Medical Tourism: Why is dental tourism or dental travel attractive for the uninsured

Dental tourism is a subset of medical tourism. Dental tourism is also known as tooth tourism and dental travel. In the United States, the main reason tourists seek dental care abroad is the cost advantage care providers abroad offers.

In Canada and in Europe, countries with social medicine, people have to be on wait-lists to be approved for extensive dental procedures such as dental implants, crowns, bridges and prosthetics.

In the United States, those who have just received approval for dental insurance may have to wait up to six months to get dental fillings done, and up to a year to get approval for bridge work and other more extensive dental work such as oral surgery, root canal, periodontal work, or dental implants. Even with the wait time requirement, the cost would still require a co-payment or co-pay where the dental insurance company will pay only a portion of the entire dental expense and the insured pays the rest. The amount of co-pay also depends on the insured's chosen deductible and monthly premium plan.

Going to other countries to receive this care from highly trained care providers for the fraction of the cost makes dental tourism an attractive option for the uninsured or for those whose insurance plans do not cover their full dental expenses. Additionally, a trip to an exotic paradise is a boost to anyone's morale.

CNN Truth Squad: Will dental insurance be offered under the proposed Health Insurance Exchange?

The Statement: Mike, from Bristol, Connecticut, told CNN that "I've heard dental service will not be covered under the Health Insurance Exchange. Seems like we have to wait for a tooth to become life-threatening before it is considered health care. Why is my mouth not considered part of my health?"

The Facts: Under the administration's health-care overhaul, people can keep their own health insurance. Under a proposed Health Insurance Exchange, uninsured people can pick from private and public options for health care, and the proposed public option in one House bill offers dental care.

The proposed "basic" public plan would cover dental/oral health for "children under 21 years of age." Adults could get coverage under another "premium-plus" public plan that would cost more.

These are spelled out in H.R. 3200 — America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 — on pages 28 and 86-87.

There are doubts among health-care policy experts that dental care will see the light of day in the public plan.

Professor Debra Street, an expert in health-care policy at State University of New York-Buffalo, is among those who doubt dental coverage will end up in the final public option if such an option is in the final bill hammered out by lawmakers.

That's because of the track record with other federal health-care programs. Dental coverage hasn't been available in Medicare and it hasn't been well-funded in Medicaid, where coverage differs state by state, Street said.

The details of the plan are still undetermined as lawmakers work to shape the legislation.

The Verdict: True but incomplete. The basic public plan in the House would only cover dental care for children under 21, but an adult could pay extra for the coverage.

What about Eye and Dental Insurance?

I mean real insurance---not a list of shysters on a list who will clean them free and find problems. (only 3-4 hundred dollars per year insurance).

I know several people who have spent 30-40,000 dollars in a year for implants, gum disease, caps, bridges, etc. All out of pocket.

Ever notice that rich people or high wage earners have prettier teeth than the 50% of us who make under 50,000 per year?

It is also now known that bad teeth cause about as much health problems as does lack of many other maintenance items.

Many also suffer with their eyes for cataracts, macular holes, and 20 year old glasses due to no insurance.

It is time.

Dental insurance plans could improve reform efforts

The relatively low cost of dental insurance plans compared to other coverage options as well as the relationship between oral health and chronic conditions has led some advocates to call for more efforts to include dental care into health care reform legislation under discussion in Congress.

Regular visits to a dentist could give consumers the chance for screenings that would detect periodontal disease linked to cardiovascular conditions and cancer, but patients may not be aware of the strong links between periodontal symptoms and their future health, according to an editorial in the Wichita Eagle.

Some health care coverage options now focus on preventive testing, but dental insurance plans can provide affordable access to providers who have historically focused on wellness and stopping diseases before they can progress, noted the editorial.

Workers place a large value on dental insurance for this reason, but it can also benefit employers by giving them an inexpensive way to reduce costly future complications in employees, according to the Fort Worth Business-Press.

Seventy-five percent of employees found offering access to dental care "extremely important" or "very important" in a recent survey, and the news provider notes that companies who may not be able to cover some of the costs could institute a voluntary benefit program. It offers rates comparable to other group dental insurance plans, but the costs are born by workers.

Reform efforts might also aid rural populations, a demographic that has received media attention for its low percentage of doctors. Some volunteers in Appalachia are finding that dentistry options could also benefit from increased federal or state funding.

In Wise, Virginia, hundreds of people flock to the county fairgrounds to receive basic preventive care, including dental checkups that represent the first time many have seen a light in their mouth since Regional Area Medical expedition volunteers visited the year before, reported National Public Radio.

Although premiums for some dental insurance programs are one-tenth the cost of other health coverage plans, the RAM health care providers noted that just one percent of the attendees had some form of dental or vision insurance, according to the radio network.

Life Insurance And Dental Insurance - Necessity And Facts

What life Insurance is?

Basically, a life insurance policy, is an agreement between the insurance company, the insured person, and the beneficiary. The insured, pays a certain pre-defined amount to the insurance company. And in the case of death of the insured, the company pays the benefit to the beneficiary.

2. Types Of Insurance

There are two basic types of Life Insurance. They are term life insurance, and permanent life insurance. Term life, as the name suggests, is a temporary agreement, for a pre-defined number of years, after which, the agreement expires. Various lengths of term life can be purchased, however, the most common ones are between 10 and 20 years. However, terms as long as 30 years, or as short as 1 year are also available.
In the case of Permanent Life, the policy covers the insured till the date of their death, or till the time the agreement ‘matures’, which in most cases, is at age 100. There are different types of Permanent Insurance, which include whole life, universal life, etc. There are many different reasons for choosing either of these, so professional advice is always recommended.

3. How much will you get?

In most cases, the amount you get, is dependent on the reason you purchase it. And this, in most cases, is to replace the income in the case of death. While most professionals would recommend 10-12 times your annual income, this can vary, and approximately should be good enough to provide for at least 20 years of safe income. However, inflation, final expenses, etc are not considered in this, so, you should always let a professional do the calculation before you decide any amount.

4. Benefits of life insurance

Although, the benefits of life insurance differ from policy to policy, most of the policies have some of the benefits in common. The most effective benefit, is that the death benefit is, in most cases, excluded from any income tax deductions. Thus, a 500,000 dollar policy will transfer
the whole 500,000 dollars to the beneficiary, with no deductions whatsoever. This, is also effective for passing wealth from one generation to another.

Dental Insurance

Some people don’t take dental insurance as a reason for not going to the dentist. Others think that it is not a good reason for the dent it makes on their wallet every month. Few are content with their teeth and think it nonsensical to
spend money every month on something that is perfectly alright right now. These are few of the reasons why people avoid dental insurance or not think of it until the last minute when getting health insurance. But you have to understand this one thing-dental insurance is very important due to the various benefits it has to offer.

Dentistry is one field where even the simple procedure of tooth extraction can cost as much as few hundreds of dollars PER TOOTH!!!Therefore, people relate dental processes or work with huge never-ending bills. But what they don’t think of is that the small dent that dental insurance will make on their wallets every month is nothing as compared to the huge dent it will make getting a root canal implant or even getting your wisdom teeth removed on your wallet. Moreover, it also helps you in the finance department.

What’ll you do if you have to immediately get a tooth removed or are in need of a dental implant? If you have dental insurance in this situation it’ll help cover up atleast part of it, if not the entire cost.
Many people make do with the thought that dental care ends at flossing and brushing well. But actually, this is not true.

It is not a very well known fact but is proven that dental diseases have a direct link with other diseases. Dental diseases are common to humans, even young, healthy adults and they can easily affect the rest of the body in various ways. For example, some dental diseases are known to lead to other non-dental yet very serious health problems rather diseases like diabetes and even kidney infections. Therefore, in this case dental insurance is very helpful as it even covers costs of regular dental checkups, that help check the growth of diseases, if any identified. This step of uncovering diseases and preventing them from becoming bad to worse is very important. Dental insurance encourages care keeping in mind the prevention of dental diseases, which further leads to decrease in final costs involved in dental care and prevention of diseases.

While you are considering health insurance, you should keep dental insurance in mind as it is an integral part. Few of the benefits of dental insurance have been given above. It is advised you should get dental insurance. Even though it seems like a gimmick for getting your money but in reality it is for your own good.

Many without dental insurance wait overnight for free dental care

According to a report from the Omaha World-Herald, people began lining up Thursday night and waited almost 10 hours for the doors to a two-day free dental care clinic to open in order to get access to a dentist. Organizers expect that more than 1,000 patients will be seen by the 140 volunteer dentists available before the doors close Saturday evening

Many of those in line do not have dental insurance or regular access to affordable dental care, according to the news source, noting a man who slept overnight in his car with his wife so they could get a teeth cleaning and a root canal, respectively.

Brief, free volunteer clinics such as this one have become more common over the last few years as many Americans have difficulty finding access to adequate dental care.

Some national estimates put the number of people in the U.S. without dental insurance as high as 100 million. Almost half, 44 percent, of families who earn less than $35,000 annually put off dental care for their children in the last year due to financial hardship, according to recent study.

Delta Debuts Affordable Dental Health Insurance Card

The new affordable health insurance plan for dental care issued by Delta Dental is called Delta Dental Patient Direct. According to Delta Dental it offers big savings on dental treatment.

Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana is offering a new discount card that can help everyone save money on the cost of dental treatment and other health care services and products. The Delta Dental Patient Direct™ card provides individuals and families significant discounts on dental, vision and hearing care, and prescription drugs.

In a recent study by the University of Michigan, 46 percent of respondents said they are worried about being able to afford healthcare in the future. Twenty-four percent of respondents said they were worried about losing insurance coverage in the next year, with respondents age 50 to 64 comprising the largest group concerned about this.

The $80 annual fee for Delta Dental Patient DirectTM covers all immediate family members of a household with no waiting periods, no limits on use and no age limits. The card, which is not insurance, is available to residents in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana. Discounted dental services are only available in those three states; all other discounts are valid at participating providers nationwide.

“This card is an affordable option for individuals without dental insurance to save money on quality dental treatment from Delta Dental Patient Direct participating dentists,” said Dr. Thomas J. Fleszar, chief executive officer of Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. “It also helps individuals make their overall health a priority by providing significant savings for vital health services and products. We are doing our best to provide options that help people get the care they need, especially during these tough economic times.”

On average, Delta Dental Patient DirectTM cardholders will save 20 to 40 percent off the cost of dental services at Delta Dental Patient Direct participating dentists. Discounts are available for dental checkups, fillings, crowns, root canals, orthodontics, cosmetic services and many other procedures. Cardholders also can save between 15 and 30 percent on vision care, prescription drugs and hearing care.

Patients without dental insurance barter for dental care

Dentists are seeing a spike in the number of customers opting for alternative payment methods such as bartering for dental care, according to an article in the Miami Herald.

These alternative payments are not limited to direct barter, with a simple and direct exchange of one service for another, according to the Herald. Rather, there are bartering brokerages, whose members get credit with other services offered by clients of the brokering firm.
This system lets people smooth out disconnects between the price of a service such as a tooth extraction and what a barter client might be able to offer in exchange.

Scott Ebberbach, part manager of the Boynton Beach branch of national barter firm ITEX, told the news source that dentists are one of the primary medical services involved in the barter trade.

"A lot of people have insurance," Ebberbach said, "But most people don't have dental insurance, and in order to pay for any sort of dental procedure, you've got to pay out of pocket very hard."

The system does not solve all problems for the uninsured, however, as members must have something sufficiently valuable to trade, which is often difficult for the unemployed.

Ohio poor may lose state dental insurance

Governor Ted Strickland of Ohio, facing a $3.2 billion budget shortfall, has proposed roughly $2 billion in cuts, which would include slashing funding for health care and remove benefits for dental care for those on the state Medicaid plan, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

While the budget plan officially calls for more than 1.1 million of Ohio's poor to lose dental insurance as well as coverage for vision and other types of care, administration officials say they will continue to provide these services temporarily until the state wins a court case to free up $258 million of tobacco settlement money.

No plans were specified concerning what happens should the court case be lost.

"We implore the governor to rethink this budget framework with the House and Senate conference committee and to propose something that does not shred the safety net," said Gayle Channing Tenenbaum, chairwoman of the Campaign to Protect Ohio's Future, a coalition of health, human-services and education organizations.

The situation is similar to a number of states facing budget shortfalls which are also continuing removing dental coverage from adults on Medicaid.

State Budget Cuts Affect Working Families

PHOENIX -- While the Arizona state budget is on hold, working families said they feel like they're caught in the middle.

The KidsCare program provides almost 60,000 Arizona children with health insurance; however, advocates say the budget cuts have put the program in danger.

"We're trying to avoid getting food stamps, getting welfare," said Penny Fowlkes who teaches at Phoenix Day and is also a mother of three young children.

Fowlkes and her husband both work, but KidsCare provides the family with affordable health insurance; however, their family is one of the thousands who may no longer qualify under the proposed budget.

"I have a 4-year-old, we're constantly in the emergency room and the urgent cares," said Fowlkes.

Private insurance will cost Fowlkes’ family $600 a month.

"If your kids get hurt, it's going to be, 'Do I have the money to take them into the hospital and get them taken care of?’" said Fowlkes.

Children's Action Alliance said eligibility for the program would change from a family of four making $44,000 a year, to $33,000 a year.

The alliance estimated that $9,300 families and their children would lose health insurance.

Bernice Medina, who works for Phoenix Day and is a case worker, said she hears the families’ frustrations.

"They're angry and they're upset because they’re constantly trying to cut services for them and for their kids," said Medina.

Medina said she thinks all Arizonans may end up paying for these cuts later.

"It's going to be more costly if they take it away because then who's going to pay the bills in the hospitals to the doctors?" asked Medina.

Penny said she urges other parents and community members to write letters to legislators and the governor to stop the cuts.

“They're our future,” said Fowlkes. “They need that health insurance, their dental screening to grow up healthy.”

The alliance thinks over time 25,000 kids may no longer qualify for KidsCare.

The Communications Director for the State House of Representatives said Wednesday that the legislative budget continues providing more than $35 million in General Fund funding for the KidsCare program in the Fiscal Year 2010 budget.

'Over 2 in 5 women have been put off dentists because of cost'

According to the UK's largest supermarket bank, 45% of women have been put off going to the dentist because of the cost.

Men are three times more likely than women to extract their own tooth if they feel they can't afford the dentist, according to credit card provider Tesco Finance.

Tesco Finance is offering dental insurance from £9.95 a month to help manage the cost of dental treatment.

Jeremy Sutton, head of Tesco dental insurance, said: "Dental treatment can be expensive, in some cases costing £86 for an extraction. With cover from just £9.95 a month, Tesco Dental Insurance helps manage the cost and covers for routine NHS and private dental treatment."

Tesco Finance is also offering a credit card which could save card holders money while travelling abroad.

Is Your Dental Insurance Covering Infections?

Let's say you go to see your dentist for a wisdom teeth removal. The patient already knows that the cost is very high and think that his or her dental insurance covers the cost of wisdom teeth removal. But then because of dentist's poor performance you get a dental infection.

Indeed infections happening in dentists' offices are very common, particularly in Europe. This is why it's important to ask your insurer if your dental insurance covers not only your wisdom teeth removal, which took you to your dentist's office, but also an infection in case it happens because of poor dental hygiene. A report from France points to a low, but very significant risk of contamination of Hepatitis B or C or even AIDS when visiting a Dentist.

Can the poor dental care cause a serious viral infection? For an individual, the risk of contracting HIV, hepatitis B virus (HBV) or the hepatitis C virus (HCV) in a dentist's office is "very low", says a report from the Institut de Veille Sanitaire (IVS) that has just been made public. However, this risk is far from negligible at the population level, given the high incidence of dental defects and sterilization equipment found among dental practitioners.

In France, according to the calculations of the IVS, approximately 200 annual cases of hepatitis B infections could be due to inadequate sterilization of carrier rotary instruments widely used by dentists for conservative dental treatments and prostheses. Breaches of hygiene in this area can also theoretically lead to hepatitis C virus (less than two per year) or HIV (less than one per year). contamination.

In France, according to l'Institut de Veille Sanitaire modeling, dental care could be responsible for 200 cases of infections annually.

Therefore, they expect to increase dental continuing education in the areas of dental hygiene and general hygiene. The College of Dental Surgeons is committed to make systematic visits to the dental offices to check the situation with the dental hygiene and to track the dental infection cases in dentist's offices.

In conclusion, there is more to it when you go for a simple dental cleaning or for possibly removing a wisdom teeth. Ask you doctor if all the necessary dental hygiene precautions are in place. Also clarify who's dental insurance will cover the cost should there be an infection hi dentist's office.

Patients at free clinic open wide, and dentist and staff open their hearts

Once every three months, the employees of Arnold Peace's dental practice spend a day off together. Led by Dr. Peace, the dental team volunteers at the Catholic Charities Free Health Care Center, where free dental care is provided to those in need.

Dr. Peace found out about Catholic Charities a year ago through one of his staff members.

"My dental assistant, Mary Ann [Derbis], had read about it in her church bulletin. She said she thought we should volunteer and I told her to look into it," Dr. Peace said. "I must admit that I am your typical dentist, who likes to stay in my own environment, but they had such a desperate need for volunteers, we decided to do it. It was that easy."

Their first visit was in April 2008, according to Dr. Peace.

In addition to Dr. Peace and Ms. Derbis, Carrie Certo Kotewicz, the front office coordinator, and two dental hygienists, Jamie Graswick and Erin Odorisio, also volunteer.

"We take off Wednesdays anyway, so that was the perfect time for us to go together," he said. "We wanted to do it as a group."

The session lasts from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The group provides basic dental care for the center patients.

"Carrie helps with the coordination of the patients that we see -- then the rest of us work with the patients. I see about five or six patients each time we go in, and the girls see about the same," he said.

"I've done plenty of fillings, some restorative work. The hygienists do cleanings. We see a whole gamut of people," he said.

According to Clare Kushma, director of marketing and public relations with Catholic Charities, there is an overwhelming need for volunteer dentists at the Health Care Center, located at 212 Ninth Street in Pittsburgh.

In addition to six full-time staff, the clinic has 20 dentists who volunteer hours, including Dr. Peace. Opened in November 2007, the center provides free medical and dental care.

"It is a lot of fun for us," said Dr. Peace, "and we know we are doing good work. We usually go out to lunch afterwards; we sort of make a day of it."

Dr. Peace also belongs to the Etna-Shaler Rotary and has done some volunteer work through Rotary, although not dental care.

"I still have children at home, so I can't do work out of the country or something like that. This works out perfectly," he said.

For Dr. Peace and his staff, the volunteer work couldn't be easier. "They have wonderful equipment. We just walk in and start seeing patients," he said. "They even have their own free parking lot that volunteers can use."

It is work that Dr. Peace finds rewarding.

"When we work with the patients, my heart goes out to them. Some of them have just hit hard times and are trying to get their lives back together. It is great to help in some small way.

"When I go down there and see the huge dental need, I know we are needed. I really hope that other dentists can read this and see how easy it is to volunteer. They need more volunteers and it is a great place to help."



Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09141/971573-54.stm#ixzz0I1ANnaQ9&C

Why some people need their teeth cleaned four times a year

Why does your dentist, hygienist or periodontist recommend that you get your teeth cleaned three or four times a year?

The well-known advice: ‘’brush and floss your teeth and see your dentist twice a year‘’ actually started with a toothpaste commercial about sixty years ago. A direct result of that advice was that when employers started offering dental insurance as a benefit, the insurance companies allowed two cleanings a year. This was before the causes of periodontal (gum) disease were well known.

There have been hundreds of university studies done since then that have identified the bacteria involved in various types of periodontal disease. Sophisticated treatments have been developed, and individual risk factors have been identified. For example, smoking and diabetes greatly increase and individual’s risk of having progressive gum disease. Home care and genetics are also major factors. Conversely, having periodontal disease has been linked to heart problems, as the inflamation of the gums may cause an increase in arterial blockage.

Patients still have twice a year “prophylaxis” cleanings when they have no periodontal problems. The word “prophylaxis” by definition is a cleaning to prevent gum disease. For people who have existing periodontal pockets and bone loss, it is too late for preventive care. Deep cleanings and a three month schedule for maintenance cleanings are based on scientific evidence that these treatments are necessary to control periodontal disease. Surgical treatments may also be necessary.
Do insurance companies always pay for the treatment? Of course not.

Insurance companies pay according to the contract that an employer signs with them. Some will pay for periodontal maintenance cleanings only after scaling and root planing (deep cleaning) has been done. Other insurances may pay for prophylaxis twice a year, alternating with periodontal maintenance twice a year. You can call your insurance company for clarification, or ask your dental office to check for you. Optimal care is not always covered, but is still recommended for you to keep your teeth as long as possible.

Where to buy dental insurance plans online?

Do you want to keep your smile bright without paying too much for it? Find affordable dental insurance online. You can save hundreds of dollars on routine examination, cleanings, dental implants, root canals and other dental care services.

Dental insurance works similar to other types of medical insurance. Once you have signed up for a policy, you will need to pay premiums on a yearly or monthly basis. If you have visited the dentist, you need to fill out a claim form and provide receipts for the treatment to refund the costs.

Some types of treatments will not be covered. For example, regular checkups often require a higher level of dental insurance. So before you make a claim, ensure that your treatment is included in your policy.

Buying dental insurance on the Internet is just like buying it directly through an insurance company or over the telephone. You will be offered the same range of plans, the same coverage, the same benefits, and the same dental care.

However, when you buy dental coverage online, you will enjoy greater convenience. For example, you can shop from the privacy of your home anytime you want. And, you can easily compare dozens of plans to find the best match.

Nipped & Tucked

One of the curious aspects of the health-care crisis that accelerated in the past decade was the number of city specialists in reconstructive surgery, dermatology, and dentistry who simply stopped trying to treat illness. Alienated by the hassle and minimal compensation of insurance companies, they decided to do cosmetic work only. So you had dermatologists who never uttered the words “body check,” and ENT specialists who wouldn’t deal with people who couldn’t swallow. David Hidalgo, the former head of plastic surgery at Sloan-Kettering, who was once considered one of the best surgeons for breast reconstruction, even left the cancer institute to do aesthetic surgery full-time.


But now things have started to shift, as lifestyle medicine loses some of its allure—and paying customers. Liposuction was down 25 percent between 2007 and 2008; it’s a bellwether of ugly times ahead if certain doctors don’t adapt. “A lot of guys are suddenly opening their eyes and saying, ‘I haven’t done anything but cosmetics for years,’ ” says Fifth Avenue plastic surgeon John E. Sherman. “These guys are really panicking.” As a result, “plastic surgeons are trying to do hospital work—ulcers that aren’t healing, wounds, etc.,” says Minas Constantinides, board member of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Now “patients don’t want to pay,” which means figuring out what insurance companies will reimburse on.

“We did very little general dentistry before, but now it’s 40 percent of my practice,” says Dr. Lana Rozenberg, who created the concept of the “dental day spa” and perfected the smiles of Scarlett Johansson and Kristin Davis. “There was such an emphasis on aesthetics that people would come in wanting veneers, and they had broken teeth, but they would say, ‘We’ll take care of those later.’ Now the priorities have shifted to fixing what needs to be fixed.”

Just last year, the waiting room of Dr. David Colbert’s sleek lower–Fifth Avenue loft was filled with socialites seeking anti-aging light therapy and lip-plumping Perlane. Now he treats rashes. “Injectables on a face could run about $800 for a visit, and these medical cases aren’t usually big-ticket items,” Colbert says, shrugging. Increasingly, patients “ask which procedures insurance will pay for.”

“It’s definitely a change,” says Debra Jaliman, a Fifth Avenue dermatologist, who’s doing 25 percent more medical work this year. “I actually like it, because I get to solve interesting problems. But I hear a lot of my colleagues complaining: ‘Why am I stuck doing this stuff at this stage of my career?’ ”

There’s an upside to this, of course. Some doctors actually miss doctoring. “Ninety percent of my income was cosmetic; it was more lucrative,” says Sherman. “Eyelid surgery takes 45 minutes, and the going rate is $6,000 to $12,000.” Meanwhile, a trauma case could go five to ten hours for a fraction of that. With aesthetic surgery off, trauma has become a bigger part of his practice. “This town can no longer support 350 board-certified plastic surgeons doing only cosmetic work, not to mention all the specialties like dermatology and ENT that turned to cosmetics. The emphasis over the last decade was to forget where we started, but now the switch is on. One day the faucet is turned off, and you can say, ‘Thank God I can still do something that is rewarding.’ ”

Recession decays dental care

It's not just the stock market and the nation's job market feeling the sting of the recession — dental care is also feeling the painful decay of the economy.

"Hundreds of thousands of people are opting out of dental insurance, because they think it's not a necessary evil," said James Ekbatani, CEO of Winter Park-based CorporateDentalPlans.com. "So we said, 'Let's search for an alternative that makes sense.'"

CorporateDentalPlans.com and TheDentalCard.com are discount dental care programs that give individuals dental care coverage options.

The program is an alternative to insurance and offers over 30 different plans to suit the needs of individuals, families or companies. It can save consumers up to 60 percent on dental services, regardless of pre-existing conditions, and has enrolled more than 100,000 dentists nationwide.

"Even if you have insurance … you end up paying a premium for every month for dental insurance and it's limited to maybe a thousand dollars in benefits, but with the dental card … you're not paying for all these premiums and only getting a maximum of maybe a thousand dollars," he said.

Dino Soriano, a member of the plan, said he saved 600 dollars on a crown he recently received.

"It paid for itself five times over," he said. "And the service was great."

James Ekbatani said he is hoping more people take advantage of the low-cost dental plan because dental care is not something that should be neglected.

Lack of proper dental care can lead to serious health conditions, such as sight problems, strokes and heart attacks.

"Health care and dental care go hand-in-hand … and periodontal disease affects 75 percent of people over 35," Ekbatani said. "We focus a lot on prevention."

Dental resources for your child

Toothache pain is miserable for anyone, but especially for kids. In most cases, pain from decayed and abscessed teeth can be prevented by having routine exams and xrays to check between the teeth. Dental problems are best treated as soon as they are discovered.

Children in Colorado are fortunate to have access to dental care regardless of their income level. The best source for kids, especially if they have multiple problems, is a pedodontist. This is a dental specialist who has had at least 2 years of training beyond dental school. Not only do are they trained in the latest dental procedures, they also have extensive training in behavior management for kids.
Many pedodontists accept Medicaid and CHP in their private practice, so if a child is covered by either of these, they can be seen by a specialist. Many of the children’s dental offices around town are not staffed by pedodontists, but by general dentists. It is a good idea to check before taking your child for their first visit.

If a family earns too much to qualify for Medicaid and does not have dental insurance, the next resource is Children’s Health Plan Plus (CHPS+). It is administed by Delta Dental and children can be seen at numerous private practices and children’s clinics.

Kids In Need of Dentistry, or KIND, is one of the oldest dental non-profits in the U.S. It was started in 1912 here in Denver to provide dental care to low-income children. There is a clinic at Morey Middle School in Denver as well as clinics in Adams County and Colorado Springs, plus a mobile clinic that travels around the metro area and rural parts of the state. Medicaid and CHP are accepted, but not traditional insurance. If a child has no coverage, they can still be seen for just 10% of regular dental care plus a $20 per-visit fee.

The Healthy Smiles Dental Clinic is at the University Of Colorado Medical Center in Aurora and is a partnership of the dental school and Children’s Hospital. Pedodontic residents as well as undergraduate dental students treat children in a 4000 square foot clinic. If a child has no dental coverage through Medicaid, CHP, or insurance, special payment arrangements are made. There are no residency requirements for children treated there.

Don't put your health at risk

Insurance premiums are rising, but a policy check-up may help reduce costs.

Health fund members feeling the pain of the average 6 per cent increase in premiums that kicked in at the start of the month may feel tempted to take the scalpel to their polices. But they're being warned that some ways of cutting health insurance costs are safer than others.

Restricting benefits, or even excluding certain treatments and procedures, is one way for insurers to reduce premiums so care is needed if you are to avoid ending up with a policy that's next to useless.

As with other forms of insurance, the cheapest policy isn't necessarily the best one and consumers should be aware of this when using online comparison sites.

The Private Health Insurance Ombudsman (PHIO), Samantha Gavel, says that rather than purchasing on price alone, she would "advise people, when they're making any decisions about health insurance, to think about their own health needs and preferences.

"You [may be] getting a cheaper premium but the reason is you're trading off something that you could need access to," she says of policies where savings come from exclusions and restrictions.

The general manager of corporate affairs for the online health insurance broker iSelect, Rohan Martin, says less expensive hospital policies may not cover common services such as obstetrics.

That could be a great way to economise if you're a single male or you're in your late 40s and you've completed your family but it's not a good option for younger people, who might be better served by excluding a treatment such as hip replacement.

The director of health insurance portal OzeCover, Peter Carroll, says exclusions will save you only modest amounts but introduce greater risk than other economies you could make. "Some exclusions that are offered I'd never suggest people take - for example, cardiac procedures," he says.

Martin says people thinking about changing their cover need to consider their state of health, their needs not just today but into the future, along with any tax implications.

Under the Federal Government's "lifetime health cover" rule, introduced in 2000 with the aim of encouraging people to take out health insurance at a younger age, individuals have to pay an additional 2 per cent of premium for every year they delay joining a fund beyond the age of 30.

Many Cutbacks but Not for Straight Teeth

WITH her husband newly unemployed, Kim Moldofsky isn’t about to drop thousands of dollars guilt-free.

Except to straighten out her firstborn’s teeth.

The way she sees it, dipping into their rainy-day savings to correct her son Isaac’s overbite is a sound investment when few exist. “If you look at what would be happening to our money sitting in banks, we are not getting much return on it,” said Ms. Moldofsky, a new-media consultant who lives in Morton Grove, Ill. “This is something we will get a return on.”

Even in the best of times, paying $4,500 to $7,000 for braces (depending on the severity of alignment issues) is a stretch for many — not to mention the thousands that some spend on preparatory work. Dental insurance pays roughly $750 to $2,000; often, the whole tab is paid out of pocket.

As job losses and salary reductions wreak havoc on family budgets, financing the perfect smile is a big-ticket purchase that many middle-class parents find is worth scrimping for. For Ms. Moldofsky, family dinners at restaurants and tennis lessons are out, and her boys no longer attend private school, partly because of the expense. But 11-year-old Isaac’s orthodontics remain a priority.

“Could we have avoided doing this? Probably,” she said. Still, she added, “I think having well-aligned teeth — this is going to sound shallow — but it sends a message to people.”

Paul Zuelke, whose health care firm gives advice on practice management to 800 orthodontists who together see 25,000 new patients a month, said “a large number” of those families are struggling financially. But they would “rather buy mac and cheese for dinner than not pay their bills,” he said.

Even those who are insolvent place a high priority on their children having straight and healthy teeth. A few times recently, patients have called clients of Mr. Zuelke’s to say they are filing for bankruptcy but don’t plan to list the orthodontist as a creditor. They still intend to pay for straight teeth.

In a society that places extraordinary value on appearance, orthodontics is increasingly seen as a necessity, not a luxury, and even though the number of patients appears to have declined since the start of the recession, many families are going to great lengths to keep tooth-straightening in their budgets. Some orthodontists, with business slowing, are dropping fees or letting families stretch out payments.

The latest figures from the American Association of Orthodontists, compiled before the recession began, counted about 4 million patients younger than 18 in North America in treatment in 2006, up from 2.6 million in 1989. Experts say the number has dropped recently.

Mr. Zuelke estimated that orthodontists saw an 8 percent decline in new patients in 2008 from the previous year, coming on top of a 12 percent falloff in 2007 over 2006. This year, however, there’s been a slight uptick in patients in the first quarter, he said.

Dr. Roger Levin, the founder of Levin Group, which advises 500 orthodontists nationwide on how to manage their practices’ finances, said that since August, revenue for orthodontists has decreased 10 to 12 percent. “Fewer patients are coming in,” Dr. Levin said.

Why are cash-strapped families still considering braces at all? The answer seems to be that giving the next generation a leg up is a priority. “If you go into a job with teeth out of a novelty store, people aren’t supposed to discriminate,” said Dr. Benjamin Burris, an orthodontist with several offices in Arkansas. “But people do.”

To pay for braces, families typically face three choices: either upfront payment in full for a modest discount; third-party financing, often with interest; or in-office financing, which entails a hefty down payment, then interest-free monthly fees over two years or so.

But in this economy, “a lot of practices are more flexible with their payment options,” Dr. Levin said. Since last fall, Dr. Hyue Young C. Park, of Markin & Park Orthodontics in Maryland, has allowed her patients to make the down payment over a few visits, so that a large upfront sum is not a barrier to treatment. Her office also waives a $380 fee for X-rays and dental records for all patients.

Recently Dr. Park and her financial coordinator decided to let one family pay “$300 for the first six months, then $100 for the remaining months,” she said. The understanding was that if they had extra money — say, a tax refund — they would put it toward treatment.

Once a mortifying rite of adolescence, braces carry less of a stigma now that many tweens and teenagers have them. Braces are as innocuous as glasses these days, said Steven Kelly, 13, of Newton, Mass., who has worn his braces for two years. “They just blend in,” he said. “You don’t notice them.” In fact, try breaking it to a seventh grader that she’ll have to survive junior high school with a jumbled “social six” — the catchphrase for the half dozen teeth that are front and center. “There are more kids coming in, wanting them, expecting them,” said Dr. David Cordes, an orthodontist with offices in Westfield, Mass., and Enfield, Conn.

“I feel sorry for a lot of parents,” said Dr. Burris, who takes pro bono cases through a foundation he recently created, Smile for a Lifetime. “That’s why we work with them.”

Free Dental Health Screening for Hundreds

SPRINGFIELD, MO-- It's an effort the make the community healthier.
About 250 clients without insurance lined up to get a free appointment with the dentist Friday night.

Jordan Valley Community Health Center hosted the clinic for those in need of some serious dental care.

The clinic picked up the tab, and says it will end up saving money in the future. "It's very expensive on the state, it's very expensive for the patients and it's very expensive for the hospitals to go to the emergency room for a dental problem," says Dr. Dennis Thousand with the Jordan Valley Clinic.

He says more often than not, patients without health insurance who have dental problems end up going to the emergency room.

"I had to save up to get these two teeth done so I'd be saving up again to get these others done and now they're all swollen and in pain, so I'm grateful for this," says Karen Remmen.

Dr. Thousand says dental problems can lead to much more serious health problems if not treated.

Those who attended Friday's clinic will go in for a scheduled appointment this Wednesday.

UAlbany Students Extract a Real-World Experience

UAlbany students Reena Patel, Mariam Sharifipour, and Christopher Theall saw firsthand on a trip to Mexico how having access to good dental care is not taken for granted in other parts of the world.

Patel, a human biology major, and Sharifipour and Theall, biology majors, are all prehealth students. Sharifipour is president of the Pre-Dental Club at UAlbany. An e-mail went out to prehealth students informing them of the opportunity to go on a mission trip with local dentists Jan. 30-Feb. 5.

"This trip created a pathway for my career and gave me an experience of a lifetime; it showed me the skills and work I need to do and work hard for in order to pursue a career in dentistry," said Patel, of Auburn, N.Y. "Also it taught me how lucky I am to be living in the conditions I live in, because not everyone gets that luxury."

Sharifipour, a native of Orange County, Calif., is already a licensed dental hygienist. "This field is pretty much what I know best and what I love," she said. After graduation in May, she plans to work for a year, take more mission trips, and then apply to dental school. "I cannot imagine myself doing anything different. It is my passion. The towns we visited are very remote and poor. Having a dentist or access to dental care is not an option for these people, let alone dental insurance or coverage," Sharifipour said.

Theall said the trip was a great opportunity in two ways: He had the chance to assist in many dental procedures and learn more about the field, while giving medical treatment on a missionary trip, something he has always wanted to do.

The group faced obstacles, including having $12,000 worth of dental instruments confiscated as they entered Mexico. The equipment has not yet been returned. In addition, hot water and electricity were in short supply.

"Our working conditions were not easy," said Sharifipour.

The group went to several small villages, including San Luis, with Barry Loffredo, DDS, and Donald Deluke, DDS, both of Schenectady, N.Y. "These three students came together and worked as a team. They were a tremendous asset to the mission of the trip," said Loffredo.

"For meeting two students that I barely knew, and working with two dentists that I have never actually worked with ... you would think that we were working together for years," said Patel, adding, "Beyond the hardships that we faced to perform our journey, we all have never laughed so hard on a trip in our lives."

Sharifipour said the most compelling part of the experience for her was the appreciation shown by their patients. "They thanked us with a fiesta on our last day of work. They invited us back next year," she said.

St. Helen's Church of Schenectady assisted with the cost of transportation from Albany to JFK, as well as room, board, and travel insurance.

Devil in the detail of scheme

OF all the several bold ideas contained in the interim report from the federal Government's National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission, released this week, the plan for a universal dental scheme is the one that has, perhaps, captured the public's imagination the most.

Over the past two years the nation has been bombarded with horror stories of pensioners nursing mouths filled with rotting teeth which they can't afford to get fixed, and of others lingering for months, even years, on waiting lists for public treatment.

There is wide support for some sort of re-think. But the NHHRC's proposal has not been greeted with open arms on all sides.

Famously, the Australian Dental Association -- the nation's peak group for private dentists -- attacked the plan almost immediately as "impractical, nonsensical, (and) overly simplistic" and declared it "flies in the face of much of the deliberations that have taken place on this issue over the past decade".

Responses from individual dentists have been more moderate, although still widely diverging. Tony Burges, a dentist in Sydney's inner-west suburb of Drummoyne, says the NHHRC's proposal is "a reasonable suggestion" but the "devil will be in the detail".

The ADA made a number of specific criticisms, including the claim that the costs of the scheme would be "crippling" and unaffordable, potentially costing over $11 billion.

However, a modelling report prepared by consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers at the NHHRC's request, and published this week, makes clear that based on certain assumptions about claiming patterns, the extra cost to government would be just $3.9billion a year. This amount would be more than covered by the proposed 0.75 percentage point increase in the Medicare levy.

But it turns out this affordability comes at a price.

The PwC report outlined three variations of what specific dental services the proposed Denticare scheme might cover, ranging from a fuller coverage to lesser. But none is truly comprehensive.

All exclude root canal treatments, crowns and bridges, periodontic care (involving cases of advanced gum inflammation leading to bone loss) and orthodontic treatments (including braces).

Crowns and bridges have been blamed for the soaring costs of the Howard government's Medicare-based dental scheme, which the Labor government has so far failed to scrap due to opposition in the Senate.

The existing Medicare scheme pays $2150 in Medicare rebates for private dental treatment per year, provided the patient is referred to the dentist by a GP who has assessed them as having a potentially life-threatening chronic condition that is being exacerbated by their dental problems. An analysis of spending in the Medicare scheme last year showed patients enrolled in it were making claims for crowns and bridges at a higher rate than would be seen in the normal dental patient population: about 7.4 per cent of total Medicare treatments, on a per-tooth basis.

However, the affordability means that basic dental treatment, which would be covered by any of the foreseen Denticare options, would be much more equitable.

At present, individuals going to private dentists spend an average of 0.79 per cent of their income on out-of-pocket charges to private dentists, an amount that rises to 0.96 per cent of taxable income once the cost of private health insurance premiums for dental cover are added in. Together this accounts for 78 per cent of total expenditure on dental services.

Under Denticare, individual funding of dental services would shrink to an average of 0.37 per cent of taxable income, equivalent to 29 per cent of spending on dental services.

The Denticare scheme, funded by the increased Medicare levy, would allow patients to choose cover under private insurance plans, in which case Denticare would pay the premium and the policy would cover 85 per cent of the fees, leaving the patient to pick up the remaining 15 per cent.

Other patients who wished to avoid the 15 per cent gap could elect to be covered under the public system, where treatment would be totally free, with the downside of some waiting.

Patients opting for private treatment would no longer need to pay separately for dental premiums. Overall, the average proportion of income spent on dental would rise from 1.24 per cent at present to 1.3 per cent under Denticare, with the increase due to the expansion of programs such as school dental and oral health promotion.

But this conceals the fact that according to PwC, equity -- meaning access for the poorest -- would be substantially increased under the proposal.

According to the modelling, taxpayers with annual household income of up to $25,218 currently pay just under 2 per cent of their taxable income on dental costs, or $11.25 per taxpayer per week.

This would fall to $8.94, just under 1.5 per cent of taxable income, under Denticare.

Those in households with annual income between $25,219 and $44,286 would be better off by 74 cents per taxpayer per week, and taxpayers in households with income between $44,287 and $67,129 would be $1.15 better off per week.

Taxpayers in households with income over $67,130 would be paying more under Denticare ($1.37 per taxpayer per week more, rising to $2.74 per week for income over $108,277).

Yet there are many assumptions in the Denticare modelling, and unexpected changes in consumer behaviour could have a significant effect on the impact of any scheme, should one be approved by the federal government.

For example, it's not easy to predict how many more dental services will be provided as a consequence of making dentistry more affordable for the less well-off. Also, about 35 per cent of people who visit the dentist do not at present have private dental cover, even though they visit a private dentist. How their needs will be met if they continue to eschew the private option, and rely instead on the public Denticare scheme, is not totally clear.

Burges feels that Denticare will come unstuck in the details.

"My personal view has always been that private dentists are probably best placed to treat most people in the population," he says.

"The NHHRC has budgeted about $4.5billion (for Denticare) ... but it could easily blow out and be very expensive to run. I think there's real potential for any universal scheme to blow out and be very expensive, and that might lead the government to cut costs."

Most unusual credit card deals

What do you have in your wallet? I bet at least one credit card! Nowadays you can hardly find a person having no plastics at all. The average U.S. consumer carries from three to six credit cards in his/her wallet. It seems that many people start to forget what cash looks like!
According to statistics, there are about 900 million debit and credit cards in circulation. It is obvious that lenders need to offer something really beneficial and interesting in order to draw attention to their products and snag new customers.
We have analyzed the credit card market to find three most unusual credit card offers that will really surprise you! If you are tired of standard zero-APR-no-annual-fee-cash-back-rewards-program plastics, consider the offers below: they provide innovative features and unique rewards!

1. Credit cards that smell

Commerzbank AG, one of Germany's major banks, has launched a range of Visa and MasterCard branded credit cards in four aromas – coffee, mint, cinnamon or orange. Now you know how money smells!

Marketing gurus have always known that smell is a powerful persuader to buy. For example, newsagents use the smell of bakery outside their stores to attract customers. Travel agencies spray coconut aroma in their offices – it makes customers think about exotic far away countries and book trips.

Credit cards with aroma will definitely draw attention to your plastic money. They will become a conversation opener at every checkout: "What pleasant smell! Is it really a scented credit card? I have never seen – and smelled - such cards before!"

Coffee, mint, cinnamon and orange are a good choice for credit card aroma because all these scents are food related. You will like at least one aroma out of four! Plus, they will suit both man and women.

Scented credit cards can lower your level of stress and ensure a better state of mind due to their aromatherapy effect. Orange fragrance is stimulating and energetic. Coffee and cinnamon are considered to be comforting and warming. Mint has a relaxing effect.

There is one more important psychological aspect of scented credit cards. Every time you open your wallet, you will smell your favorite fragrance and feel positive. However, it can make you spend more than you have planned!

2. Finance your plastic surgery!

Plastic surgery, for example breast augmentation and rhinoplasty, has become as common as teeth whitening. So no wonder that a credit card designed for plastic-surgery patients had to appear in the market one day.

CareCredit is issued by GE Money Company. This plastic is targeted at consumers who want to finance various medical procedures typically not covered by insurance. They include dental treatments, cosmetic surgery, cosmetic treatments, vision care and laser eye surgery, hearing aids, and even veterinary medicine for your pets.

The credit card spending limit is equal to the price of the procedure you want to finance. It gives you the freedom to get the healthcare now and pay for it later. But be careful: just because you have money for plastic surgery, it doesn’t mean that you really need it!

CareCredit can only be used for healthcare services. No Interest financing program will let you cut down your borrowing costs. Just make regular on time minimum monthly payments and eliminate the entire balance by the end of your promotional period. If you need more time to pay off your credit card balance in full, you can take advantage of several extended payment plans.

If you are interested in this offer, you can fill out an application form at participating doctors' offices. At the present moment there are over 100,000 healthcare providers in this program, for example American Dental Association, Society for Excellence in Eyecare and American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

3. The American Dream

Do you like to participate in lotteries? Now you have a chance to get sweepstakes entries and win a large cash jackpot just for using your plastic! How is it possible?

American DreamCard™ MasterCard® issued by HSBC Bank Nevada, N.A. offers the unique rewards program. It offers sweepstake entries just for making day-to-day purchases. You will earn one entry for each dollar spent for merchandise, cash advances and balance transfers during the promotion period. As you see, there is no need to be a big spender to win big!

Monthly winners will receive 50% of the total amount of dollars spent by all American DreamCard holders during each drawing period. It means that the monthly sweepstakes jackpot depends on the number of credit card users and the amount of money they spend.

The credit card comes with no annual fee and a variable interest rate on all transactions. It is necessary to mention that all interest rates are tied to the highest Prime Rate during a three-month period.

The secret to cheap dental care

By Connie Thompson

You may be able to cut hundreds of dollars off your dental bills, even if you have dental insurance.

Some folks around here call it a best kept secret. But this money saver is available to just about everyone.

When Marie Meadows needs dental care, she heads to the
University of Washington School of Dentistry. She's been going for years.

"I've had experiences where the dental work is not anywhere near as good as I get here," she said.

Linda Crumpacker is a new patient at the same office. She heard about it from a friend.

"And the financial end of it is so much more accommodating," she said.

As associate dean of clinic services, Dr. Daniel Chan oversees dental school operations.

"A children's dentistry, we have orthodontics to straighten out teeth. We have root canal service." said Chan.

Chan says contrary to what some people think, the dental fees are not based on a sliding scale. The costs are just lower than most typical dental offices because it's a teaching clinic.

Patients say they save 40 to 50 percent or more compared to the regular dentist, and dental students get hands on training they need.

"They're learning, but they're very good and the professors oversee the work that they do," Crumpacker said.

Meadows thinks the students are great. She says the dental school took care of all her children's needs when they were young. Now they're grown adults.

"All these years I've never really had any bad experiences, never," she said.

The biggest trade-off to dental school clinics is time. The dental students are closely supervised by experienced dentists who are School of Dentistry faculty members. Their work is double checked, and that means longer time in the dentist chair.

"You go to a dentist, and maybe the appointment will take one hour. And maybe here it will take twice as long, maybe three hours long," Meadows said.

But Meadows, Crumpacker and thousands of other patients say the added time is worth the savings.

In fact, the school treats more than 60,000 patients a year.

Like other dental offices, the UW School of Dentistry takes insurance. But because they deal in comprehensive care, you have to qualify as a "teachable" case, someone who'll be a long term patient for ongoing dental care, just like you would at your regular dentist.

"So when you come in, we don't just do one specific treatment. We look at you as a whole patient and we'll treat you from beginning to the end. And we hope you can come back every year," said Chan.

Are Dental Hygiene Clinics Doomed to Fail?

Dentists' expenses are increasing, leaving many dental practices struggling. About one in four practices have raised their dental fees due to the current economy, finds a dental management survey by The Wealthy Dentist.


San Francisco, CA, January 18, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Only 2% of dentists said they had ever seen a successful, private, independent dental hygiene clinic. When asked why, 76% of dentists think it's not a profitable business model, whereas 22% think hygiene practitioners' hands are tied by state laws, found a poll by dental marketing resource The Wealthy Dentist.

Dentists are protective of their role as the gatekeepers of health care. "In California, only a licensed dentist can diagnose and treatment plan. So all hygiene would be by dentist prescription or referral," said a California dentist. "Bad for the public, good for hygienists. How much more are we willing to give up? We are health care providers. not just a good business model!" seethed a New York prosthodontist.

The biggest obstacle is money. "Financially, I don't see how a hygienist clinic could pay for itself," said a general dentist. "Instead of using our equipment and waiting room and parking lot, l think it's a splendid idea for dental hygienists to rent their own space, buy their own chair, supplies and equipment, and then sign up for a few insurance companies and make a fraction of each dollar," an Alaska dental office manager said sarcastically.

Many worry the independent dental hygienist could compromise dental care. "The whole concept is flawed," opined a Connecticut dentist. "They cannot diagnose and read X-rays, and this will definitely lower the standard of care. It will also make it cost more since the doc will have to charge more to do dental exams."

The fact is, dentists can charge more for their time than hygienists. "I don't see how hygiene offices make sense," said a Nevada dentist. "You need the possibility of a higher revenue procedure base, like if hygiene is set up as the front end to feed the dentist in the back. Could a dentist set up 10 hygiene salons with the purpose of referring patients to his office? That would be smart. Otherwise, it is dumb from both a practical as well as professional model."

Traditionally, dental hygienists have been a crucial part of every dental practice. "Within a health-centered practice, a dentist wants their practice to serve the entire oral needs of their patients," said a California dentist. "A hygienist is an invaluable team member due to close and continuous communication, which is not able to happen in remote hygiene settings. Even in a traditional dental practice that sees hygiene as a means of patient circulation that keeps the work coming in, it is more effective to have the hygienist on premises."

"Dentistry and hygiene go hand-in-hand," said Jim Du Molin, dental patient marketing expert and founder of continuing dental education resource The Wealthy Dentist. "Trying to separate the two will only lead to higher costs and reduced care. The money's just not there to support an independent hygiene practice."

Du Molin invites readers to visit his blog at http://www.thewealthydentist.com/blog/654/dental-hygiene-clinics/ and comment on this survey.