Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Dental Assurance Plan

The beginning of the year is always busy with insurance patients eager to start using their insurance again after it being maxed out the previous year.
Some are distraught to find out that the condition of their oral health has deteriorated from their past visit as decay and periodontal disease aren't up to waiting for your benefits.  They keep up the destruction.
Some have been waiting for their new benefits so they can treat the broken down teeth in the front at the same time for ideal aesthetics.  They may find out that there specific plan doesn't pay for replacing tooth structure lost from acidic erosion from GERD (while opening a beer bottle with their teeth is apparently an acceptable loss of tooth structure, thank you Delta Dental).
Dental insurance is not really insurance as we tend to think of it.  Sure there are deductibles but the caps and limitations we see on dental plans is much worse than our typical health benefits.  I'm sure we would be outraged if we were turned away from our health care provider because we already had a sore throat in the last two years.  Dental insurance is much more like a dental coupon book that has specific limitations in the fine print.  While having dental insurance can be great is fantastic for those with limited treatment needs and in the maintenance phase of treatment.  There are some insurances with high annual maximums, no limitations, low deductibles that really can benefit your oral health.  It is a messy subject.
Many of us do not have insurance and that caused me to figure out what alternatives there are.  Those patients when motivated are typically great to work with as we don't have the worry of what insurance covers.  We know our options, weigh costs, risks and benefits on the spot and determine how to proceed without the worry of what insurance companies will pay for.  Quite often, costs do come into play and people put off treatment until they have some sort of insurance.
Freitas Family Dentistry is proud to offer our Dental Assurance Plan as another option.  For some this will be a no brainer, some may not benefit as much.  We think most will.  How does this work?
For the first adult member of the family the cost for an annual membership is $250.  For each additional adult (spouse or child up to age 26) the annual membership cost is $200.  Each child membership (17 and younger) is $175 for the year.
The annual membership includes 2 healthy cleanings per year, all needed x-rays and exams at those visits and a 25% discount on all treatment (elective or otherwise) that can be completed in our office.  The best part is that we have no annual maximums on treatments, no deductibles, no waiting period, no claims to file and no rejections from insurance companies.  Of course sometimes it is best to have certain treatment completed by specialists outside the office and there will not be any benefits of our Dental Assurance Plan out of office.  The cost of the annual membership is actually less than the value of the two cleanings, x-rays and exams included, so for those without insurance its a no-brainer.
We think this is a win-win for you and for us.  You save money on preventative and restorative treatment and we get your commitment to letting us take care of your health for the year without having the headache of filing insurance claims, determining benefits and the other headaches we deal with when it comes to insurance companies.
If you have insurance we are ready to do a complimentary benefits check for you and help you maximize your insurance as well.  We are preferred (in-network) providers for Delta Dental Premier, Delta Dental PPO, Metlife and Cigna and work with almost all PPO plans to maximize your benefits (many offer you no real benefits to see an in network provider and some do, we will check).  Give us a call at (925) 634-1230 or check out our website at www.freitasdentistry.com for more information.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Benefits of Mouthwash

Some of us use mouthwash on a daily basis.  Others never use it at all.  There are a myriad of reasons to use a mouthwash and just as many types of mouthwashes to use.

A mouthwash, or mouth rinse, is a great addition to your oral hygiene regimen but definitely not a replacement for brushing or flossing.

Most of us use mouthwash for its cosmetic benefits of improved breath and improving the taste of our mouths.  This is the most common use of mouthwash but also the reason that benefits us the least.  However, it does act as a gateway into the more therapeutic uses.

Many mouthwashes are anti-septic in that they kill the germs that cause plaque, decay and gum disease.  Traditionally, these main agent in accomplishing this has been alcohol.  Most of us are very familiar with the sting of some of these formulations letting us know that its working.  Fortunately, there are a number of new alcohol free versions that don't hurt.  Trust me, they still work.

Another class of mouthwash is for anti-cavity properties.  The active ingredient in this case with fluoride.  We often encourage kids, whether cavity prone or not, to rinse with ACT mouthwash to help strengthen enamel and help keep the cavities away.  The key here is making sure your child is old enough to not swallow.  Fluoride is great topically in our mouth but we don't need to ingest the amounts in the mouthwash. Many adult mouthrisnes now contain fluoride as well.  These mouthwashes are most effective if you don't eat, drink, rinse or smoke for 30 minutes after to keep the fluoride from becoming diluted.  Please don't smoke regardless.

On the other end of the spectrum, once we get older we tend to get more dry mouth.  There are mouthwashes such as Biotene specifically formulated to keep your mouth lubricated.  Without great saliva flow, we lose our natural defenses to cleanse our teeth and bacteria and decay can run rampant.

What do I use?  Listerine Zero is a alcohol free mouth rinse that I love the flavor of and keeps my mouth feeling clean.  Crest Pro Health is another great rinse that many love.  Like Listerine Zero it is alcohol free and does contain a fluoride containing version.  I personally don't feel as fresh after using it as the Listerine version, but many prefer the flavor.  Even though I don't personally care for it, I have no hesitation recommending it.

Most important to remember is that these rinses are great additions to brushing and flossing and not replacements.  With Valentines Day right around the corner, the freshness of breath doesn't hurt.