Could Coffee Reduce Your Risk Of Oral Cancer?

It's quite possible! Although this idea is still being researched and is yet to be confirmed, the study appears to be promising. 

A brief on oral cancer:

People who use tobacco or alcohol are naturally at a higher risk of developing oral/pharyngeal or mouth cancer. People who have HPV (human papillomavirus) are also at a high risk as recent studies have shown. Oral cancer is difficult to detect in its early stages due to the fact that the symptoms can easily be mistaken as something else.  Common symptoms include mouth sores that don't seem to heal, or pain that will not go away.

Where coffee comes in:

There have been many studies over the years linking coffee to a reduced risk of mouth cancer.  The study which brings us here today actually began in 1982.  Nearly 1 million people took part, submitting their health and lifestyle information, including their tea and coffee intake.  When the study began, all participants were cancer free.  After nearly 30 years of monitoring and follow up, the results of the study were astonishing.  Out of the near million people who participated, 868 people died from oral/pharyngeal or mouth cancer.  When the relation to these deaths with coffee and tea consumption was analyzed, it was found that participants who reported drinking 4 or more cups of caffeinated coffee a day had a 49% reduced risk of death from oral cancer than those who reported drinking less or only having an occasional cup.  Gender, alcohol and tobacco were not a factor.  The link to decaffeinated coffee was insignificant and the link to tea drinkers was non-existent.

What that means now:

While we would all love to believe that coffee is the cure for oral cancer, unfortunately, more research needs to be done.  There are many factors that would need to be considered before they can determine coffee as a guaranteed treatment.  There are also many other types of cancers, this study only focused on one.  So, for now, myself and my fellow coffee drinkers can simply feel a little bit better about our consumption.  As more research and studies unfold, however, I imagine we can expect to see a breakthrough on this idea soon.

Until then, Cheers to coffee!

How To Manage Dental Costs If You're Uninsured

For most people, a toothache that turns into an expensive procedure like a crown or implant can cost thousands of dollars out of pocket. Even routine check-ups with x-rays and a cleaning can add up to hundreds of dollars. It has been estimated that over one third of Americans have not visited a dentist in the last 12 months.

Given the nature of insurance companies and the cost of premiums vs. the actual procedures covered, relief from dental bills is not likely to come soon. That leaves it up to consumers to find smart ways to reduce their dental care costs without sacrificing their oral health. So, we did some research on ways to cut back on dental related costs. 

• Consider a good dental plan.  Better than insurance, some dental plans offer discounted fees with low premiums and no limit or "cap", no waiting periods on procedures, no exclusions and immediate coverage. 

• Try having your dental care done at a Dental School Clinic.  Teaching facilities have amazingly skilled dentists and in most cases the cost is cheaper than a private practice facility. Not to mention they use the most state of the art equipment so that your experience is more comfortable.

• Space out your treatments.  If you have extensive work to be done, most dentists will work according to a treatment plan, and a "pay as you go" strategy can go a long way toward helping the patient so those out of pocket expenses don't have to break the bank all at once! 

• Disclosure-No Surprise Fees!   Make sure to always, ALWAYS get the cost for the treatment plan or procedure before you agree to have it done, or sign anything.  Many patients agree to procedures while they are in the chair and don't fully understand that there may be an additional cost...an exorbitant additional cost.  Keep yourself from sticker shock by asking first and discuss other options if you cannot afford the procedure.  

• Prevention, Prevention, Prevention!  The key to saving on dental costs (just like having your car worked on) is to fix small problems before they become big ones.  Have your teeth cleaned twice a year and don't skip that oral exam. 

Here is a parting thought for those of you in the market for dental coverage.  PLEASE check the benefits carefully when considering dental insurance.  The premiums will always be more than the pay out...coverage is always limited and there will almost always be a waiting period for expensive procedures. They want to make sure they have your premiums firmly in hand before the payouts begin. It's the truth....do your homework carefully! A good dental plan is more effective at saving you money than an insurance company will ever be. 

Keep Smiling! 

Disagreeing With A Diagnosis - A New Perspective

Quite often we field phone calls from members who would like to change their dentist because they disagree with a diagnosis. Often times, the perception is that the dentist is "over-diagnosing" on the treatment plan to make more money. Now I can assure you that 98% of the time that is not the case.

As I have said in multiple blogs before this one, the objective of a treatment plan is to identify everything that needs to be done to get you in "optimal dental health". What is needed to accomplish that is based on a professional diagnosis from a dentist. However, every dentist is different. One dentist may identify something that one did not. Another one may have training or access to new technology that the other one didn't. Another dentist may be able to come up with another option than what the other dentist offered. All of these are the reason why getting a second opinion is often recommended by our office.

Regardless, it in no way means that one dentist is wrong or right. This usually goes way beyond wrong or right. How a dentist diagnoses is often dependent on how/where they were trained. Some dental colleges have a more aggressive diagnostic curriculum as others have a more conservative diagnostic curriculum. Depending on which curriculum the school that your dentist went to had, depends on which type of diagnosis you may get.

Although an aggressive diagnostic treatment plan may be overwhelming to patient, it is not a bad thing. It focuses on the long term solution to your dental problems with more of a restorative style of treatment. For example, you may be recommended to go ahead and do the root canal and crown now and not delay the inevitable by dealing with a filling. The crown is built to last and your problem will be solved for the long term.

A conservative diagnostic treatment plan is not a bad thing either. It focuses on trying more to save the original teeth that you have, rather than replace it with a crown or something else, until that is really needed. For example, you may be recommend to get a filling for now, and deal with the crown later if/when the time comes.

(**Disclaimer: The above was just an example for purposes of getting a point across. In no way it is intended to insinuate that a dentist that recommends a crown is aggressive in diagnosis or that one that recommends a filling is conservative. Everyone's mouth is difference and the diagnosis will be different for everyone.)

Like I said, it is not that either one of these dentist is wrong or right, or that one is a better dentist than the other. It simply comes down to how they were taught to diagnose your treatment. It does not mean that aggressive diagnostic dentist is trying to rip you off by over diagnosing (which is the common misconception by patients). It does not mean that the conservative dentist is under diagnosing and missing things that need to be done (which is another common misconception by patients)

In fact, an aggressive treatment may cost you more money now, but can save you a lot of money in the future. However, on the flip side of things, the conservative diagnosis treatment will save you money now, but could cost you more in the future.

We commonly recommend and encourage patients to obtain a 2nd opinion when concerned about the particular diagnosis that they are given, prior to just changing to another dentist based solely on a diagnostic result.

The Cost of Dentistry-A Different Perspective

Having worked in the dental benefit industry for 23 years, one of the most common reasons I've encountered for people to avoid seeing a dentist is the expense. Let's face it, dentistry is costly, and the cost just keeps rising. Well, I came across a website that offers some dental trivia facts and it really put things into perspective with regard to affordability.
I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

DID YOU KNOW?

*The average amount of money spent each year on DENTISTRY is $50 Billion.

Now, compare that to:

*The average amount of money spent on PET FOOD each year, which is also $50 Billion!

*The average amount of money spent each year on HAIR CARE - $100 Billion!

*The average spent on legal GAMBLING each year - a staggering $300 Billion!!!

It would seem that we really have no excuse to put off a visit to the dentist, based on these facts!

Keep Smiling!

Bleaching Woes….They do happen.

At some point during your routine dental check-up you have probably been approached about bleaching.  For those of you who have tried the in-office bleaching or at home treatments, below is a few common “woes” bleacher’s encounter and their remedies. Sensitivity: This is very common.  If you already suffer from sensitive teeth, you may wish to talk to your hygienist or dentist about using a toothpaste for sensitive teeth (i.e., Sensodyne ) prior to and after your bleaching treatment.  This cuts down on the cold shock after your treatment. After I bleach, my teeth take on a “hue”: This is also a common “woe” for people who are avid coffee, tea, red wine and dark soda drinkers.  It’s usually advised to cut back or not drink these beverages when you’re bleaching.  However, if you’re like me and have to have that coffee daily, I always brush my teeth right after I’m done while bleaching.  And to keep those newly pearl whites bright…rinse with water after drinking these staining offenders.

Not seeing results?
Most dentists take a starting shade of your teeth before you start. If you're using an over the counter treatment, then ask your dentist to take one for you before you start.  (Usually, this takes less than a minute and no appointment is necessary.) Given the fact that your are inspecting your teeth daily to see your bleaching results and whitening results vary from subtle to BAMM, you may not notice the slight changes in the shade of your teeth.  I usually suggest bleaching your lower arch a few days after you bleach your upper arch, the contrast becomes apparent.  If you still aren’t confident in your bleaching results, contact your dentist.  The strength of the bleaching agent may not be working well for you and they may need to adjust your treatment. 

(this article was written by Dawn Lawler, DA, "Chairside Chat" Savon Dental Plan Newsletter September 2010)

Don't just go to specialist, wait to get a referral.

While talking to customers on the phone I have noticed an interesting trend. Patients are going to a specialist to get work done without seeking a referral from their general dentist first. There is an assumption our there that if a root canal is needed that you need to go to an endodontist to get it done. Some are going to a periodontist to get routine style cleanings and others are automatically setting appointments with oral surgeons to get an extraction done.

I admire their proactiveness, but if you are doing this than you may be paying more that you may need to. A general dentist is capable of doing a lot more that people think. If you need dental work done, your first stop should be your general dentist. Let them examine you, advise you and plan your treatment with. If they feel that a specialist is necessary or the best course of action for your dental health, then let them tell you that make the referral. Then you can go the specialist to get it done.

Give the general dentist the first look. If they can do the treatment themselves then you will save a lot more money.

Dental Patients: Don't Be Afraid To Ask Questions

Just about everyday I get a call from one of our members that has questions about the work that dentist recommended. It is not that they are necessarily questioning the work that has been advised, more times than not it is a case where the patient is confused as to what the dentist wants to do. More times that not my response is "Have you asked your dentist about this?". Surprisingly, the majority of the time the answer is "no". After a while, it started to make me wonder what the apprehension is to ask to the dentist, so I started to ask about it. Here are some of the reason that I have been given.

1. I don't want to offend the dentist.
2. I don't want to make the think I am questioning his ability.
3. I don't want to waste the dentist's time.
4. I was too embarrassed

These are just a few of the ones that I have heard. Whatever your reason is for not asking questions it is something that I would strongly advise that you overcome and just ask the questions. It is no different than when you are talking to your general doctor. When you are discussing whatever treatment that they want to do, I am willing to bet that the majority of you ask questions and explore options. It no different with dental work. The work that is being done to your mouth is important to your health and at times can be a rather large investment. Ultimately the decision of what treatment is performed is up to you and there is no better decision than and informed decision.

I am confident that I can speak for the dentist when I say that they prefer that you ask the questions. I have never heard of a dentist getting offended by it, nor have I heard of a dentist complaining that it is a waste of their time. You can ask for questions without questioning their ability and there is nothing to be embarrassed about. Dentists do not expect you to know every term and everything thing involved in your treatment plan. Also, I have learned over the years that dentists themselves are more comfortable working on a patient that has a clear understanding of what is being done.

So again, don't be afraid to ask your dentists questions. They know better than anyone else what the actual condition of your dental health is.