Drinking caffeine after an appointment can help erase numbing effects?
Some cultures find spiritual significance in oral hygiene?
Mouse teeth never stop growing?
The Mayans practiced dentistry using small files and stones?
"...in dentistry small problems are less expensive than big problems."
Fall, 2007
Vol. 1, Issue 2
Fall Into Great Updates!
Ever improving, we have one more way to remind you of your appointments! Introducing TeleVox, a high-tech appointment reminder service that not only calls you personally at home, but also sends reminder e-mails and text messages. As we grow, your appointment time becomes more valuable, and it has never been more important for us to finish your dental work in a timely manner to avoid costly delays in your treatment. With TeleVox, we can ensure we work in partnership with you to make your time with us as productive as possible. We have also formed new guidelines to manage the cost of your dentistry with payment plans! With our new partnership with Care Credit, it is easier than ever to set up payments, calculate interest, and track your charges and costs. The Care Credit website offers instant pre-approval and payment plan estimates. Best of all, those with less-than-perfect credit have co-sign and long term financing options. For more information, visit www.carecredit.com.
What’s your family’s tradition?
Ever wonder where the legend of the tooth fairy originated? Historians speculate it may be from the folklore of House Elves or Brownies, small creatures that exchanged tokens or money for things human beings found to be useless. The myth evolved to include everything from a “tooth mouse” to the winged fairy we recognize in the U. S. today. Here are just a few traditions children adhere to around the world: -In Argentina and Sweden, children put their tooth in a glass of water for a Magical Mouse. -In the Philippines, kids place their tooth on the windowsill for the Tooth Rat. -In South America children are instructed to throw their teeth on the roof. -In the Far East, children put lower teeth on the roof, and upper teeth under the bed.
Getting to Know Your Hygienists
Did you know your hygienists are the driving force behind your treatment? Gail Still and Laura Fosson possess over forty years of dental experience between them, and have been familiar faces to many of you for years. But, how many of you really know them? Here’s a little test to find out!
1.
Which hygienist played violin in the Wooster Symphony for two years?
2.
Which hygienist was a member of the National Honor Society in high school?
3.
Which hygienist has three dogs?
4.
Which hygienist was once a competitive equestrian?
5.
Which hygienist also has a teaching degree?
6.
Which hygienist is an avid cook?
Insurance Secrets Revealed
At Village DentalCare, we form a partnership with you to maximize your dental benefits plan. Sometimes, working with an insurance company can be easy and painless. Most of the time, however, it seems as though knowing the ins and outs of your plan, dealing with customer service reps, and generally trying to make sure you receive the benefits you pay for is a big hassle. Here are some tips and tricks to maximize your plan!
-Dental “insurance” should really be called dental “assistance.” It is the rare employer that provides employees with a benefit plan that covers absolutely everything. Make sure before each visit that you understand the limits of your particular plan so you can avoid unwelcome financial surprises.
-A dental office tries to be an expert in billing, but we really can only estimate your insurance coverage, since we never know for sure what insurance will cover until we receive a check and an explanation of benefits. We will always send a final statement if insurance does not pay what we estimate, but be pro-active with your company. If you feel they
should pay more, call them! We can provide you with specific codes and lingo to make you more knowledgeable and get the payment you deserve. Also, speak to your human resources department if you are unhappy with your plan.
-When calling your company, it’s important to be able to get what you want. Remember, customer service representatives are fielding hundreds of calls a day. Here are some ways to be sure you win your case!
Make sure to get the first and last name of the person you speak to, their ID number, and record the date you spoke to them. This is especially helpful if you don’t get the results you want. They record your call...so should you!
Some companies outsource their customer service; if they are hard to understand, ask for a “U. S. Representative.”
If your rep is not being
helpful and you’d like to speak to a supervisor, don’t get angry...compliment them! Say, “Has anyone ever told your supervisor what a good job you do?” and they will be more than happy to transfer you. (It really works!)
If your company has an endless automated system, press “0” five times (or more!) to override the system and speak to a live person. (This also works with other automated systems...try it the next time you order pizza!)
Last but not least, “nice” always works best! Be firm and persistent, but try to maintain a pleasant demeanor...kill 'em with kindness!
-Don’t let your insurance company dictate your dental needs. That is Dr. Katya’s job; she will never recommend treatment that is not essential to your health. If you are constrained by the limits of your plan for treatment that you need, we offer ways to cover the costs of your treatment. Remember, in dentistry, just like with your overall health, small dental problems are less expensive than big dental problems.
Hygienist Recommends Yearly Screenings
Laura Fosson recently attended the annual American Dental Association National Conference in San Francisco. While there, she took several continuing education courses, including a particularly fascinating class on oral cancers. “Seeing the pictures of cancers in the mouth and how they can destroy someone’s health really reinforced the importance of cancer screening for my patients,” Laura says.
Soft tissue oral cancer
The ADA recommends yearly screening with technology such as Vizilite. "One person dies
each hour from oral cancer in the U. S., and over a quarter of those people have no lifestyle risk factors, like smoking. I will definitely be recommending screenings to all my adult patients in the future," she says. Our office offers quick, painless screenings through Vizilite. Early detection of abnormal cells can minimize or eliminate the potentially disfiguring effects of oral cancer and can save your life. Ask your hygienist for details today!
