Read about oral health care, dental plans and UDP's latest happenings here

Bone Health and Oral Health: What's the Connection?

Life expectancy for Americans has steadily increased in the past 100 years from an average of just shy of 50 years to an average of 72 years. Numbers from the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics show Americans are living longer lives than ever. With seniors enjoying retirement well into their 70s, more people are suffering from health problems like osteoporosis common among people aged 55 years or more. In fact, according to the National Institutes of Health, 10 million people have this disease that weakens bones, placing older Americans at risk of breaking a bone. In addition, 34 million have low bone mass, meaning they are at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis.

While you may not think of it when you brush your teeth, your teeth are actually the visible part of your skeleton. Of course most people don't think of skeletons when someone flashes a smile, but it's true. In addition, your teeth rest in your jawbone, which like any other bone in the body is vulnerable to the weakening effect of osteoporosis. A weak jawbone can contribute to tooth loss. The risk increases threefold for women, according to the National Institutes of Health, which reports women with osteoporosis three times more likely to lose teeth than women without the bone disease. In addition to tooth loss, other problems associated with low bone density include loose teeth and loosely fitting dentures.

What you may not realize is that the your dentist can play a key role in not only treating but preventing problems resulting from low bone density and osteoporosis. That's because your dentist can detect differences in bone density when you have a dental X Ray done during your routine check up.

This type of preventative care can save much trouble down the road, sparing the need for more costly dental procedures. For example, the average cost for dental cleaning and exam in Massachusetts is $93. With the Universal Dental Plan , your initial oral evaluation, along with perioric exams, is free. A bitewing X Ray, which can detect problems before they become more complicated and expensive to fix, costs and average of $45. As a member of the universal dental plan, your fee is only $22.00, saving you $23. You'll enjoy savings of 20% to 50% on all dental procedures with special negotiated rates.

For older Americans who are no longer covered by an insurance plan after retirement, the Universal Dental Plan is a smart choice for maintaining both oral health and overall health. Your dentist can evaluate your overall health during your regular cleanings, giving you peace of mind about preventing serious health problems like osteoporosis before they start or when they can be treated more easily.

Is Jaw Pain Keeping You Awake at Night?

Is Jaw Pain Keeping You Awake at Night? The U.S. Surgeon General's report on Oral Health In America states that 55% of the population has sleeping problems due to oral pain. A particularly troublesome problem for many people is actually caused by a joint disorder called TMJ. According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, between 5 and 15 percent of people in the U.S. could suffer pain due to a TMJ disorder, a painful condition affecting the temporomandibular joint that connects the jawbone to the skull and allows you to open your mouth. Women seem to be affected more often than men. In fact, according to Surgeon General, over 10 million women in the U.S. suffer from a TMJ disorder.

The Mayo Clinic describes some of the common symptoms of TMJ disorders. Some of the signs and symptoms include pain or tenderness of your jaw, aching pain in and around your ear, difficulty or discomfort while chewing, aching facial pain, and headache.

Before you visit your dentist, you can try to alleviate the pain yourself. The American Academy of Family Physicians Family Health and Medical Guide suggests relaxing your jaw when you're tense or nervous, and recommends that you stop chewing gum. Taking a mild anti-inflammatory drug such as ibuprofen may help alleviate your pain.

If your jaw pain continues for more than two weeks, you should schedule an appointment with your dentist Your dentist can discuss your symptoms, investigate possible causes, and explore treatment options. Some of the options include medications, therapies, and surgical procedures. Your dentist can also recommend tips for avoiding stress to your jaw.

Members of the Universal Dental Plan for Massachusetts residents can take advantage of special negotiated rates for affordable dental care when visiting their dentist for TMJ disorder treatment. In fact, Universal Dental Plan's affordable dental care offers a 20% discount from customary fees for all TMJ dentistry, including any needed oral surgery or other dental services. And, of course, your regularly scheduled check-up and other plan benefits are discounted with your UDP discount dental plan membership as well.

A World of Difference Between Medical and Dental Disease...

Often modern-day medicine focuses on the treatment of symptoms after they arise, but dentists are first and foremost concerned with prevention of problems before problems start. When’s the last time you felt ill and made an appointment to see your doctor? It’s likely you went because you were looking for relief from symptoms you already had.

When it comes to your oral health, you don’t want to wait until you have the symptoms of tooth decay or gum disease to see your dentist. That’s because not only are these oral health problems painful, they are preventable.

The key to maintaining your oral health, unlike many other health concerns, is preventative care. Many of our general health problems and illnesses seem impossible to prevent, but regular visits with your dentist for cleanings and check-ups will prevent oral health problems before they start. With regular visits to your dentist, these potentially serious problems can be diagnosed early and treated without expensive testing and procedures.

No matter how careful you are, you’re still going to get the occasional sore throat. Try though you might, you can’t prevent it. That’s why there’s a world of difference between visiting your doctor and visiting your dentist. With regular visits to your dentist, you can prevent oral disease.

In Space, No One Can Hear You Brush

The "Alien" takes care of its teeth.

Shouldn't you?

For your teeth, what's more frightening than Ridley Scott's  1979 Horror film Alien? Tooth decay.

When you brush your teeth, you're not just doing it to make your teeth whiter, your breath fresher, or just to feel better. You're protecting your teeth from tooth decay. Brushing doesn't stop tooth decay, only your dentist can repair a decaying tooth. But by brushing your teeth at least twice a day and flossing daily, you physically remove many of the harmful bacteria that cause tooth decay before decay has a chance to start. By brushing, not only do you remove cavity-causing bacteria, but you remove food residue that these bacteria thrive on. This is why it's a great idea to brush right after eating, and especially before going to sleep at night.

The whole problem of tooth decay starts with bacteria that live in the mouth. When there's plenty of food available, particularly sugary foods like soft drinks, bacteria multiply. Anyone who goes to sleep without brushing will wake up knowing that the bacteria were busy overnight. Teeth will likely feel "fuzzy" to the tongue, and most people are in a hurry to rinse their mouths of the awful taste. The awful taste and bad breath are signs that bacteria have been fruitful and multiplied in your mouth!

Here is a scanning electron microscope view of the many microorganisms that together form that sticky, invisible film on our teeth called dental plaque, eventually hardening into tartar. See all the different kinds of bacteria?

As the bacteria found in your mouth "divide and conquer" while you sleep, they produce waste acid. Let's take a picture from the 1979 film "Alien" to demonstrate why acid isn't good for your teeth:

In this horror film, the horrifying creature - the alien- has acid for blood and a drop of alien blood melts through several decks of a space ship.

Of course, the acid produced by bacteria in your mouth isn't as strong, but it's the same principle. Whether from alien blood or bacteria in your mouth, acid is just not a great thing to have around your teeth.

You might think, "Well I take very good care of my teeth so I don't need to see a dentist." Remember though, you can't remove tartar yourself, and you need to go in for a cleaning every 6 months so the tartar can be scraped away before it builds up. Your dentist can stop problems before they start, including screening for oral cancer. And even if you're taking great care of your teeth on your own, your dentist can tell you if tartar is accumulating in a spot you might have overlooked in your brushing routine. Your dentist is an ally you should not be without.

Find a Massachusetts dentist today with Universal Dental Plan, the affordable alternative to dental insurance.

Remember the Ala-molar

When it comes to our oral health, our immune system must feel like the defenders of the Alamo facing Santa Anna's troops. That's because whether we like it or not, our mouth is home to billions of microorganisms. That’s more bacteria than microbiologists even have names for. There’s strains of the familiar beasties like staph and strep that we know about, and there are even some microorganisms that are good for us, our allies in keeping the bad ones in check. Some even lend a hand with digesting the food we eat.

Unfortunately not all microbes are helpful, and in fact some can cause serious health problems that aren’t limited to our teeth. Because of this, neglecting to take care of your teeth can negatively impact your overall health.

As one example, a study from the American Heart Association publication Circulation cautions that neglecting oral health can cause an infection of the heart called bacterial endocarditis. This happens when high levels of bacteria in the mouth overcome our body's ability to neutralize the danger, allowing microbes such as Streptococcus viridans to enter the bloodstream. This germ common to the mouth is responsible for about 50 percent of all heart infections. Once in the bloodstream, bacteria can cause a blood infection and put the heart at risk for an infection.

Bacteria will always be present in the mouth, and they’ll always slip past our defenses, but neglecting to maintain oral healthcare allows the mouth to become a refuge for harmful bacteria and "stacks the deck" in the germ's favor. When these harmful bacteria flourish, they can cause gum disease and tooth decay. Without proper dental care, these health problems can then lead to more complicated dental health problems including persistent infections like abscesses. These infections greatly increases the risk of a blood infection, since bacteria in the mouth can more easily enter the blood and get past our body’s natural defenses.

Given the risks, it's clear that dental healthcare should be a priority for everyone. A dental plan from Universal Dental Plan provides affordability for a necessity. Even with the most conscientious care to brush and floss, maintaining your dental health should be placed in the skilled hands of your local dental healthcare professional. Take advantage of our negotiated rates and bring the good fight to the battle for your good health. After all, when you're outnumbered a billion to one, you need every possible advantage to defend your health. 

The British Are Smiling! The British Are Smiling!

At Universal Dental Plan, we know that no matter how much you brush or floss, having a dental professional carefully examine your handiwork can make even the most devoted oral healthcare practitioners among us feel like we're in the hot seat of an interrogation chair rather than a dentist's chair.

In the same "dental dillemma" Simpsons episode discussed in last week's blog, this clip captures the feeling well. Let's have a look:

 

"How often do you brush Ralph?" a dentist asks.
School-aged Ralph professes earnestly, "three times a day sir."
The Dentist regards Ralph skeptically. Knowingly, he asks "Why must you turn my office into a house of lies?"
Ralph cracks under the cross examination, squealing the truth: "I don't brush, I don't brush!"
Unconvinced that Ralph will ever change his ways and take better care of his teeth, the pragmatic dentist resorts to extreme measures. "Let's have a look at a Picture Book -- The Big Book of British Smiles."
To effect, the gruesome images of unmaintained British smiles horrify Ralph, making him regret neglecting his oral health.
"The Simpsons" isn't the only TV show to take a jab at British smiles. The comedy icon "Saturday Night Live" also took a shot at British oral health. Check out this hilarious clip for "Hedley and Wyche: The British Toothpaste."

The punchline: "Hedley and Wych is the toothpaste that makes brushing a pleasure. That's because its mild cleaning agent is enhanced with two teaspoons of pure cane sugar, for a smile that says, 'Yum, that was good.' You don't HAVE to brush your teeth every week, but it makes you want to."

Now we can all appreciate a beautiful, brilliant smile, but let's be fair to the British. After all, the British have:

Sean Connery	Christian Bale	David and Victoria Beckham

 

 

 

 

 

You have to admit, these Brits have great smiles. But then again, wealthy celebrities probably have the best dental healthcare. Of course these celebrities probably don't mind paying full price for their dental work, but if your paycheck isn't quite as large as a movie star's, you stand to benefit from Universal Dental Plan, the affordable alternative to dental insurance.

As a Universal Dental Plan member, you can get the star treatment for your pearly whites at discounted prices for your dental work. Don't go without a dental plan, sign up today for the affordable Massachusetts dental plan and invest in your smile. Or do you need to see "The Big Book of British Smiles" to be convinced?

Homer Simpson's Dental Plan Dilemma

For 20 years, the critically acclaimed animated television show “The Simpsons” has been a comedy icon in American television. The immensely popular series has entertained a generation with animated adventures of the Simpson family, all the while making light of everything from space aliens to Massachusetts “chowda.”

One of the most popular episodes put the show’s protagonist Homer Simpson in the difficult situation of losing his dental benefits at his workplace. Without an affordable dental plan, his daughter Lisa couldn’t get the braces she needed. In this video clip, Homer’s wife Marge visits her local dentist and confides that the Simpson family is on a tight budget since Homer lost his company dental plan. Rather than going home with designer braces, Lisa is forced to wear a torturous looking contraption that "predates stainless steel.” That is, unless her father Homer is clever enough to find a way to get his dental plan back.

Although the Simpsons live in a fictional world, many families face the same challenges when it comes to affordable dental healthcare. Because so many self employed, hourly, and part-time employees don’t have access to a dental plan or dental insurance at work, some people might even think of Homer as lucky to even dream of getting his dental plan back. Even when a dental coverage is offered at work, often the high monthly premiums make some health plans and dental insurance unreasonably expensive. That’s why the Universal Dental Plan for Massachusetts residents is a better dental health option. Leveraging collective buying power, this plan guarantees dental healthcare at discounted prices, as much as 20 to 50 percent of your out-of-pocket price. Instead of paying expensive monthly premiums and costly deductibles, the Universal Dental Plan connects you to the dental health care you deserve at prices you can afford.

Universal Dental Plan Employs Collective Buying Power Press Release

Dedicated as an affordable alternative to dental insurance, Universal Dental Plan uses collective buying power to save Massachusetts residents money on dentistry.

Boston/April 24/ -- Skepticism is often met when Universal Dental Plan (UDP), www.unviersaldentalplan.com, guarantees its members 20-50 percent off on all dental procedures performed whether by general dentists, orthodontists, periodontists, endodontists, or oral surgeons. Through a discount dental plan, UDP is able to offer Massachusetts residents these savings as an affordable alternative to dental insurance. It sounds like it is too good to be true, but the savings are as legitimate as the secret behind its success, collective buying power.

Collective buying power is when a group of consumers come together and use the old rule of thumb, there's power in numbers, to leverage the group size in exchange for discounts. UDP has stepped in to play the middle person to negotiate dental discounts on behalf of its members across Massachusetts. Quality service isn't comprised because it's a win-win scenario for dentists and specialists too. Instead of having empty chairs because people can't afford procedures, dentists increase their patient volume.

Discount dental plans are becoming more commonplace as consumers seek to actively take control of their finances without delaying their oral health care. These plans are membership-based services where members have access to a network of dentists and specialists who have agreed to discounted fees. While dental plans aren't competing with dental insurance, they are the optimal solution to fill the gap of consumers who don't have dental insurance. "My husband doesn't have a company paid dental insurance plan. Universal Dental Plan has been a great help," Connie Weller said.

There are perks that dental plans offer over dental insurance. "The great thing about this plan is that there is no paperwork and I have the freedom to choose any dentist from a list of participating providers," Logan Smith said. Consumers catching on to discount dental plans like UDP are revolutionizing the consumption of dental services and the best part about it, they're saving money while they're doing it.

About
Universal Dental Plan is the affordable alternative to dental insurance by offering members guaranteed discounts on all dental procedures without the hassle, restrictions or paperwork that insurance companies require. With a network of hundreds of dentists and specialists across Massachusetts, Universal Dental Plan is the most trusted discount dental plan. Headquartered in Boston, UDP was founded in 1993 on the principle of affordable dentistry for all. For more information about the company, please visit www.universaldentalplan.com.