Fluoride In Nevada's Drinking Water? Them's Fighting Words!

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DENTAL NEWS: A bill requiring the Water Authority of both Reno and Sparks Nevada to add fluoride to the drinking water in hopes that it will dramatically reduce the amount of cavities in children like it has recently done in Las Vegas is meeting with stiff opposition in the Nevada State assembly. Opponents of the bill claim that fluoride is a poison and site polls that show a majority of residents in the area oppose fluoridation of their drinking water.

DENTAL VIEWS: Have you ever heard the term "Junk Science"? It's science that's popularly believed in by the public even though there's little if any scientific proof that it's true. That's what the idea that putting fluoride in drinking water is going to cause cancer or other health problems. The overwhelming evidence is that not only does it prevent cavities in children, especially children from low-income families. Even Dr. Tyree Davis of the Nevada Dental Association has stated that he was was shocked at the poor dental health in Las Vegas when he moved there just before they started forgetting the water eight years ago. "I thought I had moved to a third-world country," he said. "The dental decay among these children was simply devastating."

Interesting New Link Between Periodontitis & Coronary Heart Disease

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Researchers from the University of Kiel in Germany say that people who haveperiodontitis share a common gene mutation and thus have a greater risk of heart attacks. This study is a particularly interesting one, as it could go a long way to explaining why people with perfectly healthy hearts are sometimes hospitalized due to serious heart health problems.

According to study leader Dr. Arne Schaefer their study results indicate that gum disease should be taken very seriously as it can lead to the onset of coronary heart disease if not treated properly.Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death on a global scale, and now with this study finding, the hope is that better screening options can be made available to identify the dental condition early.

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Warning: How To Safely Prepare Ground Beef

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On the heels of the USDA recall of almost 96000 pounds of beef from Illinois and reproduce or on Friday, it's important to check all hamburger meat before you fire up the grill this Memorial Day weekend. More specifically the US Department of agriculture's Food Inspection and Safety Service is recommending you take the following steps when preparing hamburger meat.

Wash hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw meat and poultry. Wash cutting boards, dishes and utensils with hot soapy water. Immediately clean spills.

Keep raw meat, fish and poultry away from other food that will not be cooked. Use separate cutting boards for raw meat, poultry and egg products and cooked foods.

Consumers should only eat ground beef or ground beef patties that have been cooked to a safe internal temperature of 160° F.

Color is NOT a reliable indicator that ground beef or ground beef patties have been cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria such as E. coli O157:H7.

The only way to be sure ground beef is cooked to a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria is to use a thermometer to measure the internal temperature.

Refrigerate raw meat and poultry within two hours after purchase or one hour if temperatures exceed 90° F. Refrigerate cooked meat and poultry within two hours after cooking.

For more information and call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHOTLINE or visit www.fsis.usda.gov

Easy Ways To Improve Children's Dental Health

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Many parents aren't aware of various routine everyday behaviors they have that contribute to tooth decay and other forms of poor dental health for their children, according to an article in the Sebeka Menahga Review Messenger.

The paper listed some of the mistakes parents make, according to a survey by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

Some of the most common mistakes stem from a lack of understanding that the presence of sugar in the mouth for bacteria to feed on is one of the key factors in causing tooth decay. Even the healthiest of snacks can result in sugar for the bacteria, as starches and other food particles are readily converted to sugar and usually stay in the mouth far longer than candy.

The article recommends water, preferably fluoridated water and not bottled water, as the only thing to drink between meals and before bed. All other drinks contain sugar which can stay in the mouth for hours.

The American Dental Association recommends children see a dentist for a regular checkup by the age of 1. Avoiding excessive costly visits by preventing cavities is wise in this economy, especially with so many children going without dental insurance coverage because of its price.

Dental Fillings That Will Turn Your Stomach

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DENTAL NEWS: Scientists in Canada and China have developed a new material for dental fillings which they say could be used to fill cavities instead of the current materials (mercury or plastic) which are used now. The researchers say the new material is a derivative of harvested bile acids which they convert into a hard, durable plastic that appears to resist cracking better than either resin or composite fillings. Bile acids are natural substances produced by the liver and are stored in the gallbladder to help digest fats.

DENTAL VIEWS: If these Canadian/Chinese scientists are right, one day those of us with cavities will be putting stomach acid into our mouths and keeping it there permanently. Yech.

Americans Want More Money For Kid's Dental Care

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They Just Don't Want To Pay For It
A new poll from CBS news shows that a large majority (73%) of Americans support the government spending more money to provide dental care for children, but only 51% of those surveyed said they support more spending if it means higher taxes for themselves.

The poll also showed that American parents are increasingly putting off much needed dental care as 13% of those polled said they have delayed taking their children to the dentist in the past 6 months.

Communities are struggling to decide how to provide for underserved populations. Louisiana recently had a heated debate in the state legislature about providing mobile dental clinics to schools with children unable to afford dental care.

This article courtesy of DentalPlans.com. For more information about discount dental coverage, call DentalPlans.com at 1-888-571-3856

The 'Maine' Difference Between Dental Insurance & Discount Plans

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DENTAL NEWS: Last year the state of Maine passed a law that allowed dental hygienists to practice as "Independent Practice Dental Hygienists" (IPDH) in an effort to expand the availability of dental care by making basic preventive dental care (cleanings, sealants, fluoride treatments, etc.) more affordable to children. Today, the Maine legislature is discussing a bill to require dental insurance providers in Maine to cover procedures performed by IPDH's. If passed, the bill would take effect next year and affect all insurance plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2010.

DENTAL VIEWS: Chew on this; if dental insurance policies are forced to cover procedures implemented by IPDH's, will the same hold true for discount dental plans? I'm sure that discount plans will provide their members who live in Maine with discounts when they go to an IPDH but will the proposed law force them to do this like insurance companies are forced to possibly affecting the competition between discount plans and traditional dental insurance?

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Poor Dental Habits Increase Swine Flu Risk

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DENTAL NEWS: Bad dental hygiene could possibly increase the risk of swine flu as the UK's National Dental Survey reveals that the British failure to heed infection control advice could lead to more cases of the swine flu. The survey, which was conducted by the British Dental Health Foundation as part of National Smile Month, found that the British population's dreadful dental habits are helping spread germs as 40% of the British admit to picking their teeth with fingernails. Picking teeth with fingernails risks spreading germs from surfaces touched and dirty hands straight to the mouth and onwards to the rest of the body.

DENTAL VIEWS: As a child, I remember watching my father "floss his teeth" with a dollar bill he pulled out of his wallet. At the time, I really didn't think anything of it but now all I can think of is "Oh my God... those dollar bills could have been anywhere, in any one's hands doing God knows what".

Dental Health = Overall Health. One Insurer Gets It.

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DENTAL NEWS: Aetna reports that in 2008, nearly 67,000 of its health insurance members who are considered medically at risk sought dental care they would otherwise not have gotten because of Aetna's DMI (Dental Medical IntegrationSM) program. Aetna's DMI program is offered at no additional charge to all Aetna medical plan members who are identified as "at risk" meaning those with diabetes, heart disease and pregnant women who will not see a dentist in a year or more. Introduced in 2006, Aetna's DMI program now standard issue.

DENTAL VIEWS: The optimist in me says that this DMI program is a win-win situation because it improves the health of chronically ill people without increasing the price they pay for health insurance. The cynic in me says Aetna isn't implementing the DMI program because they want to help people, they're doing it so they can save money in the long run by not having to pay out as much money for treatments of their chronically ill members.

Latest Dental News & My Dental Views

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DENTAL NEWS: In an effort to expand dental care to the working poor, nursing home patients and other underserved populations, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty signed a new bill designed to create a new type of dental care provider; a mid-level dentist. These new dental professionals will be able to provide both preventative and restorative dental procedures but will not have the education a regular dentist and therefore won't be as expensive as the dentist.

In addition to helping more people improve their overall dental health, this bill also to save the state of Minnesota money by treating patients while their dental problems are more manageable. "...the lower income underprivileged people are ending up in our emergency rooms with much more costly care," said Minnesota State Senator Yvonne Prettner-Solon.

DENTAL VIEWS: They should call this new oral healthcare profession "Dentist-Light".

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DENTAL NEWS: Dental assistants are all smile these days as the US Labor Department is projecting their profession to grow by 29% between 2006 and 2016, making it just about the fastest-growing job over that period. This growth is due partly to a competitive wages paid to dental assistants (ex. Seattle-Bellevue-Tacoma assistants earned a median wage of $38,240 in 2007) combined with the need for this type of professional as the ADA reports that 87% of dentists offer reimbursement for continuing education courses taken by their assistants.

DENTAL VIEWS: What's the difference between a dental hygienist and a dental assistant? Try saying "hygienist" with a mouthful of dental padding! Seriously, hygienists have to have a college degree, have higher pay and have much more responsibilities then a dental assistant does.

Free Dental Care For Detroit's Uninsured

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DENTAL NEWS: Now there's some good news for people who live in Detroit. On Saturday, May 16, at least the first 500 people attending the "MI-Door to Oral Health Care" event will receive free emergency dental care --fillings, extractions and minor denture repair-- from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, 2700 Martin Luther King Drive, Detroit. If turnout is heavy, dentists will check to find people in line who need help the most, said Jill Moore, coordinator of oral health outreach for the Michigan Department of Community Health. For help finding free and low-cost dental care in Michigan, go to the Michigan Department of Community Health Web site. Click on "health care coverage," then "help finding health care."

DENTAL VIEWS: If you live in Detroit and can't afford dental care, stop watching the Red Wings and get on over to Detroit's Mercy School of Dentistry. Now there is no more excuses for you to have bad teeth!

Do Farmers Have Worse Teeth Than City Folk?

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DENTAL NEWS: A survey/study done by The Access Project found that only 42% of the farm/ranch families living in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota have dental insurance coverage compared with the national rate of 61%. Not having dental insurance coverage makes it more likely that people will delay getting dental care which results in the dental care being much more expensive when they do get it.

"The cost of dental care are exceeding families resources to pay for them and resulting in delayed care and financial burden", said Kim Moore, president of the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund in Kansas.

Even though far fewer farm and ranch families have dental coverage, their out-of-pocket dental care costs were, on average, slightly less ($978) compared to those with dental insurance ($1,007).


DENTAL VIEWS: As someone who sells all kinds of dental coverage in every state except Alaska, I know about the difficulties people living in rural areas face finding a dentist within a reasonable driving distance of them that accepts their dental insurance. Hell, finding any dentist at all within driving distance is a feat onto itself! More than any other factor, I think this plays a key role in why farm/ranch families and workers are less likely to have dental coverage.

However, I found it very interesting that families without dental coverage had lower out-of-pocket dental costs than those people with coverage. My guess this is because people who have coverage usually go to the dentist more often and thus accrue more out-of-pocket costs than those who rarely go.

One thing is for sure; you can' t expect to go to the dentist and have your insurance pick up 100% of the bill. Never existed, never will.

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