We are always getting questions about insurance. We did have a blog post about this back in May, 2016, but still there is much confusion, so I thought I would try to shed some more light on dental insurance.

As we mentioned in our first blog about insurance, dental insurance started in the 1970’s and the benefit hasn’t increased since then, still between $1,000 and $1,500 per year. And, you can’t use this without restriction and limitations. So, we have now decided to term “dental insurance” more of a coupon for dental care. Let me try to explain this. You have $1,000 in coupons that you can use per year. Now, your cleanings, x-rays, and exams are covered almost entirely by your coupon, so you will have little to pay out of pocket for these procedures. We recommend that you take full advantage of this! Your 2 cleanings and exams will be the best value for your coupon. BUT, the cleanings and exams do count to your total coupon value of $1,000. When we move into discussing fillings, your coupon will cover some of the cost, but your co-pay, the amount you pay out of pocket, will be greater. Again, you still only get $1,000 per year. If you need major work such as; crowns, dentures, bridges, or implants, this coupon covers even less, meaning that your out of pocket expense is more. Most of these procedures are over your $1,000 per year each, so the coupon will help, but doesn’t cover very much.

The other confusing part is we can’t tell you how much your coupon will cover for any procedure. Your insurance company uses their own formula for deciding what they will cover and how much they will pay for each of those services. You do need to remember, your insurance company is in the business to make money, not to pay for your work, so they will pay for as little as possible.

In conclusion, we will work to get you as much as we can from your insurance for each visit. We will file the claims, call when we need to, and write letters on your behalf to get you everything that we can.

If you have any questions about your insurance, or would like to find out more about our office, please give Bettina a call at 978-343-4031.

I would like to thank one of my colleagues- Dr. Mac Lee for the resource to help write this post.

-Dr. McDowell

We hear this often when we find a tooth that has become infected. Sometimes, people will say the tooth was sensitive, but now doesn’t bother them anymore. And, there are times where the tooth has never bothered the person. An infection at the base of the tooth is called an apical periodontitis. We diagnose this by X-Ray, one of the reasons we update X-Rays. The tooth can be sensitive, may be broken down, may be cracked, etc., but the tooth can also not be sensitive.

So, back to the question I posed in the heading… If no pain, then why do you need the root canal? The reason is once the tooth is infected, the bacteria have caused damage to the nerve and are now invading the space around the outside of your tooth. Once the bacteria start causing damage to the surrounding bone and ligament that holds the tooth, this needs to be treated to remove the infection before it spreads and becomes worse. Antibiotics will help, short-term, if there is pain sensitivity. The antibiotics will begin to allow your body to fight the infection, but, if the tooth isn’t treated to remove the infected nerve and get the bacteria out of the tooth, the infection will come back once the antibiotics are done. The treatment can be a root canal, where the remaining infected nerve is removed, the area is disinfected and cleaned, and a sterile filling is placed. This procedure removes the infected nerve, cleanses the inside of the tooth to remove the bacteria. By doing this, your body can usually remove the bacteria that has started affecting the bone and surrounding areas, enabling you to keep your tooth. The other treatment option is to extract the tooth and allow the space to heal. But, this leaves a “hole” where the tooth used to be.

So, a root canal is a great procedure we are able to offer to rid the tooth of the infection while keeping the tooth. Now, once the root canal is completed, we do recommend a crown for that tooth. The tooth, without a nerve, will become more brittle over time, so, for long-term strength and stability, we always recommend a crown. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to contact Bettina to schedule a consultation so we can discuss what is happening and what needs to be done.

Call 978-343-4031 to find out more information!

Brian C McDowell D.D.S. LVIF

On a recent episode of Dr. Oz that I know was watched by many, Dr. Oz sent people out to check on how dentists go about diagnosing and presenting treatment. I am upset and disappointed in Dr. Oz for producing this kind of segment. We all went through this a few years ago when Reader’s Digest did the exact same thing. Yes, there are plenty of variations within the field and many opinions on when to treat and not to treat… I do believe that there are some unscrupulous dentists that are trying to take advantage of people, but I feel the majority of dentist are trying to do what they feel is in the best interest of the patients! I would like to clarify our office’s views on this.

We always include you, the patient in all decisions as to treatment needed. We encourage you to ask as many questions as you need to to get the information you need to make the best decision for yourself! Even during a procedure, if something changes, we will stop and discuss what happened, what would need to be done now and make sure you are okay with all before continuing. We want your care to be a partnership between us, we feel the more educated you are, the decisions become easier to make.

Our office does treatment plan, but we also can provide options as needed. This is why we start everyone with a comprehensive exam- we need to collect all of the information so we can make the correct diagnosis as to your issues. Once we collect the information, we will discuss what was found, what we need to do to repair/restore the teeth. Our exams also include a physiologic TMJ screening, this will enable us to let you know if there are issues, or potential issues, with the alignment of the jaws. Again, we will discuss what we found and what we are recommending.

We want our patients to be part of the process and provide as much information as we can to allow you to make an educated decision regarding your care. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact our team at 978-343-4031 and we will answer all your questions!

Brian C McDowell D.D.S. LVIF

September brings another change in seasons. We are moving from the relaxed summer to the cooler weather of fall and the beginning of a new school year as well as most getting back into a routine. Routines for your dental health are important! We recommend brushing at least twice, if not three times a day for at least 2 minutes each time along with flossing once per day. Getting back in to have your Recare visit is important as well. Changing seasons is a great time to change those habits. To develop a new habit, it takes about 3 weeks once started for a new habit to become routine. Now is the perfect time to work on those new habits! Also, fall is a wonderful time to re-assess where you are and where you would like to be. If you feel your smile is holding you back from achieving all that you could, we can help change that as well! Fall, a change in the season, a time to change your habits, a time to re-assess where you are, and a time to change your outlook! If you would like to know more, please feel free to contact our office at 978-343-4031 with any questions or to schedule your consult.

Summer is a time to slow down and reflect on what has been going on… The longer days, the beautiful weather, I begin to think how thankful I am. First, a little more about me, I graduated from dental school 26 years ago. Immediately after graduation, I moved back to my hometown. Over the past 26 years, my dental practice has evolved into a physiologic-based practice. We help relieve a myriad of issues- TMJ-related, headaches, sore neck/shoulders, dizziness, ringing in the ears, and more. I truly enjoy helping alleviate issues that people have been unable to resolve for years! I couldn’t do this type of treatment without my highly-educated and devoted team! Bettina, my office coordinator, Chris and Marylisa, my hygienists, have been working by my side for a combined 60 years! I have been fortunate to have a team that is open to advances, enjoys what we do, and enjoy working together. I have been fortunate to be able to bring them to most of the advanced continuing education classes that I have attended. These 3 are the backbone of the office and help to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Without my team’s dedication and willingness to embrace new challenges, there isn’t any way we could have done what we are doing! I want to thank these ladies for all of their hard work! If you would like to know more about what we do, please feel free to contact our office at 978-343-4031 with any questions or to schedule your consult.