Braces Costs

braces costs

The price connected with braces and specifically Invisalign could vary greatly from Doctor to Doctor and from city to city. The price is by and large depending on the duration of treatment in addition to the complexity of your case. People who have more crooked teeth can expect to pay well over those who need minor tooth movement only.Also, there's the cost of the retainers right after the treatment is completed. Again, this can vary but typically start at $500 and up.Listed below are some estimates.The starting cost for braces of six months or less is all about $2500. I never managed to find anything less in 2012. The charge goes up following that and may rise to $6000 or higher if you need to wear braces for over 12 months.

Have You Considered Insurance?
Many insurers will cover nearly 50% of the expense of your braces. This can be as high at $2000 in some instances. Nearly all people don’t even know they have this benefit and they let the cost of braces prevent them from getting started. You can just ask your dentist or orthodontist to check your insurance coverage for you.

Even if you don't have dental insurance there’s good news:

There are various ways for financing your braces with no interest. For instance, if the cost of your treatment is $4000, you'll be able to pay $166/month for just two years or extendyour payments a whole lot more and pay under $100/month.Since getting braces is a long term process, you don’t need to pay in advance and you can now pay as you go. That way, it is a lot more affordable and you could still get the key benefits of having straight teeth.

Exactlty what can you expect when getting braces?

As outlined above, the time frame related to getting braces may differ greatly. However, you are very likely to see your dentist about every 4 to 6 weeks. This is true for both traditional braces in addition to invisalign. At each visit, your dentist will check to make sure your teeth are moving correctly as well as guarantee your teeth are healthy and you are not getting any cavities. Getting your regular cleanings is vey important also since with braces you might be more likely to get food stuck around your teeth. During the course of braces we usually recommend that you get your cleanings done every 3 to 4 months to make sure you don't develop new cavities or gum disease.


get more information on clear braces.

Here's what I REALLY think

Instead of boring you with another bunch of information about dental stuff, I though I would tell you a little about me and how I approach life and work.

I am a dentist, but I TOTALLY understand that most people HATE going to the dentist. It’s a very uncomfortable situation, painful, time-consuming and expensive. I Really understand that it takes a huge leap of faith to let a total stranger put their hands in your mouth and poke you with sharp objects not to mention drill on your teeth while you’re totally awake.

In this world of fast online services and instant gratification, dentistry is still one of those areas where you actually have to physically go there, sit down, talk to someone face to face and let them touch you in a very personal way. It can be overwhelming.

I just want to let you know if you’re reading this that I appreciate the trust people put in me and I feel lucky to be in this profession. I don’t feel entitled and I don’t think you should listen to everything I say. I know that you come to the dentist to resolve a problem and I want to help you get to your goal, whatever that may be.

So thanks for reading this. I’m working on adding more pictures, videos, etc.. to make this blog more exciting. Please let me know your feedback.

visit our website: www.ladentalclinic.com

The Cost Of Health Teeth

How much are your teeth worth anyways? This is a question we struggle with everyday in our dental office. To some people, having healthy, beautiful teeth is worth tens of thousands of dollars. To others, getting out of pain and even getting rid of infection in their mouth is not worth even a few hundred dollars.

So how do we evaluate the price of dental health as a society? there have been a few studies on this topic. One by the Journal of Periodontology found that people with gum disease have 21% higher health care costs than people with healthy gums. The logical conclusion would be that it is attributed to the higher amount of dental care needed, but actually, dental disease and infections in the mouth can travel into the body.

These infections can cause many other, seemingly unrelated, issues in the rest of the body. For example there have been studies linking gum disease and diabetes, gum disease and heart disease even stroke and preterm births for pregnant women. That is crazy considering that going to the dentist regularly can cost less than $1000/year whereas treatment of diabetes, stroke and heart disease can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Another cost is the indirect cost of taking time off work and school. Statistics released by the Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Resource Center show that over $164 million hours of work were lost in a single year by employed people in the United States to deal with dental problems. This is costing us millions of dollars per year.

Of course, we all know the social cost of poor oral health. For example, people with missing teeth are less likely to be hired as employers consider them less intellignet and trustworthy than candidates with good oral health.

So PLEASE, don’t just think about the bill at the dentist. When you consider the REAL costs of poor oral health, going to the dentist is a real bargain!!

visit us at: www.ladentalclinic.com

Go Ahead, Eat That Cake!

OK here I am, a dentist, telling you it’s ok to eat cake. With the holidays in full swing, we’re all going to get our fair share of cakes and sweets. Just know that it’s not the cake or the amount of sugar that you eat, rather it’s how long the sugar stays on your teeth. For example, sticky candy is much worse than a chocolate bar because the sticky stuff will hang around longer on your teeth before it’s washed away by saliva.

Sugars are what feed the bacteria in the plaque that forms on your teeth. The bacteria then produce acid which eats away at your teeth causing cavities. That’s why the less time the acid is attacking your teeth, the less likely you are to get a cavity on those teeth. If you do eat sweets, try to eat them in one sitting rather than nibbling on candy or sipping on soda or juice all day. This minimizes the time the acid is active in your mouth. Also, just rinsing with water can dilute a lot of the sugars and wash it away.

So go ahead, enjoy your holidays and your sugary treats. Just remember to take care of your teeth also.

Please leave me comments or "Like" us onfacebook, link: www.facebook.com/L.ADental and say hi. You can also call us at 213-385-9710 or e-mail us at: nasiry.officemanager@gmail.com

Happy eating and happy holidays.

What's The Best Tooth Brush

want to start reviewing some tooth brushes. People always ask me what they should use. I’ll start with the one I’m using now. It’s from Oral – B. I like it because the bristles are soft and the vibration is not soooo strong. The good thing about the vibrating-type tooth brushes is that you don’t have to “scrub” your teeth so much since the vibration does that for you. You just have to hold the tooth brush next to your teeth and move it along the gumline slowly.

There is also a timer which will tell you when to move to the next section of your mouth. It is 30 seconds per each quarter of your mouth or 2 minutes total. Doing it this way takes the guesswork out of it and you know you got a good cleaning.

I have been very happy using this tooth brush for a while and the smaller head size is easy to get waaaay in the back where bigger toothbrushes can’t reach.

Of course, don’t forget to floss!!

We "Heart" Spit

Yes, that ‘s right. We just love saliva. It is an amazing, miraculous material that we all take for granted.

It is necessary to lubricate your mouth and to prevent you from having that dry feeling in your throat and mouth. Also, did you know that there are enzymes in saliva that actually start the digestion process? Your mouth is actually the first part of the digestive tract and your teeth and saliva start to break down the food that will later be attacked by the strong stomach acids.

Another role of saliva is that it acts as a protective film on teeth and it neutralizes the acids in foods and drinks. It helps to prevent cavities by neutralizing those acids that could erode enamel. People who have lower salivary flow tend to get a LOT more cavities and also they tend not to taste their food as much.

So what can decrease salivary flow?? The main culprits are medications, alcohol, smoking and excessive caffeine intake.

Almost all medications can have an effect on your salivary glands. If you notice that you have a drier mouth or your food tastes different after starting a medication, it is most likely because you have less salivary flow. This is common with cancer patients who are on chemotherapy or radiation therapy and have had a sudden decrease in their salivary flow. In these cases, you want to be extra vigilant about cavities. We routinely prescribe fluoride treatment and more regular checkups.

Other symptoms of dry mouth are:

• A sticky, dry feeling in the mouth, including a dry, red, raw

• Sores in the mouth; sores or split skin at the corners of the mouth; cracked lips.

• Frequent thirst, bad breath, problems speaking, difficulty tasting, chewing and swallowing.

We can help you keep your teeth healthy for a lifetime.

Sensative Issues

When someone comes to me complaining of tooth “sensitivity”, I usually run down the following list of possible causes1. gum recession – As we get older or as a result of plaqe buildup, crooked teeth or an accident. Recession can expose the area of the tooth not covered by enamel, the root. This means that whenever you drink something cold, you get sensitivitiy in those areas. There are many solutions to this, but one of the most simple and quick ways is to cover those sensitive spots with bonding that matches your tooth. Other solutions can include gum surgery, cleaning of the gums and sometimes moving the teeth into the proper position.2. A cracked toot or filling – If a piece of your tooth or filling is missing, the sensitive dentin layer of the tooth will be exposed and will be sensitive to biting, cold and hot. If the crack extends to the roots of the tooth it can even cause extreme pain and headaches. Cracked tooth can be very difficult to diagnose as we can’t see it on x-rays and the cracks are so small that we can’t even see them in your mouth sometiems. Solutions to cracked teeth can be as simple as a filling or even the loss of the tooth if the crack is deep enough.3. Grinding of teeth – Many people can grind their teeth in their sleep or even when driving, in front of the computer etc… Grinding teeth can wear down the enamel and cause sensitivity. You can also cause damage to the temporo-mandibular joint and even cause muscel soreness. The simplest way to deal with this is to start with a nightguard which can protect your teeth and your joints. From there, you can restore severly wrn down teeth with fillings or crowns to help protect them.4. Enamel Erosion – Erosion is the result of acid on the enamel. There are two ways acid can get on your teeth. The first is by eating acidic foods or sucking on lemons and oranges regularly. The second is the acid from your stomach that can come into the oral cavity if you have untreated acid reflux disease. Both of these can cause severe damage to the teeth over time. Solutions are to prevent the acid from hitting the teeth in the first place by controlling reflux or by avoiding acidic foods. If the erosion is sever, you may need root canals and crowns to repair the damage.Hope this helps you narrow down why your teeth are sensitive. As usual, please call us at 213-385-9710, email us at nasiry.officemanager@gmail.com, or just click here to make your own appointment online.

Implant Case of the day.

Before and After Picture for a back molar implant. If you are not interested in dentures then this is another amazing option we offer here at LA Dental.

In-House Dental Plan

No Insurance? No Problem!
We know times are difficult and many people don't have dental insurance. That's why we are providing this dental plan to you to help you save on the costs of dental care for you and your family. Give us a call for more details.