My Insurance pays for a cleaning every 9 months. Do I need a cleaning more often?

My Insurance pays for a cleaning every 9 months.  Do I really need a cleaning more often?

I have heard this question many times.  The answer is quite simple.  Insurance plans are financial arrangements between the employer/patient and the insurance company.  One insurance plan allows cleanings every 9 months, one plan allows every 6 months, one plan every 3 months.  Other plans allow a certain amount of cleaning per year.  Yet other plans allow unlimited cleanings.  This variation occurs across the broad spectrum of treamtments done by dentists among the thousands of dental insurance plans that exist.

We as dentists treat patients and your needs as patients.  The dictates of insurance companies are really between the patient and that company.  What the patient needs to remember is that if you go the route of "I only want what is covered" then you have to be prepared for the consequences.  For those people with naturally "good" teeth there may be no consequences as they never really need much in the way of cleanings and dental work.  Most of us are generally not that lucky and if we don't maintain our teeth then we suffer.

So, yes the answer is quite simple, if your dentist says you need it then you need it!  You have to ask yourself, "How important are my teeth to me and what am I willing to do to keep them?" 

All the best

Dr. Ron Barzilay

www.rondentist.com

A Hamilton Dentist having fun in Hamilton, Ontario.

Sometime a Single Tooth Goes Dark

Here is an exchange regarding a single tooth going dark.  I hope it is useful to anyone out there with a similar question.

Dear Dr Barzilay, I live in PA, so I am not inquiring to be a new patient. I have been searching the internet looking for treatments for teeth whitening options, specifically one tooth. One of my front teeth seems to be getting darker than all the rest. I have not had any damage to the tooth or root, no root canal, just darker than the rest. I have never had white teeth, so I am not looking for magic, just suggestions. I am 56 years old and in good health. If you can give me any kind of suggestions or if you have anything in Canada that we do not have in the US, I would greatly appreciate if you can tell me. Thank you very much. Sincerely, C

HI C,

Whitening of the one tooth really depends on the reason it has darkened and how dark is it?  There is always a reason it has darkened relative to the other teeth.

Sometimes you will have received a blow to the tooth and you will not even remember it.  The nerve has been damaged and the nerve as a defense mechanism lays down more internal tooth structure which makes the tooth appear yellower than the other teeth.   In some cases as a result of a blow the nerve dies and the tooth darkens and a root canal treatment is required before any whitening.  You really need to see a dentist to tell you why the tooth has darkened.  That will dictate the treatment.  Sometimes we can bleach the individual tooth from the outside.  Sometimes if there has been a root canal (which you may or may not need) we can bleach it from the inside.  Sometimes you need a veneer or a crown on the tooth.  It really depends on the reason the tooth has darkened so my main suggestion is to see your dentist and find out why the tooth has darkened and he/she will tell you what can be done.

 

All the best

Dr. Ron Barzilay

 

 

Dr.Barzilay,

I had my teeth professionally whitened a few years back, but to tell you the truth I don't think it made much of a difference. I have not had a root canal on the tooth in question.  It just seems a bit darker.  My dentist says it is just age.

Thanks again for your help!
C

 

 

Hi C,

On a single tooth that has darkened I have done bleaching on just that tooth.  Bleaching trays but you only place a drop of material on the tooth that has darkened.  I have had good results.  If you use trays and place material in the whole tray then all the teeth will whiten and the tooth that was dark will whiten but will always look darker than the others since they have also whitened.  Try placing a single drop of whitener on that specific tooth in the tray. (otherwise it is a veneer or crown which if it is a front tooth then they are always hard to match and then you are most likely going to be doing a  good number of  teeth to insure color match).

All the best

Dr. Ron Barzilay

www.rondentist.com

Thank you! I am going to try bleaching just the one tooth rather than all of them. I will keep you updated!

C