Sunday, September 4, 2022

Healthy Teeth : ANOTHER Reason you Should Be Drinking Enough Water ...


As if you even needed another reason, right?

     We all know that drinking enough water is essential for our health, but you might not have known how important it is for your teeth.  Here are a few ways that drinking water is helping you keep your mouth and your teeth healthier.


1)  Water neutralizes acids. Acids are the mortal enemy of tooth structure, and the bacteria that cause cavities and periodontal disease LOVE an acidic environment.  Many of the things we like to drink are acidic to some degree, and they acidify the entire mouth even after we have finished them.   Soda, coffee, tea, orange juice, wine and (heaven help us) energy drinks like Red Bull are some of the worst offenders.  Water, on the other hand, has a PH of 7.4, which is neutral and non-acidic. When you finish off your meal with a glass of water, you're diluting
and neutralizing a good portion of these acids, before they have a chance to harm your teeth.

2)  Saliva production.  Saliva is more than just the stuff that helps us chew and swallow our food. It actually contains lots of Calcium, and also antibodies from our immune system that help fight off bacteria.  A dry mouth is an invitation to tooth decay and gum disease. Staying properly hydrated is critical to maintaining the proper salivary composition and production.


3)  Fluoride.  When I sit down in a restaurant and the server asks me what kind of water I want, I always say "tap water". They might just think I'm too cheap to spring for the bottled water, But tap water contains trace amounts of Fluoride (in most of the country anyway) which strengthens tooth enamel and increases its resistance to acid attack.  Some folks think fluoride is only helpful when we're children, Not true. At any age, fluoridated drinking water is an important weapon in our anti-cavity utility belt.

4)  Water.....the universal cleaning solution. Whenever you want to clean anything, water is probably involved. Whether you want to clean a blackboard, or a car.....or even your teeth, you're not going to get very far without water. When we drink water, the very act of swishing it around our mouths loosens and washes down residual bits of food, decreasing the rate of plaque and tartar formation.

      Your teeth are incredibly valuable. (just ask anyone who has lost a few of theirs) You can help protect them by making sure you drink enough water.  Wouldn't a tall glass of refreshing ice water hit the spot right now?  Best of all.....water is FREE !

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Not getting a GOOD night's sleep ?

 

If you haven't been sleeping well, you have plenty of company. With the COVID-19 pandemic upending our lives in so many ways, stress is at an all time high. Patients are reporting higher levels of anxiety, and more difficulty sleeping, then ever before. 

Yet some sleep problems are medical in nature and, properly diagnosed, can respond well to therapy.


Sleep Apnea


People suffering from sleep apnea have short pauses in breathing while they are asleep. These pauses may happen many times during the night, and patients are often completely unaware this is happening. If not treated, sleep apnea can lead to numerous problems, such as headaches, high blood pressure, stroke, and memory loss. Feeling sleepy during the day and being told you are snoring loudly at night could also be signs that you have sleep apnea.

Yes, you can have sleep apnea and not even know it.

If you think you might have sleep apnea, your physician or dentist can prescribe a sleep test (often done at home) which can pinpoint the severity and the cause of the problem. Treatment using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device helps many people with sleep apnea.

For those uncomfortable using a CPAP device or unable to sleep with it, there are several types of oral appliances that can significantly reduce episodes of snoring and apnea.


Ask us what we can do for you.

If you suspect you might be suffering from sleep apnea, or if you have a CPAP device that you are uncomfortable using, ask us about some of the options we can offer you.


Friday, July 10, 2020

We're BACK, Baby !

We’re Back! | RandomChatter Network
After a long and difficult 2 1/2 months shutdown due to the Covid-19 crisis, our office is open and we're providing regular, comprehensive dental care again! 
As you would expect, we are taking the utmost care and have instituted new protocols to ensure the health and safety of our patients and staff. As always, we are meeting or exceeding the recommended safety guidelines set out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Dental Association, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Coming into the office, you will definitely notice some changes. We ask for your patience, and that you understand these changes serve only one purpose : Keeping you healthy and safe.
Through the month of August, we will be open Monday through Thursday from 8:30am to 5:30pm. We are in the process of working out our schedule for the Fall and Winter months. For continued updates, please check back on our website. And of course, you can always send us an email (DrMitch57@gmail.com) or call our office directly at (212) 421-4887
We want to thank you for your patience and support throughout this unprecedented time. You are the reason we are here,  and we can’t wait to see your smiling faces !

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Getting "Back To Normal" in the age of Covid-19




Coronavirus Announcement - Jasmine Uniquely Chinese
     

     Our patients' health is always our number one priority. In cooperation with NY State emergency regulations regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the New York area, we have temporarily suspended all routine dental treatment until June 1st, 2020. The goal is to curtail non-essential trips out of your home and in turn, help control the spread of the virus.      Hopefully, we will be resuming a normal schedule by the end of May or beginning of June. We remain available to treat any emergencies by special appointment.  If you need to reach me to discuss any aspect of your your oral health care, please call the office at 212-421-4887.
     Until we can see you again, please consider the following:

-          Excellent preventive oral care is more important than ever
-          Wear your nightguard (if you have one). These are stressful times, and stress  leads to increased clenching and grinding of the teeth.
-          Please be aware of how often your hands come in contact with your mouth. I recommend washing your hands before any action that involves touching your mouth ie. flossing, brushing.

I apologize that the current situation necessitates delaying your important routine care and treatment. I value each and every one of you and your families, and look forward to resuming regular dental visits as soon as allowed by the NY State health department and the Governor’s office.
     Thank you for trusting us all these years and we appreciate your confidence in us.

Thursday, January 24, 2019

Is your dental insurance company ripping you off ?


     I tell all my patients that healthy mouth is a very important part of their overall good health. And we all want an attractive, confident smile. This is why dental insurance is such a highly prized benefit. Insurance can help you get the care you and your family need.
      Frequently, however, the benefits you receive don’t match up with what was promised to you. Your plan may pay a smaller portion of the cost than you think it should, or maybe they reject paying for a particular type of treatment. Of course, the insurance company’s top priority is not helping you get the care you need, it is making money. And the less care you get, the more money they make.
     We’ve all noticed this same disturbing trend with our medical and prescription coverage, where rising premiums, plan limitations and sky high deductibles have left us all responsible for more and more of the cost. Dental plans use some of these same methods to make sure they pay as little as possible.
       The following deceptive practices are not new, but they’ve become much more prevalent in the past few years. Dental insurance companies have spent years stacking the deck in their favor, and these are a few of the ways they do it.

1) Artificially low annual maximums.
     Back in the 1970’s, dental plans had annual maximums of $1,500. That was the most they would pay towards your care in any one calendar year. Adjusted for inflation, they should be paying roughly $6,000 in today’s dollars. Unfortunately, most dental plans have not raised their annual maximums to reflect inflation. Some have actually LOWERED them.
     You may have been told you have “comprehensive” dental coverage, but if they cut you off at $1,500 in benefits, anything more than routine preventive care will rapidly use up your yearly limit. Does your plan still have an annual maximum of $1,500 or $2,000 per year? If so, you could definitely be justified in calling that a rip-off.

2) The “usual and customary” fee scam. 
     Your dental plan has specific dollar amounts they will reimburse for each dental procedure. They call this list the “usual and customary” fee schedule, implying that it is based on average or typical fees charged by dentists in your area. It isn’t. They don’t  tell you exactly how they calculate these fees, but they always set them much lower than the real costs. When you are required to pay the difference, you might feel like you’re being ripped off. Just remember it is the insurance company ripping you off, not your dentist.
     Fortunately, there is objective, publicly available data for consumers who want to see what the real usual and customary fees are in your area. If you go to www.fairhealthconsumer.org you can search any dental (or medical) procedure and see the average fees, broken out by zip code anywhere in the U.S.A.  If you compare these real fees to your insurance company’s lowball “usual and customary” fees, you will see how wide the gap is between them.

3) Frequency limitations. 
     Human beings are individuals. You are an individual. Your dental needs aren’t the same as everyone else’s, but your insurance company probably acts as though they are. Imagine if you had a heart attack, and your medical insurance refused to pay for your care because you had a previous heart attack last year?  Outrageous, you say?
     Unfortunately, dental benefit companies do this kind of thing all the time.  Whether you need treatment for periodontal disease, tooth decay, TMJ disfunction, or many other types of restorative care, your benefits can be arbitrarily limited to a certain “frequency” set by the company.  If you break a tooth that had a filling done a year or two ago, your insurance company will probably refuse to cover the treatment because they say it is “too soon” for the tooth to be fixed again.
     This is just one example of a frequency limitation. There are many others. The insurance company is shifting costs onto the you, patient, instead of reimbursing appropriately. Yep, that’s a rip off.

4) “Preferred provider” networks. 
     Some dental plans maintain networks of “preferred providers”, and encourage you to see only the doctors in that network. Nothing wrong with that. You might assume that dentists get on this “preferred” list because of a higher standard of quality, experience or professional excellence. This isn’t the case. Dentists get on the “preferred” list by agreeing to accept lower fees than normal. Sometimes far lower. Can dentists participate in these networks and still provide good care? There are dentists who manage to do it. But it makes it much more difficult.  And it doesn’t help you to have the insurance company’s bureaucrats looking over your dentist’s shoulder, second guessing decisions about your care.
      The important question is : Are you given the choice to see any dentist you want?   Or are you required to see only dentists in their network? Some plans offer only in-network coverage, and pay you nothing (literally, zero) if you choose a doctor or treatment option that isn’t on their list.  Of course, that doesn’t stop them from collecting your premium payment. That is (you guessed it), a rip off.

        Getting these questions answered about your plan is also harder than it should be, of course. The insurance company probably has an 800 number you can call, where you will be kept on hold for a while and then transferred from one flunky to another, none of whom have the information you need, or the authority to resolve any problems.
        You could also get the information from your employer, who makes some of these decisions when they’re designing your plan options. They might not even be aware of some of the more disturbing tricks being used to restrict your care options. If your company is large enough, you might need to speak with someone in the human resources department.
      If you’re given an opportunity to choose among several dental plans, read all the fine print, and don’t just quickly check the box next to the plan with the lowest premium. The cheapest plan might save you some money up front, but it could cost you more down the road. It depends on your particular needs. The more information you have, the better.

     As with all questions about your dental health and treatment, speak to your dentist when questions come up regarding your insurance. We will do our best to help you get the benefits you’re entitled to. More importantly, we can help you get healthy and stay healthy. Whether you have dental insurance or not, regular preventive care is the most cost effective dental treatment you can get.