Is your insurance company looking out for you?

            Many people choose to carry dental insurance to offset the costs of semi-annual cleanings and just in case something major goes wrong. So what happens when something bad happens? Will your insurance help cover a procedure that gives the best long term result? Unfortunately, your insurance may have limitations on what procedures they believe they should help.

An example with frequently deal with:

A tooth is missing or must be extracted. You want to replace the missing tooth with a dental implant over a dental bridge. The implants are usually longer lasting, easier to clean, and do not require invasive drilling on your other teeth. Over the long term, they typically result in the least amount financial investment because they will last longer than a dental bridge. Logically speaking, this also means the insurance company will have to contribute less over the long term, which is what they are after.  But for some reason, many insurance carriers will deny you coverage on the dental implant but approve the dental bridge. Both options require a big financial commitment, but the difference in coverage can be a difference maker if you need your tooth replaced. The lapse in dental implant coverage can push someone towards a procedure that doesn’t necessarily have their best interest in mind.

So what happens if your insurance carrier denies coverage on a recommended treatment? There are times when no matter what we do, insurance will simply not provide any coverage on a recommended procedure. But in other situations we can submit a new request for coverage along with a narrative explaining our rationale for the treatment needed. There are times when reason wins and coverage is granted, but unfortunately many insurance carriers are very slow to change their policies to the recommended standards of care.

            We recommend that before you sign with an insurance carrier or package that you do some detailed research on what procedures may be covered. If this seems overwhelming or confusing, I encourage you to call us and we can help you sort through what plan may be best according to the needs and dental history of you and your family.

For more information, visit www.dentistwestchester.com.

Lee T. Brown, DDS

Brown and Kupper, DDS Inc.

What happens to your teeth and body when you binge on sugar?

            We all know that sugar is necessarily the healthiest things for us to eat. But like most things, if we use moderation we should be fine. However, we need to be aware that sugar and sweets affects your body in a number of ways. We will discuss how sugar can affect you in the short term and the long term.

            It is no secret that sugar can lead to cavities. Decay causing bacteria on your teeth feed on the sugar to create cavities. So when you are exposing your teeth to sugar throughout the day without the opportunity to fight back with brushing and fluoride, you are more likely to lose that battle. Moderation is essential, but you should also find a way to brush, floss, and rinse to clean your teeth and mouth following a sugary snack. At the very least you should rinse with water to cleanse some of the sugar from your teeth.

            When you eat sugar, other parts of your body also feel the strain. When you eat sugar, your brain responds the same it would to cocaine or other drugs. Both sugar and drugs cause your body to release dopamine and serotonin. As you become accustomed to that feeling your body craves in more and more. It is good to be aware of this so you can help regulate your desire for more sweets.

            If you continue to overdue sugar and sweets overtime, your blood flow can be affected. Having blood saturated with sugar can damage just about every organ, including your arteries. It is like trying to pump sludge through your body, which will eventually lead to decreased blood flow to all parts of your body. It can lead to chronic diseases and an increased chance of having a stroke.

            An easy way to keep tabs on how much sugar you are ingesting is to pay attention to the labels on whatever you eat. It is shocking to find out how many different foods contain sugar (i.e. ketchup). Simply being aware of what you put in your body is a great first step to limiting sugar intake.

For more information, visit www.dentistwestchester.com.

Lee T. Brown, DDS

Brown and Kupper, DDS Inc. 

Antibacterial Teeth

            Even though it is still in its early stages, there are researchers in the Netherlands developing an Antibacterial replacement tooth that can be 3-D printed. It would be made of a plastic infused with ammonium salts to combat unwanted bacteria. And even better, it could be made in the dental office.

            They tested 2 sets of replacement teeth against each other. One was the traditional dental resin, and the other was made with infused ammonium salts. They applied streptococcus mutans (cavity causing bacteria) to both sets of teeth and found 99% was eliminated on the set with ammonium salts while almost all remained on the control set.

            The next question to ask is whether this new type of replacement tooth eliminates both good and bad bacteria? Some bacteria in our mouth are good and help keep our bodies healthy by fighting unwanted organisms, so we obviously don’t want to get rid of all bacteria. While there is still a lot of research to be done, there is no reason to believe that antibacterial teeth would kill off all the bacteria in the mouth.  "Given that the material works on contact, it is likely that teeth or fillings made from the material would only kill bacteria in a limited radius," ADA officials said. "Whether teeth or fillings made from this material could have any effect on other bacterial strains, or even function in a real human mouth, has not yet been determined."

            Much more research is required to find the answer. This material needs to be tested on more conditions and over a longer period of time. How will toothpaste, saliva, and different medications impact its efficacy?

            If we find that it can positively affect the teeth and your oral health, this could be a major breakthrough for dentistry. The goal is to continue to find more ways to preventative and proactive in dental treatment.

For more information, visit www.dentistwestchester.com.

Lee T. Brown, DDS

Brown and Kupper, DDS Inc.

What Does Oral Cancer Look Like?

            When you are in for your professional cleaning and oral exam, we will always do an oral cancer screening. We need to understand you medical history, dental history, and any other potential risk factors. Using any relevant information can help us to identify, treat, or refer as early as possible.

            While performing an oral cancer screening, we look for colors or lesions in areas that are not normally present. These areas could appear red, white, blue, black or a combination. If an area is identified we will make sure we have photos and follow their progress. If a spot continues to change size, shape or color, we may recommend a specialist take a look and decide if a biopsy is necessary. If an area presents with more progressive features, we may immediately refer for a biopsy.

            Technology has become available that uses a special light and/or a rinse to look for pre-cancerous or cancerous areas. At Brown and Kupper we do not use these tools because of a large number of ‘false-positive.’ This means it shows an overabundance of areas that may be pre-cancerous can lead to over treatment. Until this technology improves, we will continue to conduct our oral cancer screenings without the lights or rinses. The surgeons and pathologists we work with and trust use the same technique.

            So what should you look for at home and when do you need to come see us? If you notice an area of concern and it does not go away in two weeks it is usually a good indication to have the area more closely examined. If you have any history of oral cancer in your family, smoking, or smokeless tobacco, then it is even more important to have us check a possible area if you are every in doubt.

            Like many other types, oral cancer can go undetected for a long time if you do not maintain regular visits with your doctor or dentist. Even if you do your best to check at home for any irregularities, we recommending with your dentist whenever in doubt.

For more information, visit us at www.dentistwestchester.com.

Lee T. Brown, DDS

Brown and Kupper, DDS Inc.

How does diabetes affect your oral health?

            There are of 29 million people in the United States that are living with diabetes, and an estimated 8 million more that have it and do not know it. Both type 1 and type 2 result in high blood sugar, which can affect the eyes, nerves, kidneys, heart and other parts of the body. But it is also important to understand the role diabetes can have on your oral health.

If left untreated, diabetes may take a toll on your mouth. Here are a few ways it may affect you:

• You have less saliva, causing dry mouth.
• Saliva protects your teeth and helps to prevent decay. Lack of adequate saliva makes you vulnerable to cavities.
• Your gums may become inflamed and bleed more than usual. This is called gingivitis.
• You may experience problems tasting food.
• There may be delayed wound healing. If you have an ulceration or trauma to your gums, it may take longer to heal than usual.
• You could become more susceptible to infections inside your mouth (viral, bacterial, or fungal).
• For children with diabetes, there is a chance the teeth may erupt earlier than usual.

It is believed that 1 in 5 cases of total tooth loss are related to diabetes. The best way to fight back is to maintain regular dental visits and come up with an action plan with your dentist. It may include:

• More frequent visits than every 6 months
• Using prescription strength toothpaste
• More diligent homecare
• Using new or different tools to keep your teeth and gums clean.

Even though there are ways for us to help maintain good oral health, your physician will remain the first line of defense against diabetes. Continue to use the necessary medications, eat healthier, and stay active.

For more information, visit www.dentistwestchester.com.

Lee T. Brown, DDS

Brown and Kupper, DDS Inc.

Tips to Help Prepare Children for a Dental Visit

Encourage age appropriate habits at home:

• 6 and under: Even if your child wants to do the brushing by themselves, they frequently lack the dexterity needed to properly clean the teeth. Try to help them as much as you can and focus on getting every surface of the tooth.
• Age 7-12: At this point your child likely knows what to do, but now it is a matter of execution. Continue to encourage good habits, but be ready to help if you are not seeing results.
• Ages 12-18: Your children are becoming more independent and have access to different food and drinks that may negatively affect their teeth. They need to be reminded to keep up with home care and maintain regular visits. Otherwise minor problems can become major.

Time of the day:

• It is important to avoid scheduling during a normal nap time. It can result in a negative experience that can stick with them for a long time.
• For older children, try to avoid more elaborate dental work right after school because kids tend to be mentally or physically tired. It can make the appointment very difficult for them.

Make one child the ‘model’:

• Try to schedule the older or more cooperative child first, and have the other watch to see how well it goes. This creates positive energy for the next child.

Hungry patient is not a happy patient:

• It is good to make sure your child is not hungry when they visit the dentist. It is just one more thing that can make them grouchy or uncooperative. But if they eat too much, it may contribute to a gag reflex. Don’t worry if they do have some difficulty with gagging, it will frequently decrease as they grow older.

Stay calm if your child is not cooperating:

• We are familiar with situations where children do not cooperate at first. Allow us to try to break things down into small steps and help where needed. Sometimes it is beneficial to be a silent observer so we can take control of the appointment. But the occasional encouragement from you can also be helpful.
• If you are worried you won’t handle watching your child have the dental work done, sometimes grandparents can be great helpers.
• If your child is unable to handle the anxiety, there are always other options and people to see that specialize in these situations.

For more information, visit www.dentistwestchester.com.

Lee T. Brown, DDS

Brown and Kupper, DDS Inc.

Braces at Any Age

            There has been a definitive shift on how we view braces or orthodontics. Many kids now look forward to when they will get their braces and show them off proudly when they do. It used to be much more unusual to see adults with braces. Now it is more common and adults understand the value and being confident with their smile.

            Because it is no longer viewed as odd for adults to get braces, more and more people are taking the plunge each year. Adults are closing in on the 50-50 mark of newly installed braces when compared to children, and even baby boomers are getting in on the action. Whether it is to improve their stock in the dating scene or the job market, people are beginning to understand the value of their smile.

            Some people have been hiding their smile for years and training themselves how to hide their teeth when they laugh, talk, or smile. It used to take longer, be more uncomfortable, more noticeable, and less socially acceptable. Improvements in technology and techniques have decreased those barriers. There are clear aligners (Invisalign) and tooth colored brackets that make braces less conspicuous. Even some insurance companies are beginning to add coverage for adult orthodontics.

            Are there any risks to getting braces as an adult? There are definitely risks if you do not maintain good oral hygiene or home care. You can stain the teeth, get cavities, or develop gum disease if you do not properly maintain during orthodontics. However, these issues are typically less common than in adolescents because adults understand the value of their treatment and are more likely to ‘protect their investment.’

            If you are unhappy with your smile, I encourage you to ask your dentist about different options in aligning your teeth. You may find you there are orthodontic solutions you never even considered.

For more information, visit www.dentistwestchester.com.

Lee T. Brown, DDS

Brown and Kupper, DDS Inc.