Controlling The Cost Of Dental Care

"I just don't have the resources now," is commonly heard during tough times.

The best way to control dental costs is to use aggressive preventive measures. Keep up on your regular cleaning appointments, and ask your hygienist and your dentist what they recommend to keep your teeth and mouth healthy.

Unfortunately, even with good planning and good preventive care, unexpected dental needs may arise. What is one to do? Delaying treatment may lead to more pain or more expense. Poor oral health has been linked to many systemic ailments including heart attacks, diabetes, low-weight births and other issues. But, it is never too late to improve your health.

This is a time to ask your dental office for a strategy for current and future health. Some offices have payment plans and arrangements with credit companies to help patients during this time of need.

More people lack dental insurance than medical insurance. The structure of dental insurance is a "defined benefit" of the specific services it will help you pay, from a few hundred to a couple of thousand dollars per calendar year. However, it is not designed to insure you against major, unanticipated problems.

For those who pay out of the pocket, dental care is generally a good value, a bargain in maintaining your health.

John P. knows something about dental bills and costs; he is an accountant who is finally having dental implants to fill in the gaps of missing teeth at a cost of $7,000. His dental insurance will cover only $1,500.00, his maximum benefit for the year.

As a successful accountant who is informed on the tax laws, John is using two accounts to help cover his portion of his dental expenses. First, his employer has a flexible-spending account and he has set enough pre-tax dollars to help with this "planned expense.”

Second, John has a high deductible health insurance policy, so he has the ability to fund an HSA (Health Savings Account), which was set up a couple years ago and can be used for health-related expenses. He knows if he does not use the dollars in his HSA each year, the account can grow through investments (tax free) for years to come.

"I want my mouth to be whole again," John said.

You can have the smile you deserve if you make dental health a priority, and understand that a healthy mouth is a life-long gift. If you look good, feel good and you are healthy, then you are wealthy beyond means.

Evidence-Based Dentistry in My Practice

The American Dental Association defines Evidence-Based Dentistry (EBD) as: Evidence-based dentistry is an approach to oral healthcare that requires the judicious integration of systemic assessments of clinically relevant scientific evidence, relating to the patient’s oral and medical condition and history, with the dentist’s clinical expertise and the patient’s treatment needs and preference What does that mean in regards to our patient’s dental care now and into the future? Does the evidence limit the patient choices of treatments? EBD should only be looked at as just another “tool” in the decision making process in the practice of dentistry. It is far from a cookbook to treatment plans, but it may allow dentists and patients an opportunity to review the body of evidence that exists before clinical treatments are rendered. Patient needs and patient’s preferences must always be considered in determining what ultimately acceptable dental treatment for each clinical situation. Sharing and informing the patient of the body of evidence that exists in the area of their treatment needs is good way to incorporate EBD into practice. It is also important to inform the patients of what and when reasonable alternatives exist, so the patient can be fully be involved with the decision making surrounding their dental care. The internet has become a great resource for information, but sometimes it can be used as a marketing tool for new products. Therefore knowledge of the science and its applications is crucial in evaluating the credibility of the “so called” studies and the validity of the body of evidence presented. It is also important to understand the principles of scientific studies and how their results should be weighted in their clinical relevance to a specific clinical question. Simply put; Does the study results apply to my current clinical problem? Co-diagnosis and treatment planning should be an open dialogue that takes into consideration all aspects related to dental care. Second opinions and consultations with specialists should be considered, more information is always welcomed when their expertise or opinions would offer alternative treatment options that could benefit the patient’s outcome.

SILVER FILLINGS There has been a lot of debate around the risks and benefits of silver fillings, especially over the fact that the amalgams (silver fillings) still contain some elemental mercury. The amount of studies conducted over the years on silver fillings would have one think that all the questions regarding its use in the oral cavity would be answered by now. Guess again. It is un-ethical for a dentist to remove an amalgam that is intact and serviceable, unless a patient specifically requests that specific service knowing that its removal also has some risks. Many old amalgam restorations can last for several years. If the tooth or the filling is cracked and if there is leakage with decay associated with an old amalgam, then it is wise to remove it and restore the tooth again. Choice of materials today is much different than it was only a few years ago. Some insurance companies have a much higher co-pay if the patient chooses something other than amalgams, but the costs should not be the only consideration when it comes to “ideal treatment” for your specific tooth. Other insurance companies will cover composites at a higher level than others. The insurance industry seems to be in a state of flux at this time in this area. The look and feel of your teeth and mouth is a personal choice. Large silver fillings have a tendency to make the tooth appear gray and even darker over time than the rest of your teeth. Also when choosing the color of the restoration you should ask yourself if you are happy with the current color of your teeth, if not then before your choose a restoration you may want to consider a color change before a colored restoration is placed. There are simple inexpensive bleaching techniques that can lighten your teeth quickly and easily. Silver fillings can last a long time and they usually can be done in one visit. They may be a little more sensitive to hot and cold initially due to an increase in thermal conduction. In rare cases some people may actually be allergic to the amalgams. If you are concerned about the presence of Mercury in your mouth then please talk to your dentist about those concerns. Together you can decide what would be in your long term best interest. The FDA has an advisory posted on their web-site at http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/DentalProducts/DentalAmalgams/default.htm and the American Dental Association also has information on filling choices at http://www.ada.org/public/topics/fillings.asp

STATE FAIR FERRIS WHEEL My dating experience as an adolescent was like a small child touching a hot stove. Regardless of my intellect and hoards of advice from my older brother to not touch, I always seemed to end up with my ego burnt one way or another. The boyish desire for a girl to “like me” drove me to behave irrationally during that dreaded mating season of life. The painful memories of personal acts of stupidity and my complete ignorance of women and their mysterious needs still haunt the current perception of my male machismo.
I find it ironic that the following poem by one of my favorite humorists uses the word “promising.” I would replace it with the word “humiliating” in light of my memory of a blind date at the Fair.

I see nothing in space as promising as the view from a Ferris wheel. E. B. WHITE

Back when we were teenagers, a close friend and his girl arranged a blind date. They set me up with the girlfriend’s best friend. They thought that we would make the perfect couple. Plans were set to attend the State Fair that was in full swing. I love roller coasters, sky rockets, Ferris wheels, and rides that go up and down; but I can not handle rides that spin. Our blind date progressed along in a very cordial manner with us enjoying Pronto Pups, snow cones, and mountainous pink clouds of cotton candy. She was impressed with my adept skills while playing the games of the Midway’s arcade. I took pride in winning trinkets and keepsakes with which she could adorn her beautiful body and would serve as mementos of our perfect first date. We did seem meant for each other. The infatuation was untarnished until it came time to decide which rides we would experience together. She loved the rides that spin endlessly and I like the rides that go high. She hated heights, but she sought to be dizzy. Dizzy in my world translated into motion sickness, so this was the first test to this fresh relationship.
She insisted to make her happy she needed to spin and I reluctantly acquiesced in order to please her. The compromise we mutually agreed upon was that I would go on the Scrambler with her, then she would go on the Ferris wheel with me.
The Scrambler ride was just as I expected; the thrust and spins pushed our hot bodies crushingly together as we spun around and around. I would have enjoyed my body being rhythmically pressed up against this woman’s body if it were not for my stomach feeling as if it were ready to erupt. I exited the ride looking and feeling green with motion sickness. Trying desperately not to reveal my real pain, we proceeded to my preferred ride, the Ferris wheel.
The bright lights and multicolored splendor of this massive Ferris wheel invited couples to line up in order to be strapped in the rocking seats, cheek to cheek. There was not an empty car on the Ferris wheel as we began to rotate high into the cool dark evening skyline. Once we were hovering over the love birds seated immediately below us, my stoic self-control failed. I blew my cookies far and wide; showering the crowds with my stomach’s contents, splattering their heads, clothes, and anything exposed to my line of fire. I still can hear the groans of disgust from the unlucky victims from below.

"I see nothing in space as humiliating as my view from the Ferris wheel " Pat Foy Needless to say, I did not get a goodnight kiss and my ego was too fried to attempt any recovery from that regretful night’s first date. Life is learning; and sometimes it takes some spins on a Scrambler to really get that lesson across.