Protecting Tooth Enamel

There's a lot more that goes into a great smile than just keeping the pearly whites, white.  Protecting tooth enamel plays an important role in having a beautiful and healthy smile.

What is tooth enamel?

Enamel is the thin outer covering of the tooth.  It's the hardest tissue in the human body and it helps protect teeth from the wear and tear that comes with chewing, biting and grinding.  It also helps insulate teeth from hot and cold, making it possible to enjoy ice cream or hot coffee.  While enamel is hard, it can chip or crack.  Once the enamel layer is lost, it cannot regenerate.

What causes enamel erosion?

Enamel erosion happens when acids wear away the enamel on teeth, which can lead to the loss of tooth structure.  The calcium that's in saliva will usually help strengthen teeth after you have a small amount of acid, but too much acid prevents that from happening.  Enamel erosion can be caused by a number of things:

• Excessive consumption of carbonated drinks - sodas and other carbonated drinks
• Fruit drinks (some acids in fruit drinks are more erosive than battery acid)
• Dry mouth or low salivary flow
• Diet (high in sugar and starches)
• Acid reflux disease
• Gastrointestinal problems
• Medications (aspirin, antihistamines)
• Genetics (inherited conditions)
• Environmental factors (friction, wear and tear, stress and corrosion)

Protecting Tooth Enamel

There are some simple things that you can do to help take care of your enamel and keep your teeth healthy:

• Brush and floss daily.
• Use fluoride toothpaste.
• See Dr. Steppler for regular check-ups and cleanings.
• Drink sodas in moderation.
• Be careful about other beverages also.
• Sip with a straw (helps acids from acidic drinks to bypass your teeth).
• Be mindful of snacking.
• Chew sugar-free gum.

Taking good care of your teeth lets you show off a great smile - and a healthy mouth - for a long time!

Bleeding Gums - Why does it happen?

Bleeding gums are the result of an inflammatory disease of the gums.

This is called gingivitis, healthy gums don’t bleed, even in cases of an irritation, such as brushing the teeth. They fit tightly around the teeth, have a light pink color and, when observed at close range, show a fine stippling, like an orange. Bleeding gums are always a sign of gum disease. Oftentimes, you don’t notice the bleeding directly – only when you brush your teeth or when lightly probed, there is a noticeable loss of blood. Bleeding gums in themselves are a symptom and not a disease. The disease associated with bleeding gums is an inflammation of the gums, so-called gingivitis.

The most frequent cause of gingivitis is plaque. So plaque not only causes cavities, but also inflammation of the gums.  Although plaque-induced gingivitis may be influenced by various factors such as medications, or hormonal changes (e.g., pregnancy, taking the pill, puberty), plaque is always the major cause and gets the ball rolling.

If the inflammation of the gums is not treated or treated incorrectly, then the inflammation may turn into a chronic inflammation of the gum tissues, or so-called periodontitis. Other causes of gingivitis are, e.g., fungal diseases, congenital – i.e., genetic – diseases, irritations due to foreign objects, also protruding crown margins or filling edges.

The determination of the cause is Dr. Steppler's first step in treatment. In most cases, professional oral hygiene, the removal of the causes, and educating our patients are sufficient to treat gingivitis. Periodontitis cannot be treated with oral hygiene; treatment can only be accomplished through periodontal scaling treatments followed by regular and more frequent periodontal maintenance visits with our hygienist.

Understanding Your Dental Insurance

A dental insurance plan is a contract between you and an insurance company that, in most cases, is coordinated by your employer. If that’s the case, the insurance company and your employer are responsible for negotiating the details of the plan. Because your dental office has no control over this contract, they cannot request additional coverage for you.  Having dental insurance is better than not having it, expecially if you get it through your job.  However, don't expect free or nearly-free care.  Dental insurance only assists you in the cost of your care, and will cover a portion of the cost not 100%.

Common insurance plans

There are several kinds of dental insurance plans. The four most common kinds of plans are:

• direct reimbursement programs
• preferred provider organizations (PPO)
• capitation plans (also called dental health maintenance organizations- HMO)
• and indemnity or "usual, customary and reasonable" plans

Direct reimbursement programs

In direct reimbursement programs, your employer reimburses you directly for part or all of your dental treatment. All procedures and treatment methods are usually covered, and you can see any dentist you choose.

Preferred provider organizations

In a preferred provider organization, you must choose from a group of dentists who have agreed to discount their fees so that they can be a part of the organization.

Capitation plans

In a capitation plan (also called a dental health maintenance program), participating dentists are paid a set amount for each patient enrolled in the plan. Dentists are paid this set amount no matter how often you visit them (or don’t visit them) and no matter what kind of treatment you get. This generally means that the more work these dentists do for their patients, the less money they’ll make.

Indemnity plans

The most common insurance programs are indemnity plans, which are also called UCR programs. UCR stands for "usual, customary, and reasonable." In these plans, you may choose any dentist and pay on a traditional fee-for-service basis. The insurance company, who is paid a monthly premium by your employer, then reimburses you for between 50 and 80 percent of the dentist’s fee. You are responsible for the remaining 20 to 50 percent after meeting a pre-determined deductible payment. The amount of the deductible is set in the contract between your employer and the insurance company.

Referring to the program and its fees as "usual, customary, and reasonable" is misleading. Most people assume that insurance companies have gathered statistics and that these statistics are the basis for UCR fees. This is simply not true in many cases. These UCR fees often do not represent local dentists’ fees or the available treatment options. They may be, in fact, simply fees that are set by the insurance company. As a result, different insurance companies often have different UCR fees for the same geographic area and for the same group of dentists!

Behind the times

The annual limit of dental insurance benefits has hardly budged in forty years. Back in 1960, the average annual coverage maximum was one thousand dollars. Forty years later, it still sits at approximately one thousand dollars, despite inflation and cost of living increases.

The benefits have remained the same, but fees for procedures have tripled or even quadrupled. And most insurance plans often exclude new treatments they can label as "discretionary," including common treatments such as implants, porcelain veneers, orthodontic treatment, bonding, and whitening.

The choice is yours

If you were to build a house, would you rather have the least expensive contractor who used the cheapest materials and technologies? Or would you rather build a home that will last using quality materials?

You have similar choices when it comes to your dental and health care. In many cases, your insurance company wants you to consider only the cheapest dental procedures, but Dr. Steppler and Team believes that you should be able to choose the best dental treatment and materials for you and your family.

Steppler Dental Care works with most insurance dental plans

Dr. Steppler and his team are available to help patients wade through all the details of your plan; from copays to deductibles and limitations. Our team has worked with almost every dental insurance plan in the Greater St. Louis area and can can help you navigate the details while maintaining that beautiful smile of yours. Dr. Steppler is a progressive and proactive doctor who focuses on the latest methods and techniques that dentistry has to offer. He is dedicated to preserving your natural tooth structure, taking care of all your dental needs in a comfortable, caring and informative environment.

Why You Should See Your Dentist

Your dental exam can detect early signs of diseases.  Gum disease may be associated with other health problems like diabetes and heart disease. 

Oral health check-ups can detect tooth decay, gum disease, and oral cancer early.  Have dental exams at every stage of your life, you could have gum disease and not know it.  Also patients who wear dentures should have regular dental check-ups.

Five great reasons to get you your teeth cleaned:

1)  to learn about the best way to keep your teeth clean every day

2)  to keep your mouth healthy, which will help keep your whole body healthy

3)  to help prevent gum disease, which chould cause tooth loss

4)  to remove tartar (a hard build-up that makes it tough to clean your teeth)

5)  to get rid of stains on teeth that cannot be removed just by brushing and flossing

At every exam Dr. Steppler does, we check your mouth and neck for signs of disease.  Dr. Steppler will evaluate your general health when developing a plan for your oral treatment, and refer you to a physician if needed.

Your oral health is an important part of your overall health, so be sure you and your family come in for regular visits.