HealthPark Dentistry

2009-07-09T11:41:00.002-04:00

BRACES

There’s more than one way to straighten teeth

Today, there are several different ways to straighten your teeth.

Standard metal braces are the easiest to work with and the least costly. The newer brackets are very small which makes appearance generally acceptable and more comfortable. The average treatment length is 20-28 months.

Ceramic braces work like metal braces. Even though the brackets are a little larger than the metal brackets, they are less visible. These are generally recommended for older teens and adults since breakage and discoloration can occur. The fee and treatment length is the same as the standard metal braces.

Gold braces are also very easy to work with. The newer brackets are very small which makes appearance generally acceptable and more comfortable. The average treatment length is 20-28 months. However, the fee is a little more than the metal braces.

Invisalign are thin, clear removable appliances. Since they are clear, appearance is terrific. They are very comfortable to wear and easy to remove to eat and clean. The treatment length is dependent upon patient cooperation. If you don’t wear them, you teeth won’t straighten. This is the most expensive approach.

Each system has its own advantages and disadvantages. Schedule your free consultation with Dr. Khan and he will help you decide which choice is best for you.

Amber Morrett-Secretary/Orthodontic Co ordinator

2009-05-14T13:09:00.002-04:00

Sealants...

During the months of June, July, and August we will be running a special on sealants. Sealants are usually recommended to patients that have deep grooves and pits on their molars. Sealants are not fillings, they are a material that is applied to the grooves and pits to prevent decay. For the summer months there will be a discount of $15 off 4 or more sealants.

Tara Bensman, RDH--Dental Hygienist

2009-04-23T10:45:00.002-04:00

We now carry professional strength whitening strips!!

These strips are very similar to over-the-counter whitening strips, however, these strips have two to three times the strength, making them only available from a dental professional. The strip kit comes with a ten day supply of upper and lower strips to be worn for one hour a day over ten consecutive days. The cost is $63 dollars which is a low price and yields great results. Try a free sample after your next regular cleaning and exam appointment.

Nikea Bowar RDH--Hygiene Team Leader

2009-03-23T13:23:00.001-04:00

Want a straighter smile?

What do braces do?
Your teeth should fit together without crowding, spacing or a poor bite. Braces can correct these problems that can be embarrassing and lead to muscle, joint and teeth problems.

When do we start braces?
Although the American Association of Orthodontics recommends that children be examined for braces beginning at 7 years of age, this does not mean that children will begin braces at that age. Only some bites require early intervention.

After an initial no fee exam with Dr. Khan, children that are not ready for braces will be placed on a recall system at 6-12 month intervals. Timing is everything to take advantage of growth spurts. One of the best indicators for the start of treatment is the loss of baby teeth. Each child enters this growth spurt at different times. Although many are ready at age 12, some lose their baby teeth early and are ready for braces by age 10.

Adults, too!
Braces may be started at any age. Today 25% of Dr. Khan’s orthodontic patients are adults. He often hears: “I never had a chance for braces when I was younger” or “I have never liked my teeth and I didn’t know that adults could wear braces”. Teeth are teeth and will move no matter what your age. Most people plan to have their natural teeth all their life. Why not have a great smile? An attractive smile is one of the rare bargains that you’ll use the rest of your life.

Amber Morrett, Orthodontic Coordinator

2009-02-04T15:32:00.000-05:00

Dental Insurance Can Change Without Warning

What if your dental insurance company left you with a $215 bill you never expected? This happened to a family that lives in Troy and we wanted to share their experience to help other families avoid the same problem. Mom brought in her 8 year old daughter for a regular checkup and we recommended that she return for 4 sealants, 1 filling and a growth & development xray. Total fee of $392. We estimated the insurance (Delta Dental) to cover most of this amount. Mom felt good about this estimate because her daughter had a sealant before and the same size filling as well (both 3 years before).

When the insurance paid, they paid on everything – but at such low amounts that Mom ended up with about $215 that she did not expect. For example, our fee for a sealant is $42. The Delta dental insurance policy reads that they will pay 85% for sealants. Mom expected that insurance would cover $36 ($42 x 85%). However, their top fee for a sealant is $15 – so they ended up paying only $13!

This is a very sneaky way of reducing benefits. Nothing in the policy let this family know that the dental benefits had changed. Nobody in HR told them of any changes. The percentages of coverage did not change. The only thing that changed was the Delta top fee they would pay for each procedure.

My normal response is to encourage the family to talk with their HR person. In this case, the company is a supplier to the auto industry and has reduced their employee size from 350 to only 50 people left. The Mom I was working with said that she didn’t even know if the HR person still worked there!

So, it sounded like a situation where the company was having financial troubles and one of their decisions was to reduce the dental insurance plan benefits. However they did this in a way that none of the employees knew about – and so this family ended up with a large bill they never expected.

The Mom and I came to an agreement – she is appealing the Delta Dental insurance payment and to help out, we adjusted off half her bill ($107 value). Part of the letter she has submitted to Delta reads that Delta “does not make adequate information available to the service provider to obtain an accurate estimate. This is a serious disservice to the subscriber and patient.”

So – if you have dental insurance and your company is having financial trouble, please ask for a pre-treatment estimate for ANY visit. We are happy to send these requests to your dental insurance company on your behalf, free of charge – and if we can help you avoid a nasty surprise, like owing an extra $215, we will do everything we can to help. In fact, if you are in management for a company that is struggling to maintain a dental benefit, please call me – I can help a company to maintain dental benefits, while saving the company money and avoiding nasty surprises to employees.

Hope this was helpful.

Jill Nesbitt, Office Manager 937-667-2417

2008-12-23T15:34:00.000-05:00

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

To all our friends, old and new – Our staff take great pride in each of you giving us the opportunity to serve you. This has been a great growing year for us. With your help, we plan next year to be even more exciting.
May God bless you and yours, now and in the years to come. Our best to you for a healthy, happy, prosperous holiday season and New Year!

Potpourri of holiday gifts picked out at several meetings and journals over the last several months just for you:
** A mother recently asked me my opinion of her son using smokeless tobacco. Smoking is an obnoxious health hazard. Snuff and chewing tobacco are being marketed as the “lesser of two evils.” NOT SO! Smokeless tobacco users are four times more likely to get cancer and also are more likely to develop increased blood pressure, gum disease and discolored teeth.
** Are you planning to start a daily exercise program as one of your New Year’s resolutions? The golden rule is never push yourself so hard that you can’t talk with someone throughout your exercise; and 15 minutes 4-5 times a week is enough to improve your fitness!
** Watch out for children’s chewable vitamins! Don’t leave them on the table where a child could reach them! An overdose could lead to shock and severe damage to the liver and digestive system.

Here’s a variety of ideas that I picked up at the American Dental Association’s annual national meeting in November of this year:

Ø Five years after you stop smoking you’re only half as likely to die of lung cancer as a current smoker.
Ø Gum disease can be transmitted by kissing. Before you step under the mistletoe make sure we’ve checked out your smoocher.
Ø Stained, chipped teeth? Bleaching, plastic bonding, and porcelain veneers can give you the smile you deserve! The annual meeting had lots of new ideas to help you improve your appearance.
Ø Northwestern Medical School found that four hugs a day can reduce your blood pressure and increase the oxygen content of your blood.

Be sure to use your insurance benefits effectively this year! After all, you earned them. If your policy is on a calendar year, benefits not used by December 31 will be lost forever!

It’s not the GIVING
It’s not the RECEIVING
IT’S THE LOVING!

Live, love, laugh! Good friends good times, good health, good cheer, and happy days throughout the year!
FOR ALL PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS, AUNTS AND UNCLES

If you reward my “goods” with candy, somehow I’ll equate
My times of happy confidence, with something sweet I ate.
The sweets will become more important, than they really are.
For I’ll mix your approval with a chewy candy bar.
If you reward “good” with attention, make loving words a treat.
Then I’ll not start confusing love with something sweet to eat!

2008-11-13T13:11:00.001-05:00

Going GREEN!!

We’re going green! Just thought you might be interested to know that HealthPark Dentistry is joining in the green movement. First, we have been replacing light bulbs from the old style to the new compact fluorescent – as you probably know, these take less energy to work and they last longer. Second, we added a recycling dumpster to our property and are now recycling shredded paper and delivery boxes. Third, we started to turn off our computers every night – again, hopefully reducing our energy usage. We are feeling good about our efforts and welcome suggestions and ideas from other small businesses about how they are successfully going green!

2008-11-13T12:51:00.000-05:00

American Dental Association National Meeting

Six of us went to San Antonio for this four day meeting. I thought you’d be interested in some highlights we found while touring the three football fields’ worth of space for the vendors in the convention center.
Tom Brokaw, the television journalist, was the opening speaker. He told us to be ready for a long economic recovery where common sense, thrift, and investing in the future will be very important. He also said that no matter how you feel about the war in Iraq, be sure to honor our American volunteer soldiers who serve there.
Novamin (calcium sodium phosphosilicate) was introduced to remineralize teeth with decay. It also raises the pH of saliva to increase protection from decay. Within one year Novamin plus fluoride may take the place of prescription fluoride and save you $10-$12 per tube.
We purchased a laser for soft tissue surgery. This will make much of our minor surgery bloodless and painless. We’ve been watching these develop for 3-4 years, but finally the technology is ready.
We found a new company that will sell xylitol to you. This is the non-sugar sweetener that is almost as effective as fluoride to reduce decay. We’ll add it to the handout at our front desk.
There’s a new bone fill to pack the socket after an extraction. When the socket heals, the bone won’t wash away. This leaves more ridge to support an implant or denture.
Diabetes, the fastest growing U.S. disease, has twice the death rate of those who don’t have the disease. They are also twice as likely to have gum disease and bone loss. People with diabetes and gum disease and gum disease have an eight times higher risk of premature death. Controlling the gum disease helps control blood sugar level and reduces these odds.
J and J has a new ultra thin Reach type floss for those with very tight contacts.
Nikea, our team leader hygienist, scoured the exhibitors looking for the ideal tooth brush to hand out to you at recall cleaning visits. She found it!
I looked for non-latex gloves. More people are allergic to latex, so its time for us to remove as much latex from HealthPark as possible.
I looked at less expensive appliance to control sleep apnea and snoring, but I didn’t like them as much as the brand we’ve currently been using.
We’ll be switching to a new fluoride varnish that is clear and four times stronger that we’ve been using. These old fluoride trays you held in your mouth for four minutes are outmoded now.
P & G introduced the Pulsonic, a less expensive electric toothbrush. I like the Sonicare better (ease of use, ability to clean), although a hand toothbrush works for most people.
A new prescription fluoride toothpaste from Arm & Hammer that is four times as effective as the Prevident 5000 we currently recommend. The new paste contains Novamin that I discussed earlier.

2008-10-09T16:46:00.001-04:00

Do you have a hole in your pocket?

If you had a hole in your pocket, you'd want to fix it before you lost your wallet or your money, right? Surprisingly, however, many of our patients with dental insurance "lose" hundreds (or thousands) of dollars a year because they fail to use or maximize their insurance benefits before year's end (December 31st).
Once these benefits are gone, they are lost forever . . . they don't apply to the next year. These are benefits "someone" has paid for.
So, if you are due for an exam and cleaning or need additional dentistry done, please give us a call before the end of the year to schedule an appointment.
Sew up that hole in your pocket now, before it's too late!
Thinking about Implants?
Dr. Smith recently attended the national conference for the International Academy of Oral Implantologists. He learned about current trends and technology and several ideas to improve the implants we provide for our clients.
So, if you are thinking about implants, just call and we would be happy to schedule a conference for you to talk with our doctors about them.
New Preventive-Only Dental InsuranceIf your company does not offer dental benefits, you might be interested in a new dental insurance plan being offered by Dental Care Plus. This plan covers all preventive care - your two cleanings and exams per year plus x-rays and even sealants for the kids! All this at a cost of about $10/month. If you are interested in learning more about how you can get dental benefits, just ask to talk to Jill Nesbitt, Office Manager and she will answer your questions. Call us at 937-667-2417

2008-09-25T17:07:00.001-04:00

Oral Cancer

Approximately 30,000 Americans are diagnosed each year with this largely preventable type of cancer that affects the mouth and /or part of the throat. Most oral cancers are related to tobacco, alcohol use, or both. Oral cancer can spread quickly. On average, only half of those diagnosed with the disease will survive more than five years.
See a dentist or physician if any of the following symptoms lasts for more than two weeks:
A sore, irritation, lump or thick patch in your mouth, lip, or throat
A white or red patch in your mouth
A feeling that something is caught in your throat
Difficulty chewing, swallowing or moving your jaw or tongue
Numbness in your tongue or other areas of your mouth
Swelling of your jaw that causes dentures to fit poorly or become uncomfortable
Pain in one ear without hearing loss.

Sarah Trosell, EFDA & Assistant Team Leader

2008-08-21T08:43:00.001-04:00

X-Rays

Many diseases of the teeth and surrounding tissues cannot be seen when your dentist examines your mouth. An x-ray (radiograph) examination may reveal:
1) Small areas of decay between the teeth or below existing restorations (fillings)
2) Infections in the bone
3) Periodontal (gum) disease
4) Abscesses or cysts
5) Developmental abnormalities
6) Some types of tumors

Sarah, EFDA

2008-07-07T10:20:00.001-04:00

Pregnancy and Oral Health

Research shows that pregnant women who develop gum disease are at an increased risk for delivering preterm or low-birth-weight babies. There is a strong relationship between oral health and overall general health. Good oral hygiene is an indicator of good health, which is why dental health care providers play such an important role in healthcare.

Sarah Trosell...EFDA, Assistant Team Leader

2008-06-10T11:58:00.000-04:00

Dentures

If you’ve lost all of your natural teeth, whether from periodontal disease, tooth decay or injury, complete dentures can replace your missing teeth and your smile. Replacing missing teeth will benefit your appearance and your health. Without support from the denture, facial muscles sag, making a person look older. You’ll be able to eat and speak – things that people often take for granted until their natural teeth are lost.

Sarah Trosell-Assistant Team Leader/EFDA

2008-05-29T13:09:00.002-04:00

Benefits of Mulitple Specialists In One Convenient Location

Our multi specialty practice is convenient for many people. A client from out of state was able to get a periodontal opinion that she had been putting off. Complete life time treatment is achieved with the specialist when needed. Even amongst the dentists, they can get multiple professional opinions quickly and after consulting with the patient, decide the best treatment This is one of the ways Health Park is unique.

Patty Wilt...Hygienist

2008-05-29T13:01:00.001-04:00

Mouth Guards

Many sports that people play involve some sort of safety equipment. Weather it be knee pads, shoulder pads, shin guards or face masks, the goal is to keep your body protected. People take a lot of time and effort to protect themselves, but what about protecting your mouth? Weather you know it or not many injuries can happen to your mouth causing much pain and discomfort. Fixing sports injuries to the mouth can be very expensive as well as very time consuming depending on the injury. People can suffer from broken or cracked teeth. One of the most severe injuries you can suffer is a broken palate which can only be fixed with surgery. You may ask “well with all the things that can happen to your mouth what can you do to protect your self”? The answer is simple… wear a mouth guard! Mouth guards are simple and relatively inexpensive way to protect yourself. Mouth guards help cushion blows that might otherwise cause broken teeth, injuries to the lips, tongue, face, or jaw. They also may reduce the severity and incidence of concussions. The most effective mouth guard should be resilient, tear-resistant and comfortable. It should also fit properly, be durable, easy to clean, and not restrict your speech or breathing.

Tara, Dental Hygienist

2008-04-08T14:50:00.001-04:00

How to get the most out of your dental insurance

Content:
You have to know the rules of insurance in order to maximize your benefits. Here are some questions to understand about how dental insurance works:

Doesn’t my dental insurance cover everything?Dental insurance isn’t really insurance (defined as a payment to cover the cost of a loss) at all. It actually is a benefit, typically provided by an employer, that helps employees pay for routine dental treatment. The employer decides on the plan based on the amount of the benefit and how much the premium costs per month. Benefit plans are only designed to cover a portion of the total cost of treatment.

But my plan says that my exams and certain other procedures are covered 100 percent.
The key question is 100% of what? This means 100% of the schedule of benefits your employer has chosen. Usually these schedules are less than the fees that dentists actually charge. For example, the insurance company’s schedule of benefits states it pays 100% for cleanings up to the schedule maximum of $50. However, dentists actual fee is $70. The insurance company pays you $50 for the cleaning, and you pay the other $20. This means the actual coverage was 71% not 100%. Welcome to the real world of dental insurance.

So, the dental insurance company sets the payment they pay per procedure, and that’s the UCR.
Many carriers refer to their allowed payments as UCR, which stands for “usual, customary, and
reasonable.” However, as is usually the case with insurance, this does not mean exactly what it seems to mean. UCR is actually a list of payments for treatment set by the insurance company. This payment is related to the cost of the premiums and the geographical area where you live.

Again, these payments are usually meant to help pay for dental treatment, not to cover the entire cost, so this payment is not the recommended fee for all dentists in your area to charge.

You should know:

Deductible $________________
How much you will pay out of pocket before your dental insurance pays for treatment.

Maximum $_______________
How much your plan pays per person, per year.

In-Network vs. Out of Network
Will your plan pay out of network benefits to non-member dentists? What is the difference in payments?

Pre-existing conditions clause?
Some insurance companies use this missing tooth clause as an excuse to deny coverage. If your tooth was missing before you received dental insurance, then they will not pay to replace it.

Waiting periods?
Some plans require a one year wait before they will pay for treatment. This guarantees they will make money on your premium without having to pay out benefits.

Products & Cosmetics not included.
All insurance plans deny payment for electric toothbrushes, adult prescription strength fluoride toothpaste, whitening, and crowns/veneers for appearance improvement only. (You can use your flex or .HSA for this.)

Alternative benefits clause?
To reduce their expenses, most insurance companies will only approve payment for the least expensive treatment option available, even though it’s not the choice you would like. For example, you might like a crown, but your plan will only pay for a large filling. Or you might like a tooth-colored filling and they will pay for silver.

Secondary dental insurance: non-duplication of benefits clause?
The secondary insurance company says the amount they would have paid already has been paid by the first primary insurance company – so they won’t pay anything. If you are in this situation, complain to your employer and consider dropping your secondary insurance.

Pre-Treatment Estimates (PTE)
If you want to know how much your insurance company will pay, then ask us to send a PTE for you. Your insurance will return a written EOB (Estimate of Benefits) showing the payment for each treatment. Insurance takes 2-4 weeks to process this for you. Watch out though, this PTE is not a guarantee, your insurance reserves the right to reduce or deny coverage anyway.

If you have more questions about your dental insurance plan, just give us a call – ask to talk to Jamie, our reigning insurance expert!

JiLL Nesbitt--MBA, Office Manager

2008-04-08T09:59:00.000-04:00

Periodontal Disease

The longer plaque and tartar are on teeth, the more harmful they become. The bacteria cause inflammation of the gums that is called “gingivitis.” When gingivitis is not treated, it can advance to “periodontitis” which means inflammation around the tooth. In periodontitis, gums pull away from the teeth and form “pockets” that are infected. Bacterial toxins and the body’s enzymes fighting the infections actually start to break down the bone and connective tissue that hold teeth in place. If not treated, the bones, gums, and connective tissue that support the teeth are destroyed. The teeth may eventually become loose and have to be removed.

Sarah Trosell--EFDA, Assistant Team Leader

2008-03-06T12:23:00.002-05:00

Cavities...

Your mouth is a busy place. Bacteria are tiny colonies of living organisms that are constantly on the move on your teeth, gums, lips, and tongue. Having bacteria in your mouth is a normal thing. While some of the bacteria can be harmful, most are not and some are even helpful. It’s important to see your dentist before a cavity forms so that the plaque you can’t reach with your toothbrush or floss can be removed.

Sarah Trosell--EFDA, Assistant Team Leader

2008-02-12T11:37:00.000-05:00

Congratulations Dr. Pierson!!!

Congratulations to Dr. Pierson and his wife, Kandi. They are the proud new parents to a healthy baby boy. Benjamin Joseph came into the world on January 30, 2008. Ben weighed 8 lbs. 12 oz., and was 22 in long. We wish Dr. Pierson and Kandi the best as they embark on this new journey!

Nikea Bowar--Hygienist

2008-01-31T11:46:00.000-05:00

Fluoride

Fluoride is obtained in two forms: Topical and systemic.

Topical Fluorides strengthen teeth already present in the mouth making them more decay resistant. Topical fluorides include toothpastes, mouthrinses, and professionally applied fluoride therapies
Systemic fluorides are those that are ingested into the body and become incorporated into the forming tooth structures. Systemic fluoride can also give topical protection because fluoride is present in saliva, which continually bathes the teeth. Systemic fluorides include water fluoridation, or dietary fluoride supplements in the form of tablets, drops or lozenges.

Sarah Trosell...Assistant Team Leader

2008-01-31T11:41:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year

Start the new year out right! Get your complete exam from one of our dentists. A complete series of x-rays will be taken and a thorough comprehensive exam will be completed. This is recommended every 5 years to identify any problems before they get too big.

Patty Wilt RDH...Hygiene Team Leader

2008-01-02T11:29:00.000-05:00

Basic Brushing Guidlines

Choose a brush soft, polished bristles and round ends, comfortable in size and shape and allows you to reach every tooth. Hard bristles can injure your gums.
Brush the outer, inner, and chewing surfaces of the each tooth.
Use the "toe" of the brush to clean the inside surfaces of the front teeth.
Brush your tongue to remove bacteria and freshen your breath.
Brush at least twice a day.

Sara Trosell...EFDA/Assistant Team Leader

2007-11-19T12:51:00.001-05:00

Insurance Benefits

As the year comes to an end, so do most insurance benefits. We can help you optimize your insurance benefits for any remaining dental treatment you'd like to complete before the year ends. Call us to discuss your options.

Patty Wilt--RDH, Hygiene Team Leader

2007-11-12T11:40:00.000-05:00

Choosing a Dentist?

When finding a potentially new dentist, you can ask to meet him or her to ask questions, discuss your concerns, fears, etc. Consider the following:

Is appointment schedule convenient?
Is the office easy to get to?
Does the office appear clean, neat and orderly?
Are special arrangements made for handling emergencies outside of office hours?
Was you medical and dental history recorded?
Does the dentist explain techniques that will help you prevent dental health problems?

Sarah Trosell...Assistant Team Leader

2007-11-12T11:37:00.000-05:00

A Holiday Smile ;)

Gearing up for the holidays? Don't forget your smile. Brighten your smile with take home or our in-office whitening system. To help out your budget, HealthPark is extending a discount for the holidays. Call today to reserve your appointment.

Patty Wilt...Hygienist Team Leader