Are you or anyone in your family in need of dental services? Do you need to find a dentist who can cater to all your emergencies now and in the future? Finding a good dentist can be exhausting especially with so many dentists setting up shop in every corner. However, with these helpful tips, you should be able to find an amazing dentist to cater to you every time you are in need. read more
Spirit Dental Resources
The insurance industry is one of the sectors whose understanding has eluded many. Insurance policies are usually filled with insurance jargon that provides little or no definitions. Just like with legal matters, individuals are forced to depend on insurance agents to guide them through application, payment, and filing for claims.
The terms used for each insurance policy taken by an individual will vary greatly depending on the particular policy. As such, there is no way of generalizing the terms used in insurance. This article attempts to provide an insight on some of the terms pertaining to dental insurance.
By equipping the reader with such information, they will be better placed to know exactly what they are signing up for. The common terminologies include:
Dental insurance – this refers to an insurance policy that provides financial assistance to covered patients for all medical expenses that result from dental treatments.
Dependents – these are the other beneficiaries of the insurance policy undertaken by the applicant. Their names are usually required during the application process.
Diagnostic care – this refers to all the processes that are performed to determine the actual dental issue. They include X-rays and physical exams.
Effective date – this is the date that signifies the start of your dental insurance cover. One is entitled for benefits from this date henceforth.
Endodontics – this refers to dental treatment procedures that target the root canal and the dental pulp.
Exclusions – this refers to dental treatments or procedures that are not covered by the dental insurance plan. As such, one is not entitled for benefits and will incur the full costs.
Extraction – this refers to procedures that are involved in the extraction of teeth or a tooth from the surrounding tissue.
Family deductibles – this refers to the total sum that is remitted to the insurance provider for obtaining cover for the entire family. The sum should be sufficient to cater for all the expenses that may be incurred by any family member.
Fee schedule - this refers to a pre-determined treatment fee for dental conditions that is set by the dentist for each service they provide. It helps give an overview of how the deductibles or premiums may be calculated.
Filing – this refers to the materials that are used to fill tooth cavities. They may include gold, silver, copper amalgam among others.
Gingivitis – this refers to a dental condition where the gums become inflamed.
Implant – this is a device that is surgically attached to the jaws to provide support medium for dentures, crown or dental bridge.
Allowable charges – this refers to the amount that is entitled to you for particular dental treatments. Amounts exceeding this charge are not covered.
Beneficiary – this is the person who has undertaken a dental insurance policy or any other person that is entitled for financial assistance from the insurance provider.
Carrier – a carrier is the company that provides or sells dental insurance.
Deductible – this is the amount of money that the insured needs to pay within the duration of the contract for them to be entitled for cover.
These are just some of the dental insurance terms that one needs to know of.
Regardless of the fact that you brush your teeth regularly, there might come a time when dental services might be needed urgently. Whether your child just lost her first tooth or if you are looking for cosmetic dental services, you definitely need to have a good dentist to provide these services immediately. Bearing in mind that dentists have become very saturated in different communities, it might be difficult to find an exceptional one effortlessly. Luckily with these amazing tips, you should find a good dentist in your area to service you and anyone else in your family.
1. Experience
Of course, you don’t want a newbie to deal with your teeth regardless of the type of service you need. Everyone needs an expert to handle their teeth that’s why it’s important to inquire about a dentist’s experience before making an appointment. A dentist who has been operational for a few has definitely gathered enough expertise to handle any dental emergencies and issues. A few dentists will reveal this information on their websites but asking them wouldn’t hurt too.
2. Reputation
With experience comes reputation which means that a dentist who has been operational for many years has established roots in the community. He/she has definitely established a good rapport with the patients due to the exceptional services provided. To ascertain whether a specific dentist is reputable in that community or not, you should consider checking testimonials from previous patients. If everything looks good, you can make an appointment without any qualms.
3. Hours Of Operation
No one can plan for dental emergencies. Therefore, if you or anyone in your family incurs a dental emergency anytime of the day or night, you should be able to get help before everything becomes worse. On that note, you can bank on a dentist who operates even at odd hours of the night without question.
4. Billing And Payment Plans
Dentists charge differently for their services. Therefore, depending on the services you need, you should look for dentists who offer high quality care at the cheapest and most affordable prices. It wouldn’t hurt to look at different price estimates from several dentists in your area before making a decision. There are many dental services that are covered by insurance. So, you need to check with your insurance company before going to a dentist for any service.
5. Services Offered
There are many dentists who offer general dentistry services. However, with advancements there are numerous services that have been introduced in the field of dentistry. This has led to specializations in these areas such as cosmetic dentistry. On that note, you should look for a dentist who offers the specific type of services you are looking for at the cheapest and most affordable cost without compromising on quality.
With these tips in mind, you definitely need to find reputable and reliable areas to get dentists. You can do a simple search online or get referrals from family members. Also, you can contact any dentistry school near you or state association and get names of dentists operating in that area. Good luck with your search!
Believe it or not, but the actual condition of your mouth is very closely tied to your overall health. This is why taking care of your teeth is so incredibly important. Taking care of your teeth is much more than simply trying to retain a beautiful smile. It is much more than aesthetics. There has been a ton of research that have found numerous links between overall health and well being to oral health. Truth be told, a lot of these links are not clear, but there is certainty that the actual condition of your mouth is very closely tied to your entire health. Below we will discuss some of the links that have been found.
1. Diabetes And Oral Health.
Doctors have actually know for many years that those that suffer from type 2 diabetes have a much increased incidence of periodontitis and/or gum disease. This connection was actually found by researchers at Columbia University. They found that people who had higher levels of gum disease actually had two times the risk of developing type 2 diabetes than people that suffered from no gum disease. While a lot more research is needed to further explain the connection, there is no doubt to medical professionals that gum disease can actually lead people to developing diabetes. There are different theories as to why this happens. One of them is that the infections in your mouth can actually spread throughout the rest of your body. Therefore, the inflammation and infection can wreak havoc on your ability to process sugar. This in turn can lead to diabetes.
2. Heart Disease And Oral Health.
Another very interesting connection has been made between bad oral health and heart disease. Researchers have found that those that suffer from gum disease have more incidences of suffering from heart disease. As with diabetes and oral health, researches have yet to figure out what directly causes this. However, they have a couple of theories as to why this happens. One of the theories is that small amounts of bacteria may enter your bloodstream through your infection(s) in your mouth while chewing which can then run through the rest of your bloodstream. Because of this, the bacteria can then lodge itself in different blood vessels which can cause a lot of dangerous blockages and lead to heart disease.
3. Gum Disease And Pregnancy Complications.
A lot of pregnant women actually suffer from gum infections throughout their pregnancy as a result of hormone fluctuation. A lot of other pregnant women actually neglect oral care when they are pregnant because they have a lot of others things that they are thinking about during the process. However, researchers have shown that it is a huge mistake to neglect oral care while pregnant because gum disease and/or inflammation in the gums/mouth can actually cause an increase in the production of a chemical compound that is known as, "prostaglandin." This chemical compound is actually widely known to have the ability to produce early labor. Therefore, there is sufficient evidence that poor overall dental care and oral health can lead to very low birth weight and other pregnancy complications.
As you can see, there is a direct relationship between dental care and overall health.
When it comes to dental insurance there are two types of dental plans. Determining which plan is best for you is easier if you understand the differences in the two types of dental plans.
PPO
PPO stands for Preferred Provider Organization. In a Preferred Provider Organization you'll still be able to select your own provider but it must be within the list of preferred providers or you'll have to pay a lot more money.
The dental insurance company and the preferred providers work together to help keep your costs reasonable. If you go out of network you will lose that benefit and likely be paying a bit more out of pocket for the services you have done.
Most preferred providers work within a group setting such as a health care facility or group in your local area. By joining in with such a group they are able to help keep costs down and pass that savings on to you the consumer.
Indemnity
An indemnity plan on the other hand, allows you the consumer to choose from any provider that you desire. However, you will lose some of the savings that you have with the preferred provider because they aren't under the same contract to provide services at a specific rate.
The indemnity plan will pay a flat rate that is pre set for services. For example: If you have your teeth cleaned they will pay a pre set rate for the cleaning, anything over that pre set rate the consumer will have to pay for.
Each service will have its own pre set rate and the consumer will be responsible for all fees over that rate. Some dentists won't bill an indemnity plan and the consumer must pay the fees out of pocket and then submit the reimbursement forms to the indemnity company themselves.
Choosing between the two plans can be challenging at best. If you have great teeth and only need minimal dental care you may be able to get along just fine with an inexpensive plan that covers a few fillings and an annual cleaning. However, if you have more serious dental needs you may want more comprehensive coverage.
If you live in a more rural area your options may be limited for PPO care providers. If you aren't able to drive the required distance to reach one of these providers you may need to opt with the indemnity plan for convenience sake.
You'll also want to make sure you read the fine print and know how much you're paying out each month in premiums. You'll want to understand the co payments and what you'll be responsible for in the fees as well.
Once you determine which plan will work best for your needs you can then explore the various PPO and Indemnity policies that are available. Always read the fine print and make sure that you understand the details of your policy before you sign the paperwork and make your first premium.
There is a reason why people can match-up PPO versus indemnity insurance, because both policies have their degree of benefits. However, there is a "right" choice so-to-speak. Not everybody has the same financial situations and in many cases the choice is purely based on what plan suites the needs of the individual. The only way to make that right choice is by understanding both PPO and indemnity policies.
Indemnity Insurance
It is also referred to as a fee-for-service and the purpose of this policy is to cover a portion of medical bills related to injury or illness. Take note that there are several different plans in this sector so it's important to shop around, but for the most part these types of policies cover about 80%. The rest has to be covered by the individual.
The policy can only go into effect when the individual pays the annual deductible fee. How much this fee will be depends on several things, such as age and the condition of an individual’s health. Also pay attention whether a policy covers routine exams, because they usually don't.
The biggest benefit of the policy is that the individual is free to go to any dentist, doctor or hospital. An individual can also switch doctors at any time. Even though indemnity policies are typically more expensive, they come with more flexibility and freedom of choice.
PPO Insurance
This type of insurance policy comes with a few more complications, but it's more affordable. Individuals have to pay a monthly premium which saves more out of pocket expenses. However, there are requirements in order to benefit from the plan.
The company selling the insurance is connected with several medical service providers. These include pharmaceuticals and doctors. Individuals have to go to the doctors and use medication brands that fall into the network of the insurance company, otherwise out of pocket expenses come into play. The doctors also become the gatekeepers for covered visits to specialists and pre-authorization needs to be given before the doctor visit can be made.
The most obvious benefit is that an individual gets to save a lot of money in terms of out of pocket expenses, as long as the rules of the policy are adhered to of course. Note that individuals are allowed to claim even when they visit doctors outside of the network, but this will result in a deductible payment from the individual.
The Best Choice
Don't be too hasty when making a decision. Yes, it's important to have insurance, but it's also important to sustain it. For this reason it's recommended to look at all the aspects of a lifestyle. Is there a need for a family plan? Are you sure you will be able to afford the insurance in the long run?
Once you can establish exactly what you need and what you can afford then you will make the right choice. Just check all the details thoroughly and do your homework first.
There are many people who believe that contradicting any diseases in the mouth doesn’t affect your overall health. According to them, what happens in the mouth, stays in the mouth. To the contrary opinion, this is completely misguided since the condition of your mouth is also tied to the health of the rest of your body. Remember, taking care of your teeth doesn’t stop at having a nice smile and fresh breath always. There’s more to it.
Researchers from different institutions have conducted various studies trying to identify the relationship between the mouth and the overall health of the body. There are a few conclusive ideas that have been adapted but the complete relationship is not yet distinct. Here are some of the results from these studies that will help you understand the relationship between your dental care and the rest of your body.
Diabetes And Oral Health
It is a known fact that people with Type 2 Diabetes are also susceptible to getting gum disease. However, the reverse had not yet been identified. Thanks to a study conducted in Columbia University, it has been identified that people with gum disease have a higher incidence of getting Diabetes (especially Type 2). Although the results of this study are not yet conclusive, there are a few theories that have been adapted to find some truth in the premise.
First, due to the infections present in the mouth due to gum disease, the body is susceptible to inflammation. This may result in poor sugar absorption due to damage to the insulin receptors found in the body. As such, glucose is not absorbed as it should, which is the foundation of Diabetes. On that note, the relation between oral health and diabetes is still under further studies but the initial results have proven true for most of the patients under study.
Can Oral Health Lead To Heart Disease?
Just as is with Diabetes, there have been a few connections between heart disease and oral health. However, the results are not yet conclusive as to whether the relation between these two is actually direct. There are a few common causes of heart disease and poor oral health. For instance, smoking has been identified to cause gum disease as well as cardiovascular issues.
There have been a few studies and theories identified such as the following. First, if an individual suffers from high levels of periodontal bacteria, there is likelihood that these might be transferred to the blood vessels after consuming meals or drinking liquids. Eventually, they result in blockages which result in poor heart health. However, it has been identified that if periodontal diseases are treated earlier, it might reduce arterial blockage thereby saving the patient from riskier cardiovascular diseases.
In summary, just like the rest of the body is connected so is the mouth. On that note, taking care of your teeth might go a long way in saving your heart or preventing the contraction of serious diseases such as Diabetes. Remember, there are still some studies underway in order to connect oral health with overall body health.