when they don't carry insurance.

• Credit Cards – As long as the interest rate is low enough, credit cards can be an effective way to pay for dental care. If credit card companies raise their rates, some card carriers simply transfer the balance to a card with a lower rate until they can pay down the balance.
• Healthcare Credit Cards – Recently, a number of credit cards have emerged that are specifically designed for medical and dental expenses. While they can be helpful in a pinch, they tend to carry double-digit interest rates, and if the balance isn't paid off in a specified amount of time, the fees are quite hefty.
• Dental Schools – Some people use their teeth to train the next generation and get some pretty low-cost care. Dental students need hands-on training in order to become full-fledged dentists, and a number of uninsured Americans are glad to contribute to the educational process.
• Dental Charities – With so many lacking dental insurance, there are dentists, hygienists, and oral surgeons who volunteer their time and expertise to charitable organizations to help those most in need.
• Payment Plans – Many dentists, Dr. Chirillo included, offer reasonable payment plans for their patients, or they work with third-party finance companies through which patients can make payments. Obviously, the big advantage of working directly with your dentist is that dentists, compared to insurance companies, have a much better idea of what your mouth actually needs. Your dentist will ensure you get the care necessary, not just the care an insurance company thinks is worth paying for. Especially with elective and cosmetic surgery, dental insurance policies are largely unviable.

At Dr. Chirillo's office, our primary objective is to give our patients the best in oral healthcare. If you do not have dental benefits or if they are not adequate, and if you prefer making decisions, call us today and ask us about our financing options. We're here to help you take control of your dental care and wellbeing. >>Contact Us

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There are many things to consider when you're looking for a new dentist. After all, dentist/patient relationships are often some of the longest relationships people have in healthcare. It's important that you ensure the relationship is going to work for you.

If you're looking for a new dentist, use this checklist to make sure you find a dental care team that's the best choice available for meeting your unique needs.

BEFORE YOU MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT

• Where are they located? For many, it's nice to have your dentist near your home or work, but for the right dentist, most people don't mind driving a little further.
• Do you have special needs? Perhaps you want a dentist who specializes in treating children. Maybe you need one who has a translator on staff, or someone who speaks sign language. Does the dentist you're considering have adequate accessibility?
• What are the office hours? Be sure they work with your schedule. Remember, you're the one who's going to have to keep the appointments.
• How do they handle payment? If you're going through an insurance company, this may limit the number of dentists you can consider, but if you're willing to pay out-of-pocket for the perfect smile, you have a greater chance of working with the dentist who will help you get it. Remember that your dentist's job, first and foremost, is to help you make decisions based on your oral health, not an insurance policy. His or her relationship needs to be with you—not with an insurance company.
• What is the dentist's educational background and credentials? Few dentists get their certificates out of Cracker Jack boxes anymore, but it's a good thing to find out not only where they learned their trade, but how they keep their practice up to date on the latest developments in dental care.
• When is the next available appointment? Dentists booked solid for a few months is standard, but you don't want to book anything further than six months out.

WHEN YOU GO TO THE APPOINTMENT

• How does the office feel to you? Be sure you're comfortable in the reception area, and that it's clean, orderly, and well-lit. You may be here for a few minutes.
• How are you treated by the office staff ? The people behind the desk set the tone for the rest of the experience. Are they friendly and accommodating?
• How thorough was your examination? A first visit should be more than a quick glimpse and cleaning. Did your potential new dentist spend some time learning about you and your dental history? Did the dentist take the time to make sure you understood your treatment plan?
• Do they emphasize preventive dentistry? Some of the best dentists in the world are the ones who avoid doing the big jobs. If you're creating a relationship with a dentist, you'll want one who will teach you how to avoid potential problems through preventative care.
• How were you treated by the dentist and hygienist? Since this is where you need to be the most comfortable and have the most trust, it's important to have people who ask you questions, listen to you, and are considerate of your needs.

A final note: When you're vetting dental care practitioners, the questions shouldn't be one-sided! The dentist and staff should ask you questions about your dental health and your philosophy, so that together you can come to a good understanding of what options are best for you—the key word being options. This is your time to speak, and time for the dentist to get to know your oral health behaviors and ideas so they can help you decide what is best for you and your health. You should expect these option to be based always on your health, not on something like insurance coverage.

Please print this page out and save it for whenever you start looking for your new dentist. Of course, if you live in or near Englewood, Florida, we hope you put Dr. Chirillo's practice to the test, so we can prove ourselves to be the dental team you're looking for. >>Contact Us

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Preventative dental care can not only save you from the pain of a toothache, but it can also save you a lot of money. After all, a full mouth reconstruction can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and the Center for Disease Control reports that 164 million work hours are missed each year due to oral health problems and dental visits. Doesn't it just make sense to take good care of your teeth and gums from the outset?

Obviously, the regular, daily care of your teeth through brushing and flossing is the first step to preventing dental complications. You can also watch your diet to ensure you get plenty of lean proteins to build and protect tooth enamel; fruits, nuts, and veggies to help with cleaning; and dairy for calcium and protein. Things to limit or totally avoid are sugars, which cause tooth decay; starches in foods that break down into sugars inside the mouth; and tobacco products that contain sugars, stain teeth, and damage oral tissues.

Every dentist recommends regular cleanings. Regardless of how often you brush and floss, tartar still builds and plaque will still form, especially below the gumline in areas you cannot reach with brushing and flossing. Having these removed regularly by a dental professional goes a long way to prevent bone loss and periodontal disease.

Yet beyond these regular measures, there are other preventative dental care services that help to stimulate the health of your mouth while saving you money in the long run.

• Teeth polishing – Beyond the plaque and stain removal that comes with regular prophylactic treatment, many of our clients like the sensation and extra sparkle of professionally polished teeth. Polishing makes it more difficult for plaque to build, providing a cleaner, healthier smile.
• Remineralizing/fluoridating varnish – After a cleaning, another helpful assist for clean and healthy teeth is a fluoride varnish. While fluoride is now in our drinking water to help strengthen teeth and prevent tooth decay, it can also be applied in a biologically acceptable form to be incorporated into the minerals of the teeth for better protection. Applied by a dental professional, the varnish will remain on your teeth for several hours, helping to prevent decay, strengthen tooth structure, remineralize the tooth surface, and treat hypersensitivity.
• Sealants – Sometimes a tooth's inherent structure can make it more prone to plaque and tooth decay. While teeth naturally have fissures and pits, they can make for an easy spot for bacteria to develop and decay to begin. Especially in children, it's helpful to apply a sealant to these spots when they are found to avoid further damage to the tooth, and create a smoother surface that's easier to clean.
• Mouthguards – For those with parafunctional habits, such as bruxism, one of best preventative measures is to wear a mouthguard or occlusal splint. Custom-fitted to a patient's teeth, they separate the jaw slightly during sleep. They are known to protect teeth from grinding, prevent tooth fractures, and reduce symptoms of TMJ.
• Patient education – One of the best preventative measures is a good education. People who know the consequences of poor dental care are much more likely to practice good habits, and people who know the benefits of good dental health are much more likely to pursue it. At Dr. Chirillo's practice, we strive to educate our clients, both in appointments and through our website, on what's going to make their smile the best it can be.

If you'd like to find out more about any of these services to have a healthier mouth and save money in the long run, please contact us today to set up your next appointment.

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While we often stress the importance of taking good care of your teeth, it is also very important to consider the health of your gums. As the soft tissue that protects your bones from bacteria, your gums carry quite the responsibility. Should they become irritated, they hold a lot of sway with what goes on in the rest of your body. Not only can gingivitis and periodontal disease wreak havoc on your gums, but poor gum health has also been related to a number of other ailments.

Many have written about the increased risk of respiratory infections in individuals with periodontal disease, including bronchitis, pneumonia, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The Academy of General Dentistry has even made connections between periodontal infection and complications such as heart disease and strokes. Researchers have also shown that more than 90% of all systemic diseases (such as diabetes, leukemia, kidney disease, etc.) have oral manifestations.

Unfortunately, according to the American Dental Hygienists' Association, nearly 75% of Americans have some form of gum disease and may not be aware of it, which is a likely contributing factor to many of the health challenges we face. That means that if you're reading this, there is a really good chance that your gums need some TLC. Here are a few things you can do to get your gums in tip-top shape to keep yourself healthier and happier.

1. Brush your teeth. Brushing after meals is also a really good idea. Give it a full 2 to 3 minutes, and be sure to brush your gums a bit as well -- just not too hard.
2. Floss daily. It's important to remove bits of food from those places your brush can't reach. The plaque that builds there is a major cause of gingivitis, which, as we've seen, can lead to much bigger problems.
3. Eat healthy. Just like the rest of your body, your gums need nutrition to do their job well. They're especially fond of vitamins A and C.
4. Cut the tobacco. Obviously, smokeless tobacco causes immediate harm to the gums and contributes to receding gum lines and other complications. Smoking cigarettes and cigars also take a toll on your gums, not to mention what they do to the rest of your body.
5. Try a gum stimulator. You can add this handy tool to your oral health arsenal in your next trip to the drugstore. It uses a rubber tip to help clean in between the teeth while stimulating your gums for better circulation.
6. Schedule regular checkups. The best way to stay on top of gum care is to have them regularly examined by a dental professional who knows how to look for the early signs of periodontal disease.

Good gum health translates directly into your good health! Follow these steps to maintaing healthy gums, and let us know when you're ready to schedule your checkup. Until then, keep smiling.

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In an earlier blog, we showed you how to identify and control behaviors that professional dentists call oral parafunctional habits. In everyday terms, these are unconscious actions that include nail-biting, thumb-sucking, and thrusting the tongue against the teeth. The most common habits by far are clenching and bruxism — that's the dentistry term for grinding of the teeth, which is often accompanied by clenching. While many people display these habits (frequently during sleep), that doesn't mean you should brush them off as "no big deal." Human dentition is made of very tough stuff, but it's not impervious, especially up against the constant pressure and friction of a parafunctional habit. If unchecked, clenching and bruxism can lead to serious damage to your teeth that requires extensive treatment by a dentist. Still skeptical? This is what clenching and bruxism can lead to:

• Sensitivity: As the outer layers of enamel wear away, you'll experience an increase in tooth sensitivity. This can manifest as a general sensitivity or to specific temperatures.
• Fractures: If it's not caught early, bruxism leads to stress fractures, most commonly in the molars. These fissions in the tooth appear light brown in color, and many people mistake them for the onset of cavities. Without treatment, parts of the tooth will begin to give way as the fractures deepen under pressure.
• Nerve Inflammation: Once the enamel gives way to fractures, wear on the teeth penetrates to the inner regions of the tooth, causing the sensitive nerve tissues to become inflamed. This inflammation can become irreversible.
• Internal Root Resorption: A condition of chronic inflammation in the tooth's nerve and blood vessels, internal resorption begins at the innermost surface of the root chamber. Tooth pulp and the dentin surrounding it begin to disappear; if this loss reaches the outer surface of the root, internal resorption cannot be treated and the tooth may be lost.
• External Root Resorption: Extensive pressure on the root surface can cause external root resorption, which is more aggressive and difficult to treat. External resorption starts outside of the tooth, where the root connects to the jawbone in the tooth's socket. In this condition, your body's cells attack the root, which can devastate its surface and result in the loss of the complete root structure.
• Gum Recession and Bone Loss: When you put your teeth under the pressure of a parafunctional habit, something has to give — tooth, gum, or even bone. The risk of bone loss is especially high in the presence of existing inflammation or infection of the gums. Without the full support from healthy bone, teeth can become loose or even shift their position.
• Tooth Death: Whether through fractures, inflammation, or resorption, severe bruxism and clenching can cut off the blood supply to the tooth, which kills the vital pulp at its center.

As you can see, parafunctional habits are highly dangerous. The good news is, under the care of a comprehensive general dentist, even their serious effects are treatable. In cases of nerve inflammation, resorption, and even tooth death, procedures such as root canals, crowning, gum surgery, and tooth restoration can bring a smile that has been damaged by parafunctional habits back to life.

We offer our patients the most gentle and comfortable care in Englewood, Florida. If you or someone close to you is suffering from the effects of a parafunctional habit, we are here to help. Contact us today.

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As infants, we possess a natural inclination to suck our thumbs. It provides security and an ability to self-soothe despite limited mobility. Expressing ourselves through our mouths is one of the first things we learn how to do. And as adults, many of us revert to habitual oral behaviors as a way to deal with stress. In professional dentistry, these behaviors are known as oral parafunctional habits.

Unfortunately, parafunctional habits can lead to a variety of mouth disorders, making them the most destructive cause of wear on teeth. Most children stop sucking their thumbs within their first two years, but this habit sometimes persists in others even into adulthood. For children who continue sucking their thumbs after their permanent teeth have grown in, they often suffer misaligned teeth and other problems.

Parafunctional habits aren't just limited to thumb-sucking. People have been known to breathe excessively through their mouths or involuntarily thrust their tongues against their teeth. Many people grind their jaws in a parafunctional habit known as bruxism. Bruxism most frequently occurs during sleep, and it is often considered a sleep disorder. Nocturnal bruxism is often caused by a simple misaligned bite or disturbed sleep patterns, but quite often, as in the waking hours, the grinding of teeth is a result of stress and worry.

Jaw clenching is often conflated with bruxism, as the two disorders are commonly seen together. Clenching differs from bruxism in that it involves non-moving contact of the upper and lower teeth with a great deal of damaging pressure. Clenching may be even more detrimental to the health of your teeth than grinding, and is also connected to tension headaches and strain to the muscles of the neck and shoulders.

Can you remember a time you've clenched your jaw due to tension or anxiety? Have you bitten the inside of your cheek in anticipation of something, or chewed on your lip in suspense or concentration? It's a common response, and completely natural. However, done to excess, it can cause a lot of damage. We'll talk about the serious consequences of bruxism and clenching in our next blog; however, even seemingly harmless parafunctional habits can lead to bad results. People who habitually force their tongue against their teeth can develop scallops on the lateral margins of the tongue; this is a condition known as  crenated tongue (or, more informally,  "pie crust tongue").

The reasons for oral parafunctional habits differ from person to person, but it could be said that each of them unconsciously seeks that sense of comfort and relaxation they felt when, as young children, they sucked their thumbs until they fell asleep. Humans are soothed by oral sensation, and whether it be through eating, smoking, drinking, nail-biting, bruxism, or other parafunctional habits, we often deal with stressors via our mouths. That said, when these behaviors become destructive to our better health and happiness, it is time to get ahold of the habit.

If you find yourself  struggling with a parafunctional habit, the best way to break through is with awareness and willpower. Many people find that seeing a therapist or taking up a practice such as meditation or other mindfulness exercises helps them deal with the triggers of stress and anxiety, and they can be very effective methods to empower oneself to do a great many things beyond protecting your teeth!

You are the one who ultimately makes or breaks your habits -- but you have a community of oral health professionals who are armed with the education and experience to help. If you have concerns about oral parafunctional habits in yourself or someone close to you, please contact us.

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It's safe to say that everybody hates a toothache. Sometimes tooth pain just pops up out of nowhere and subsides, and sometimes it lingers and makes life miserable. The challenge with toothaches is that they generate from different places and for different reasons, making it quite a chore to find the bad tooth.

Sometimes, the issue starts inside the tooth in what is called an endodontic problem. Pain can emanate from this decay in varying degrees: sharp pain can make you wince, dull pain can feel throbbing, and a drop in temperature or even a gust of wind may cause you to grab your your jaw with the change in barometric pressure.

Other times the problem is periodontal, meaning that it starts in tissues surrounding the teeth. When plaque inflames the gum line, the gums can become infected and detach from the tooth. As the infection grows, the causes of mouth pain multiply, starting with inflammation and swelling of these sensitive tissues. If left unchecked by treatment, an infection in the gums can lead to actual bone loss, extending to the root tip of the tooth and its delicate nerve endings -- you bet that can hurt! Bone loss also results in the teeth becoming loose, and the movement of these loosened teeth can create oral pain as well.

An even bigger challenge is that the brain doesn't do well at distinguishing exactly from where mouth pain originates. Often, sweeping pain will feel as if it's emanating from a group of teeth; sometimes, the brain can't even distinguish whether the pain is actually coming from the upper or lower jaw.

When pain is carried from the teeth to the brain, it is delivered through the trigeminal nerve. One branch carries signals from the upper jaw, and one from the lower. However, once that pain reaches the brain, studies show that signals from the trigeminal nerve's separate branches trigger strikingly similar responses in various parts of the brain.

Although tooth pain usually stems from one particular tooth, the brain may only interpret a generalized pain signal. While the brain does a pretty good job of letting us know where the rest of our body is hurting, it seems that tooth pain requires a more refined and professional assessment to diagnose . Whether your toothache is from an endodontic or periodontal problem, treatments vary, and it is important to find the source of the problem sooner rather than later.

Some toothaches are only temporary; the pain recedes as the decaying tissue dies. This does not mean that the problem has gone away. It merely means that you are no longer sensitive to the tooth's changing health. If toothaches are ignored, endodontic problems can become periodontal problems, and the other way around. When pain warnings go unheeded, infections can result in tooth loss and advanced gum disease.

If you're experiencing tooth pain, you must have it checked out by a comprehensive general dentist before the problem gets out of hand. Dr. Chirillo and the Dentistry by Design staff are here to help! Contact Us

Further Reading:
"Confusing Tooth Pain: Combined Root Canal and Gum Problems." DearDoctor.com, 2/1/2012
"Why It's So Hard to Tell Which Tooth Has the Ache." Wired.com, 4/16/2010

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