I don’t know how you feel but I think this year is just flying by. I guess I feel like that every year. Only three more months left in 2012. For those of you with dental insurance, only three more months to use your dental benefits before they disappear and go toward the bonuses for the insurance executives. That is kind of a joke and it is kind of not.
As you know, if you have dental insurance, you have a yearly maximum amount of money that can be used for dental care. Although that yearly maximum (typically $1000-1500 per year) has not changed for 40 years in most situations, if you don’t use… (Read More)
September 27, 2012
September 10, 2012
Summer is unofficially over with the passing of Labor Day. For many, especially those heading back to school, this means a change from the summer routine. One of the routines I changed this past summer is to read more outside of my typical dental journals. The latest book I read was the revised edition of “The Slight Edge” by Jeff Olson. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to change their routine to make positive improvements in their life.
We all have our own routines. Routines are important for both mental and physical health. Some think my daily routine is crazy, but if you look at them, most people’s daily routines look crazy… (Read More)
September 4, 2012
Last week I was on vacation. There are many definitions of vacation but the first one I found when I looked up the definition is – “a period of suspension of work, study, or other activity, usually used for rest, recreation, or travel.” I think that is a fairly good definition but for me it is missing one key point.
Most of us look forward to vacation. For some it might be a time to relax or “unwind” or maybe sleep in and be lazy. For others, like myself, I look at it as having time to do things I love to do or to put it a different way – things that I… (Read More)
August 22, 2012
Why is a dentist writing about sleep problems? More and more dentists are getting training in this area of medicine because they can be of help in the treatment of some of the problems associated with sleep-related issues. There also seems to be a large part of the population who are un-diagnosed or are diagnosed but have issues with treatment modalities they are using.
Sleep problems need to be diagnosed by a trained professional. Although there are many dentists who are providing treatment for sleep apnea, there are certain channels to consider for proper diagnosis. For example, a sleep study is a must in diagnosis and a dentist alone cannot provide this.
What… (Read More)
July 25, 2012
This is the story about a woman I met recently named “Carol”. Carol’s story is the reason I do what I do every day and brings me back the next day. The interesting thing is that it has absolutely nothing to do with performing the actual physical work of dentistry.
Carol is in her 70’s and for most of her life has gone to the dentist infrequently. She presented to my office a couple of months ago for a second opinion. At our first appointment Carol brought her most recent x-rays, a treatment plan from another dentist, and a page-long list of questions. She was well-prepared for the complimentary consultation I was giving her… (Read More)
July 22, 2012
For the past couple of months, every dentist in the United States has had to deal (in some form or another) with the story on the front page of the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper entitled, “Dental X-rays Linked to Brain Tumors in Yale Study”. The story made national headlines, and why wouldn’t it with a title like that?
The reporter did publish excerpts from a meeting with ADA (American Dental Association) spokesperson Matthew J. Messina, DDS to get the dental communities’ perspective; however that was published on page A-4. As Dr. Messina explained, “Like a courtroom trial, the prosecution went first. Page 1 included the first six paragraphs of the article. The ADA’s defense… (Read More)
July 13, 2012
This season is often the time there is an influx of new patients being seen in dental practices. Many of the new patients I have seen this spring are people who have not been to a dentist in five or more years. Here is a list of the top ten reasons these patients say they have stayed away from the dental office:
10. Fear of pain
9. Missing work time
8. Moved and haven’t “found” a new dentist
7. Have been out of work
6. My dentist retired
5. Can’t find an office I am comfortable in
4. I don’t like the dentist
3. Economy
2.… (Read More)
July 9, 2012
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of those diseases you would not wish on anyone. I have it in my family. My grandfather died from it about 30 years ago.
Since its discovery more than 100 years ago, there have been many scientific breakthroughs in AD research. In the 1960s, scientists discovered a link between cognitive decline and the number of plaques and tangles in the brain. The medical community then formally recognized Alzheimer’s as a disease and not a normal part of aging. In the 1970s, scientists made great strides in understanding the human body as a whole, and AD emerged as a significant area of research interest. This increased attention led in the… (Read More)
June 26, 2012
Patients will sometimes balk at treatment not covered by their dental insurance. Dentists will often hear, “Just do what my insurance covers. I don’t want anything extra.” In fact, a recent ADA poll showed that a lack of dental insurance was the No. 1 reason most patients gave for not visiting a dentist. These are often the same people that pull into the office in a $40,000 car…..that they replace every 5-7 years. Here are some frequent questions patients often ask about dental insurance.
Why doesn’t my insurance cover all of the costs for my dental treatment?
Dental insurance isn’t really insurance (defined as a payment to cover the cost of a loss)… (Read More)
May 29, 2012
I just returned from my semi-annual journey to my dental lab in Georgia where I meet with a group of dentists who share both the laboratory we use and the passion for excellence in what we do. The topic of dental restorations made overseas came up. Mr. Terry Fohey, certified dental technician and owner of NuCraft Dental Arts, one of the finest dental laboratories in the country, believes that a dental patient should have the right to know where the materials are coming from that are being put in their mouth.
China and other countries can claim to use specific materials, but there are no regulations in place to verify the information. There are… (Read More)