NOVEMBER 2009 OAKLAND COUNTY RESIDENTS For those looking to make dentistry more affordable, I accept DenteMax, a discounted fee dental plan. Of the many alternatives offered to GM retirees, this seems to me the best of the lot THE DENTAL OFFICE HOURS Monday 9-1 Tuesday 10-7 Wednesday 3-7 (available twice a month) Thursday 9-5 Friday 9-12 (business office only). GM SALARIED RETIREES Salaried retirees for GM lose their dental benefits after the end of 2008, along with other healthcare benefits. I suspect that ultimately no one will be safe from these kinds of cuts. Those who have done their part with check ups and routine care all along should have little to worry about. If you're not one of these types now, and you still have benefits, take my advice and maintain your oral health. Nobody can know for sure what the future holds. For those losing their dental benefit, there are alternative insurances available with which I have been working for the past year to become enrolled. The out of pocket to patients may be more in many cases, but not outrageous. I hope to make the transition into 2009 as fluid as possible for all those who will be making the transition as well. Call Sue to discuss any plans being offered before you decide. There are some good, and some bad alternatives out there. SONG FOR A SUMMER NIGHT The book, a Next Generation Indie Finalist, is available through AMAZON LUMINEERS What's so different about Lumineers? Nothing, except marketing. All veneers are extremely durable when bonded to enamel. All currently available veneers are equally susceptible to failure when used in extreme situations. You'll not find me on the Lumineers bandwagon nor any referral list (either of which any dentist may choose to place themselves) because I like to individualize my treatment. Would I use Lumineers? Yes. Would I use them exclusively? No. The typical "Lumineer case" would be successful using any currently available porcelain veneer system, not just Lumineers. AMALGAM FILLINGS I have not placed an amalgam filling since 1998; not because they are unhealthy - that's not been proven beyond flimsy anecdotes - but because there are better, durable, more esthetic materials. I feel more confident in bonding a filling, as oposed to undercutting a tooth to lock a restoration in place, such as is done in the case of amalgam. A meticulously placed composite restoration (with emphasis on meticulous) has the potential to last for many years. I do not subscribe to the wholesale replacement of serviceable amalgam fillings for the purported benefit of health in any way, and there is no basis on which to hope for such benefit. In my opinion, a person has more to fear from the sodium in table salt than the metals in a filling. Mercury is harmelss when combined with the components in a dental amalgam. The only time mercury is released from the amalgam is during placement and removal. I do not place them, and I choose only to remove them when necessary. Count on that to preserve your health. FLUORIDE Afraid of fluoride? How come? It's only the greatest public health iniative since vaccination. But then, if you're afraid of fluoride, you likely fear vaccination for the same reasons. In fact, if you refuse vaccinations for "health" reasons, I might go so far as to speculate that you only get away with it because of people like me who reduce disease transmssion for you to nearly zero. Free access to misinformation has led many to believe flouride is unhealthy, causes birth defects, or is part of a terrorist plot to poison Americans. People are sheep of disparate flocks. One thing is certain: flouride reduces the incidence of tooth decay. ANTIBIOTIC PROPHYLAXIS No longer is it necessary to give antibiotic prophylaxis for subacute bacterial endocarditis (SBE) in patients with mitral valve prolapse or valve dysfunction due to rheumatic heart disease, according to the AHA, the medical body governing the official recommendation. In fact, the recommendations have been reduced to a very small and specific subset of those previously selected for coverage, namely: those with prosthetic heart valves, previous infectious endocardiitis, certain congenital defects, and cardiac transplant recipients who develop cardiac valvulopathy. Hip and artificial joints are not addressed in the report. Research states that infective endocarditis is much more likely to result from frequent exposure to random bacteremias associated with daily activities - such as tooth brushing - than by dental procedures. The risks associated with taking antibiotics include, in very rare cases, death due to allergy. This has been a long time coming, but the benefits no longer appear to outweigh the risks. Check out the American Dental Association website to review the complete article at www.ada.org. Limited first printings of Song for a Summer Night are available now. Go to AMAZON BUY A COPY TODAY