FAQ’s

Think of dental insurance as a benefit towards your treatment not what dictates your dental treatment. Dental Insurance is a “benefit” offered by your employer to assist with the cost of dental services. Generally, dental benefits pay a percentage of some services up to a set yearly maximum. Unfortunately, dental benefit coverage has not changed since the 1960’s and is not the same as Health insurance coverage and does not cover everything.

The benefits available to you are established by which package plan your employer has purchased. Dr. Acosta accepts most dental PPO benefit plans with the exception of HMO, Medicare and Medicaid. We currently take assignment of benefits for a period of 30 days, asking that you pay for your estimated portion of the payment at the time services are rendered.

If you have any questions regarding your dental plan, please call (407) 645-4741 and speak with our Financial Coordinator or Practice Manager.

Cosmetic dentistry is becoming more popular everyday and can be achieved without counting on your insurance. Third party financing is offered at our office for your convenience so your dream to have a beautiful smile can become a reality.

Our philosophy is making dentistry affordable. We offer several different payment options, including Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express. We also offer outside, interest-free (0%) and extended payment plan financing to our patients through CareCredit and Capital One Healthcare Finance. Both are convenient, low monthly payment plans for dental treatments.

Offering these options allows us to make the smile you’ve always wanted affordable. If you would like review these financing options with one of our staff members in advance of treatment, please call (407) 645-4741 and speak with our Financial Coordinator or
Practice Manager.

To understand Neuromuscular Dentistry (NMD), it helps to first know a few things about your occlusion or “bite”. Your occlusion is the way that your teeth fit together. If your teeth do not fit together properly (misaligned bite), the muscles and joints overcompensate, forcing them to fit together. A misaligned bite often leads to muscles that are overworked when they should be relaxed, leading to various painful conditions.

NMD is the science of dentistry that embodies accepted scientific principles of patho-physiology, anatomy, form and function. NMD objectively evaluates the complex relationship between teeth, temperomandibular joints and the masticatory muscles in order to achieve an occlusion that is based on the optimal relationship between the mandible and the skull (Neuromuscular Occlusion). The goal of the Neuromuscular Dentist is to relax the muscles controlling the jaw position using the Transcutaneous Electrical Neural Stimulation (TENS) to establish a true physiological rest position upon which treatment considerations are based.

In summary, NMD is the science of occlusion encompassing not only the teeth, but the objective evaluation of the status and function of the jaw muscles and joints – before, during and after treatment – to achieve the optimal results.

TENS stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Neural Stimulation. Neuromuscular Dentistry begins with the true relaxation of the muscles through the use of TENS. TENS is a widely used term, but as used in Neuromuscular Dentistry, it is a device that delivers a mild electrical stimulus to the muscles via neural pathways. Ultra-low frequency TENS devices deliver stimulating impulses once every 1.5 seconds (0.67 Hz) allowing the muscles to restore itself without becoming fatigued.

Muscles of the face and neck are often “programmed” to control head and mandibular posture in a way that accommodates occlusion, even though that particular occlusion may be less than ideal. The Neuromuscular Dentist wants to relax these often tense muscles to find their true resting state and establish the occlusion at that position. It is extremely difficult to voluntarily overcome this proprioception, so “TENS” is used.

A secondary use of low frequency stimulation is to achieve drug-free pain relief of muscular origin. Tense muscles suffer from restricted blood flow. As the muscles are relaxed with TENS, blood-flow in the muscles increases. This not only brings more oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, but flushes away accumulated waste products of metabolism. Usually after 45-60 minutes, this electrically-induced “exercise” will allow your muscles to overcome their programming and go to a state of physiological rest.

We have learned that tense muscles in the neck and upper back can affect head posture and therefore have an affect on occlusion. If pain (such as temporal headaches) is originating from the muscle tension, relaxation of the muscle with electrical stimulation may result in pain relief as the muscle is restored to a more normal physiology. This can be an effective means of drug-free pain relief for some patients.

Pain and dysfunction of the head and neck is a very common condition and one that may be very complex and frustrating to treat. The bite can be a factor in many types of pain or functional problems. Since there is a relationship between the teeth, jaw joints, head and neck muscles, and head posture, a problem in any one of these areas may affect the other.

Musculoskeletal Signs and Symptoms may include (but are not limited to) some of the following: headaches, jaw joint pain, jaw joint noise and clicking, limited mouth opening, ear congestion, ringing of the ears, loose teeth, facial pain, neck pain, tingling of the fingertips, nervousness and insomnia. Data gathered during your visit will indicate weather your bite is a major contributing factor to your problem and will help rule out your bite as the cause or major component of your condition.

Certainly it depends on what services will be provided, but once the comprehensive exam and treatment plan have been completed, two visits over the course of three weeks is about all the time it will take.

In three weeks you can have an unbelievable-looking smile. Your new restorations will look so natural that even your closest friends will not be able to tell that crowns or veneers have been used.

Dr. Acosta uses only master lab technicians to help achieve these results. Since he does not use metal in his restorations, there will never be any unsightly black lines near the gums or under the crowns.

It all depends on the appearance of your teeth.

If your teeth are healthy and straight, a whitening procedure will give you a youthful,
dazzling smile.

But if your teeth are crooked, chipped, and crowded, then whitening will only give you white crooked, chipped, and crowded teeth. A situation like this may require veneers to give you the result you truly desire. Veneers can also overcome imperfections at the same time.

Tooth decay and gums with deep pockets were once considered the major sources of bad breath. But today, the prime breeding ground of oral malodor is believed to be the tongue, specifically the grooves and fissures at the top of the tongue as well as the hard to reach base of the tongue. These bacteria feed on protein matter in the mouth, and it’s their byproducts (elevated levels of volatile sulfur compounds) that produce the offending smell we call bad breath.

The big question is how does this protein matter accumulate in the mouth that rest on the surface of the tongue, teeth, and gums? The answer is what we eat and drink and the way we live. Indulge too much in anything and you increase your odds of having bad breath.

Here are some culprits that create bad breath:

  • Protein-rich foods – meat, chicken, fish and dairy products.
  • Cookies, candy, cake, or anything sugary. Sweets offer fuel for bacteria.
  • Acidic foods. Watch out for coffee (caffeinated and decaffeinated) and citrus fruits. These foods create an ideal environment to speed up bacteria reproduction.
  • Alcohol consumption, which has a drying effect in the mouth, help these anerobic bacteria thrive. Many products from foods to mouthwashes contain alcohol as an ingredient.

Perform your own personal test: Wait an hour after a meal or after you’ve brushed your teeth. Then give your wrist a hefty lick with your tongue. Then wait 10 seconds for the saliva to partially dry. Chances are, you’ll detect some aroma from the chemicals on your tongue. If it’s pleasant, hey you’re OK for now. If it’s not, you’ve got bad breath!

Make your appointment with us to have your oral comprehensive examination. We can suggest the correct treatment for your specific needs to help you with this controllable problem.

There is a connection between oral health and pregnancy. The surge in hormones, particularly an increase in estrogen and progesterone, is linked to an increase in the amount of plaque on your teeth. Other examples include soft tissue changes that are caused, in part, by changes in hormone levels and studies show that pregnant women with gum disease are more likely to have premature babies of low-birth weight.

Plaque is an invisible, sticky layer of harmful bacteria that constantly forms on teeth. It causes gingivitis (red, swollen, tender gums) that are more likely to bleed. So-called “pregnancy gingivitis” affects most pregnant women to some degree and generally begins to surface in the second trimester. Gingivitis worsens during pregnancy, and if untreated can lead to periodontal disease.

Cleanings generally are safe during pregnancy. Going to the dentist will help you avoid any emergency problems during your pregnancy. If dental treatment is needed during pregnancy, the dentist will consult your primary care physician or OBGYN prior to rendering treatment.