Denti-Cal and Medi-Cal Dental Care Provider
Medi-Cal give benefits to those who are eligible. the dental benefits program is called Denti-Cal. Anyone eligible for medi-cal also receives dental benefits. You will need to present you Medi-Cal ID card to acquire dental treatment. Who is qualified for Medi-Cal dental anyone with limited income can qualify for Medi-Cal. To receive benefits from Medi-Cal you need to apply on Medi-Cals website and your eligibility will be reviewed by county social services. Denti-Cal and Medi-Cal dentist in Aliso Viejo will inform you which services are included with Medi-Cal. They will also help you determine the proper treatment covered under your benefits.
The importance of a healthy smile
A healthy mouth can be a great asset. Our teeth have such an important role to play in our lives. They help us chew and digest food, they help us to talk and speak clearly and they also give our face its shape.
A smile also has other day-to-day benefits. It can give us greater confidence, as well as influence our social lives, careers and relationships. Because of this, it only makes sense to give our oral health the best care possible.
Good oral health can have so many wonderful life-changing benefits. A healthy smile can truly transform our visual appearance, the positivity of our mind-set, as well as improving the health of not only our mouth but our body too. But what exactly are the health benefits of having good oral health?
Keeping our teeth for life
By brushing our teeth twice daily, maintaining a low-in-sugar diet and regularly visits to our dental professional, we can help reduce the risk of such diseases like dental decay and gum disease – both of which can result in tooth loss.
Research has found that the number of teeth we have is a strongly linked to how long we will live. Those with 20 teeth or more at the age of 70 had a considerably higher chance of living longer than those with less than 20 teeth.
Tooth loss through dental decay and gum disease are almost entirely preventable and there’s no reason why, with a good daily oral health routine, we cannot keep our teeth for life.
Reducing the risk of disease
When we have gum disease, the bacteria from our mouth can get into the bloodstream. It then produces a protein which causes the blood to thicken. This means that clots are more likely to form, and the heart is not getting the nutrients and oxygen it needs, resulting in increased risk of a heart attack.
Similarly, gum disease can also cause inflammation of the blood vessels, blocking the blood supply to the brain, leading to a potential stroke.
New research has also shown that we are more likely to develop diabetes if we have gum disease.
Reducing the risk of cancer and dementia
By keeping our teeth and gums healthy we are more likely to reduce our risk of certain cancers, particularly in women, as well as some forms of dementia.
New research, which examined data from 65,000 post-menopausal women between the ages of 54 and 86, found those with a history of gum disease were 14% more likely to develop cancer. Of these, one in three developed breast cancer while there was also a highly-increased risk of lung cancer, oesophageal, gall bladder and skin cancers.
Those who have healthy gums are also 70 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those who have suffered from gum disease over a long period of time.
Having a healthy baby
Pregnant women with healthy gums may be around three times less likely to have a baby that is premature, reducing the risk of having a low birth weight. Research says there is a one-in-four chance that a pregnant woman with gum disease could give birth before 35 weeks. This is because gum disease raises the levels of the chemicals that bring on labour.
Maintaining our appearance
Keeping our teeth clean and healthy can help us steer clear of bad breath (halitosis). Bad breath is very common and is often caused by a buildup of plaque and is a symptom of gum disease and tooth decay, as well as being embarrassing and undesirable.
Another very common condition that can affect our appearance is tooth staining. Tooth staining is natural and comes with the ‘wear and tear’ usually associated with smoking, or drinking lots of tea, coffee.
Stained teeth are not usually harmful and tends to have little impact on the health of our teeth. Although having stained teeth can make us feel a little self-conscious.
In most cases we should be able to prevent surface staining with regular cleaning, while more stubborn stains may need to be tackled by a dental professional.
Benefits of Denti-cal and Medi-cal in Aliso Viejo
The Denti-Cal program coveres a variety of services for adults and children such as:
Diagnostic and preventive dental services
Diagnostic and preventive dental services includes examinations, x-rays, and teeth cleanings. An oral evaluation is recommended every six (6) months to prevent cavities and other dental problems. During an oral evaluation, a thorough examination of the mouth, head, and neck is performed to detect abnormalities. Regular cleanings help keep gums healthy and teeth cavity-free. A dental cleaning includes removal of tartar and plaque and polishing of the teeth to remove stains and prevent further buildup of plaque.
Emergency treatment for control of pain and infection
Have you ever suffered from a gum abscess, a broken tooth or inflammation around a wisdom tooth? If you have experienced one of these, then you know that the chasm between ‘a tooth issue’ and ‘a genuine dental emergency’ is a deep one.
At its core, a dental emergency is exactly that: an issue that requires immediate medical attention to help correct and preserve your long-term oral health. But not all pains are created equal. Just because you are in pain, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a dental emergency.
Tooth extractions
An extraction means to have a tooth removed, usually because of disease, trauma or crowding.
If you need an extraction, Denti-cal and Medi-cal dentist in Aliso Viejo will first numb the area to lessen any discomfort. After the extraction, your dentist will advise you of what post extraction regimen to follow. In most cases a small amount of bleeding is normal. Your mouth will slowly fill in the bone where the tooth root was through the formation of a blood clot. Remember, when having an extraction, today’s modern procedures and follow up care (as recommended by your dentist) are there for your benefit and comfort.
Fillings
A dental restoration or dental filling is a dental restorative material used artificially to restore the function, integrity and morphology of missing tooth structure. The structural loss typically results from caries or external trauma. Dental restorations may be fabricated out of a variety of materials such as dental amalgam, glass ionomer cement and composite resins. Several factors influence the performance, durability, longevity and cost of dental restorations. These factors include: the patient’s oral and general health, the components used in the filling material; where and how the filling is placed; the chewing load that the tooth will have to bear; and the length and number of visits needed to prepare and adjust the restored tooth.
Scaling & Polishing
Denti-cal and Medi-cal dentist in Aliso Viejo will use a ‘scale and polish’ when your teeth require a thorough clean to remove all traces of plaque and tartar. Scaling is used to remove the hard tartar on your teeth, which cannot be removed by simply brushing your teeth. The polishing stage helps to clean away stains from your teeth, which may have been caused by coffee, tea or red wine. For stubborn stains, you require something more than polishing. The dentist uses an equipment known as “prophyjet” to ‘blast away’ the stains. If you have gum disease, you will require a deeper scaling which is called ‘root planing’. As this treatment cleans all around the roots of the teeth, your dentist or hygienist may discuss the option of giving you a local anaesthetic, so that it does not feel too sensitive and uncomfortable.
Having a regular ‘scale and polish’ will help you maintain healthy teeth and gums and it will make it easier for you to keep them clean at home. As this procedure will thoroughly clean your teeth, they will look and feel different too. If your gums bleed when you brush your teeth, this may be the early signs of gum disease and you should tell your dentist. By visiting your dentist or hygienist for regular scaling, this can help prevent gum disease from getting worse. This will also prevent bad breath, which may be caused by gum disease.
Other procedures
Denti-cal and Medi-cal dentist in Aliso Viejo can also perform:
- Root canal treatments
- Prosthetic appliances (e.g., dentures)
- Orthodontics for children who qualify
- Fluoride
- Prophylaxis
- Oral surgery
- Periodontal maintenance
- Crowns
Who is eligible for Medi-Cal Dental?
Medi-Cal and Medi-Cal dental provide coverage for qualified residents, including families, seniors, persons with disabilities, children in foster care, pregnant women, and childless adults with limited income and resources.
Is there an annual limit to Medi-Cal dental coverage?
There is no yearly limit for children’s covered dental services or for adults who live in a nursing facility.
For adults 21 years of age or older, some services are limitations per person for each calendar year. However, there is no limit on medically-necessary procedures.
Fees
Free or low cost. Share of cost determined during application process. Any available dental insurance coverage will be used to meet dental expenses prior to any Denti-Cal payments.
