Newsletter
INSURANCE CORNER
JoAnne Guzzi
Insurance Myth #1 - “Dual Coverage Means No Co-Payment”
In the complex world of dental insurance there is much room for misunderstandings to occur. As with any type of insurance, it’s important for the policy holder to be as informed as much as possible about all of their policies.
Having ‘dual’ coverage doesn’t always mean there will not be any out of pocket expense. It is the individual’s policy and group limitations or exclusions that will determine whether or not there will be a share of cost on a specific procedure. For example one or both insurance companies may base their reimbursement rate on a set fee schedule and not by the actual fee. Other plans may set a maximum benefit amount that will be paid on behalf of the patient, regardless of which company makes the payment.
Due to the HIPPA (patient’s right to privacy) law that was passed a few years ago, it has become increasingly more difficult to get detailed information on a patient’s dental plan. The patient has full access to their insurance information. Once you know the details, we are available to help you understand this information, so you can utilize your benefits.
KIMI'S KITCHEN
Kimi Matsushino
TOFFEE BLONDIES *
- ½ cup butter (1 stick)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 cup flour
- 1 cup toffee bits
- Preheat oven to 350’. Line an 8x8 pan with foil. Foil should overhang pan.
- In large bowl, cream together butter & sugar.
- Blend in eggs, vanilla & salt.
- Mix in flour.
- Stir in toffee bits.
- Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown & inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool slightly.
- Pull out of pan by foil & cool completely.
- Cut into squares. Stores well plastic container. Lasts longer in refrigerator!!
THE WHY
Dr. Khari Nelson
Dental Statement #1 “I have a cavity.”
Dental Statement #2 “I need veneers.”
Dental Statement #3 “I would like to bleach my teeth.”
Wrong, wrong and wrong. What is wrong with these statements? They are all jumping to the end. Either making a diagnosis or choosing a treatment is the last step of a dental visit, not the first.
Statement #1 – The real question is why do you think you have a cavity. Does it hurt? Is it black? Is there a hole? Not even a dentist can tell if he has a cavity in his own mouth. These answers and subsequent evaluation will tell us if you have a cavity.
Statement #2 – Why do you need veneers? Is it because you want straight teeth? (Braces) Is it because you want white teeth? (Bleaching). Is it because your tooth is black (Root canal). A diagnosis of the problem is first, then a discussion of the various options for treatment. Perhaps veneers are the right choice, maybe not. Just don’t jump the gun.
Statement #3 – Why do you want to bleach your teeth? Because they are yellow? Because my crown is too dark? Because all my friends are doing it? You may just need your teeth cleaned. Simple. You may need a new crown (crowns do not bleach). Or you may need new friends.
When discussing what you want to see in you mouth, focus on the why. The dentist will walk you through the What (is happening) and the How (will we get things fixed).
DID YOU KNOW
Tammy Kato
The Egyptians first invented toothpaste some 5,000 years ago. It was a crude mixture of wine and pumice. From the early Roman Empire until eighteenth-century Europe and America, urine was a main ingredient in toothpaste, because the ammonia in it is an excellent cleaner. Ammonia is still a main ingredient in many types of toothpaste.
PUZZLER
Charmane Dun
CLICK HERE to Print off puzzle
CLICK HERE to Print off puzzle
SHE'S GOT JOKES
Rocie Mitchell
I’m passing this on to all of you because it definitely worked for me and we could all use a little more calmness in our live, by following the simple advice I heard on Dr. Phil’s show, I have finally found inner peace. Dr. Phil proclaimed, “The way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you’ve started and never finished”
So I looked around my house to see all the things I started and hadn’t finished, and before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of Merlot, a bottle of White Zinfandel, A bottle of Bailey’s Irish Cream, A bottle of Kahlua, A package of Oreo’s, the remainder of my Prozac prescription, the rest of the chocolate brownies, some Doritos and a bag of M&M’s. You have no idea how freaking good I feel. Please pass this on to those you feel might be in need of inner peace.
Have a great day.
-- Author Unknown.
A hot air balloonist had drifted off course. He saw a man on the ground and yelled, “Excuse me, can you tell me where I am?”
“Yes,” the guy said “You’re in a ballon.”
“You must work in I.T.,” the balloonist said.
“How did you know?”
“What you told me is technically correct, but of no use to anyone.”
“And you must work in management,” the man on the ground retorted.
“Yup.”
“Figures. You don’t know where you are or where you’re going, but you expect me to help. And you’re in the same position you were in before we met but now it’s my fault.”
-- Author: Michael Miller
After listening to my collage-aged daughter complain about her cars gas mileage, I asked what it was.
“I’m not sure,” she answered.
“Not sure?” I said. “All you have to do is check the odometer when the tank’s full, check it on empty, and then divide the number of gallons into the total miles.”
“That won’t work” she replied.
“The math is easy” I said.
“It’s not that,” she explained.” I never have enough money to fill the tank.”
KID CARE
Rachael Hull
What Is Fluorosis?
Fluorosis is a dental condition which is characterized by permanent white, blotchy stains on the surface of a child’s teeth. In extreme cases, roughness may appear on the tooth surface along with dark brown stains. Fluorosis is caused by prolonged exposure to high levels fluoride while permanent teeth are developing (birth to eight years of age), even before the teeth actually appear. It aesthetically affects the child’s permanent teeth, not their baby teeth. The first step in minimizing this risk is to test the fluoride content of your child’s drinking water. All drinking water contains some fluoride, which is a natural occurring element. Regionally, the fluoride content in well water and bottled water varies greatly. Some communities add fluoride to their drinking water if natural amounts are found to be deficient. You can test your child’s drinking water by requesting a Water Analysis kit from your pediatrician or dentist, and together you can determine if a fluoride supplement is necessary.
