Search for a doctor or a procedure based on your insurance. If you do not have insurance, select a doctor who offers a savings plan.

Oral health declines when we lose natural teeth. Obviously, there are problems with consuming solid foods. Even talking clearly could be a problem. However, the major problem is the break down of density in the jaw. This weakens the jaw, and could even cause an older appearance. More importantly, this prevents dental implant placement. Additional treatments could be necessary to strengthen the jaw in order to make tooth replacement possible! Fortunately, Doctors Network could link you to a great Valdez dentist who is in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield and offers jawbone grafting. In addition, we could also discuss our membership program to make dental care affordable!

Jawbone grafting is also referred to as ridge augmentation. Essentially this enables the dentist to restore the lost structure in your mandible. Your dentist could use a number of different options. Tissue could be sourced from the back of the jaw or the hip. Donor materials like bovine bone could be employed as well. Some opt for synthetic materials. In a surgical procedure, these are applied to the areas of weakened structure in the lower jaw.

Once the area heals, one or more dental implants could be placed. The body will see them as natural structures. As a result, they help prevent any further breakdown in the jaw, allowing long-lasting tooth replacement. Our team can connect you to a dentist or oral surgeon in Valdez, AK who performs jawbone grafting, and also let you know about our dental plan to make sure your care fits in your budget!

If you have a toothache, or a tooth that is broken or cracked, you need treatment. Otherwise, the tooth could develop cavities and infections. Soon, there is a risk of not only a lost tooth, but a spread of infection to other areas of the jaw. But sometimes, the cavity is beyond the stage to be treated with a restoration. Instead, the tooth could require an extraction. At Doctors Network, our team can help you find a Blue Cross Blue Shield dentist or oral surgeon in Valdez, AK who can provide a gentle tooth removal as needed.

As we touched on above, severe cavities or injury could be why a tooth needs extraction. But a dentist could also remove one that is loosened by gum disease. Extracting a tooth could improve bite balance and chewing function. Extraction could also provide room for treatment with braces! In many cases, this could prevent wisdom tooth impaction. Removing wisdom teeth prior to eruption helps preserve the balance and smile beauty. For people with advanced tooth loss, removing the last few teeth essentially paves the way for dentures. Your Valdez general dentist could use the procedure to improve the health, function, and surprisingly, sometimes the appearance of your smile.

Now that you understand when a tooth may need to be taken out, how do you seek care for one? Well, as mentioned above Doctors Network can find a general dentist in the Valdez, AK area. But if you don’t have dental insurance, you may worry about the cost. Fortunately, we have a payment plan! Our dental membership plan is opened with an initial fee and maintained with a monthly fee. For some, this could discount care by up to ninety percent!

Tooth loss could lead to major issues for your smile. For example, this could impact your nutritional intake, or how clearly you can articulate. But the most severe complication is the loss of mass and density in the jaw. The body reduces the flow of phosphate and calcium to the areas without roots, which in turn causes bone loss and an aged appearance and weakens the structure significantly. Which means you may not be able to receive dental implants to address your missing teeth. But Doctors Network can connect you with a dentist in Valdez, AK who can shore up your jaw.

As we’ve discussed in previous posts, a jawbone grafting procedure helps strengthen the lower jaw, so it can support dental implants. But what about the the upper area? Instead of grafting, your Valdez dentist could perform a sinus lift. Essentially, the dentist will push up the sinus floor to generate new bone structure. The new structure can support your new implants. Once the new teeth are secured, this stimulates the growth of bone tissue to preserve the area. Your new teeth then stay in place for years, possibly even a lifetime.

If you need to strengthen your weakened upper jawbone to support a new smile, we could help. Our team can connect you with a Valdez, AK dental professional who can offer a sinus lift and takes Blue Cross Blue Shield. When your smile is strengthened and ready, dental implants could provide a complete smile again. If you don’t have insurance, don’t let this stand between you and optimal oral health. Instead, talk to our team about our Direct Dental Plan. With a monthly membership fee, you can have treatments discounted by as much as 90% in some situations. A full smile can happen!

According to the research by the Centers for Disease Control, over half of adults older than the age of thirty suffer from gingival disease. Without intervention, this condition could lead to painful symptoms, including bleeding gums. The advanced stage, known as periodontitis, could also cause missing teeth. This is why care from a Valdez dental specialist is necessary when you begin to experience sore, red, and bleeding gums. We can help by connecting you to one that accepts Blue Cross Blue Shield. After all, we all benefit from routine dental care!

How does the gum disease start? The early stages of periodontitis could occur due to poor oral hygiene habits. Others could develop it due to lack of dental cleaning visits, or due to gingivitis, tobacco use, certain medications, or even other family members with poor gum health. As we touched on above, tell-tell signs include discomfort and bleeding in the gums. By seeing a dentist in Valdez, AK you can receive gum treatments like pocket reduction surgery to bring relief and improve your oral health. These treatments could be accepted by insurance plans.

If you feel concerned, or if you simply have not been to a dentist since the pandemic started, you should book an appointment. At Doctors Network, we can make sure you find dentists in Valdez who accept Blue Cross Blue Shield. A healthy and whole smile is always possible, and we can help connect you to your new dentist!

You probably know a lot of people who have had their wisdom teeth pulled and are eager to tell their experiences to you. While this can be helpful, it is still essential to consult with a dental professional. If you need these teeth removed, it is important to have a plethora of information at your disposal. This will help you understand what to expect from wisdom teeth extraction and what you should look for in a dentist. Luckily, Doctors Network can help you connect with a great oral surgeon near you in Valdez, AK that accepts Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Wisdom teeth are located in the back of your mouth, and there are two on the top and two on the bottom. They typically appear between the ages of seventeen and twenty-five. Because they are the last adult teeth, their arrival can cause issues with your existing ones. They can erupt at unusual directions, only partially erupt, or overcrowd your already-established teeth. When this happens, they are more susceptible to harmful bacteria. If any of these situations happen, it can be very painful and can harm your dentition. If you think you might have complications with wisdom teeth, it is important to see a Valdez oral surgeon quickly.

If you do need wisdom tooth extraction, your doctor will determine how they will go about the removal to ensure everything goes without complications. They will determine which of your wisdom teeth need to be removed and how complex it could get. They will also determine the appropriate type of anesthesia and the position of your existing teeth. Once they ascertain these facts, they can plan your wisdom teeth extraction more easily. When you come in for the procedure, you will receive the appropriate sedation, so you will not experience pain. Your dentist will extract your teeth and pay attention to your needs the entire time to make sure you are doing well. Once your wisdom teeth are removed, you will get post-surgery care instructions. Fortunately, there are many Valdez dentists that accept Blue Cross Blue Shield and can effectively remove your wisdom teeth.

Have you experienced popping or crackling sound in the jaw? Do you have aching jaw and facial pain? If so, this could be related to widespread jaw joint disorders. Around 25 million people in the United States suffer from TMJ disorder or bruxism. Without treatment, these could not just cause jaw pain, but actually damage the teeth too! Fortunately, your friends at Doctors Network can help you find a dentist in Valdez, AK who accepts Blue Cross Blue Shield.

While very different from one another, these two disorders are often related. TMJ disorder develops when the the temporomandibular joints become strained. This could cause problems opening and closing the mouth fully. Common symptoms include pain in the head and neck. Bruxism means you suffer from nightly teeth grinding. The pressure of clenching could cause headaches and jaw pain. Teeth grinding could also weaken and damage the tooth structure. This damage could lead to decay, infection, and more. Both disorders could be caused by issues that strain the jaw joints, and untreated TMJ disorder could lead to bruxism, and vice-versa. When you have frequent discomfort in your head and neck, you should find help. We can even connect you with a dentist in Valdez who accepts Blue Cross Blue Shield.

There are, however, multiple treatment options available; for some, relief is possible following crown placement, which improves bite balance. For others, treating malocclusion with Invisalign could ease strain and stop symptoms. The most common option offered by most dental professionals is an oral splint, which fits like a mouthguard. If you need to find treatment from a Valdez dentist. then contact our team!