For most patients, dental benefits renew each January, while others renew on an enrollment date or fiscal year. Studies have shown under 3% of PPO dental plan members use all of their allotted benefits each year. This could mean thousands of wasted hard-earned dollars per family.

Most traditional dental benefit plans have yearly maximums and specified coverage limits on procedures (100% coverage on cleanings, 80% on restorative treatment, etc.). Some plans have a deductible on larger treatments too.

Some employers offer a flexible spending account, or FSA, instead of or in addition to dental coverage to help offset deductibles and coverage limits. Each year, the employee specifies an amount of money to be put in the FSA account, which is usually accessible through a debit card. For example, if your dental insurance covers a root canal at 80%, the FSA account could be used to pay for the remaining 20% that would otherwise be an out of pocket expense.

But don’t wait until mid-December to schedule an appointment, because many dentists will be booked solid with patients trying to use up their plan benefits. If you haven’t been in recently, make an appointment or call the office and see if there’s any outstanding treatment in your record that could be done. Are you overdue for a cleaning? Do you have a filling that needs to be replaced? Now is a great time to start getting those appointments on the books.

Whether you have traditional dental coverage or an FSA account, here are some tips to maximize your dental benefits and reasons why you should use them before the new year.

Unused Benefits- Each year your yearly maximum renews and you forfeit any unspent money. Many plans range from $1,000 to $1,500 per year or more. If you have been delaying treatment or only going for cleanings, that’s money flying right out the window.

You’re Throwing Money Away- If you are paying for dental coverage but only going in for cleanings, you’re not recouping much of the money you spend on your annual premium. It makes much more sense to use every last dollar of available dental coverage to offset the cost of the benefits. For example, if your $400 annual premium buys $1,000 worth of coverage and you're not using it, you’re effectively throwing away $600 of “free” money.

Plan Deductibles Reset- Some dental plans have a deductible on more extensive procedures like root canals or crowns. When the plan restarts, so does the deductible. If you’ve already paid the deductible and need another procedure, it might be worth getting it done in the same year and saving a little money.

You Might Be Able to Overlap Needed Treatment- Most dentists don’t recommend postponing treatment, especially if it’s a two-step procedure like a root canal followed by a crown. If you have a tooth that needs a lot of work you may be able to overlap the treatment between this year and next. This reduces your out of pocket cost and repairs your tooth in a timely fashion before there is any further damage.

Schedule Treatment Before Any Fee Increases- Occasionally your dentist raises his or her fees to offset the high overhead of running a dental practice. Dental offices have some of the highest overhead expenses in any industry and most of them happen behind the scenes. Liability insurance, the cost of state-of-the-art equipment to enhance the patient experience, training for that equipment, and single-use items like gloves and sterilization pouches continue to increase. Getting scheduled for any outstanding treatment now could save you a little money down the road.

Maybe you’ve been considering redoing an old crown that’s a shade too dark or want to replace those amalgam (silver) fillings with tooth-colored composite. Or perhaps you’ve been delaying a large treatment plan. Whatever the reason, you work hard for your money. Even if your dental coverage is paid by your employer, it’s still considered part of your salary. You wouldn’t throw part of your paycheck away, so why waste money by leaving needed treatment undone until it becomes a larger (and more expensive) problem? Use your benefits before the end of the year and make your mouth and pocketbook smile!

Every time you step into a mini-mart, you’re faced with a host of options to squelch your thirst. A rainbow of colors in plastic bottles compete for your attention, and creative marketing often transforms sugared water into a fountain of youth. When it comes to your teeth, does it matter what you choose? How does a bottle of cola or a sports drink affect your teeth and general health?

Everybody knows most of these drinks include a lot of sugar, but it’s easy to overlook how much they carry. A little quick math can help you visualize the carbohydrate burst that occurs with the first sip. The nutritional label reports the number of grams of sugar in a serving, and there are 4 grams of sugar in a teaspoon. If a bottle shows 20 grams in a single serving, picture it as 5 teaspoons.

While a 12-ounce soda used to be the norm, 20-ounce bottles are now considered standard. But many of the labels show the grams of sugar for an 8-ounce serving, and they frequently report 2.5 servings in a bottle! Calculating the numbers on a typical label indicates you’ll consume over 19 teaspoons of sugar in this soft drink. Take a look at this one:

The bacteria that cause cavities use sugar for energy and produce acidic waste that erodes tooth enamel. Syrupy drinks provide an ideal power source to keep this population thriving while instigating an insulin spike in the bloodstream. The colossal sugar load also drives the liver to convert sugar into fat. Chronically elevated insulin creates insulin resistance, a condition that contributes to a range of diseases. From cavities to cancer, sugared drinks help fuel many of the health problems afflicting people today.

An Acid Problem

Sugar forms a vital part of the formula that produces tooth decay, but it’s the acid that ultimately causes enamel to dissolve. The normal pH of your mouth rests around 7, but tooth structure begins to erode when the acidity drops to 5.5. Soda can send the pH of the mouth into a nosedive, making the mouth 1000 times more acidic than needed to start damaging teeth. A review of many ingredient labels shows citric, phosphoric, and carbonic acids in the mix. It may take 15 minutes for the mouth’s pH to return to normal after the last sip, and that means a steady diet of sugary drinks can alter the mouth for hours each day.

Diet sodas often hover around a pH of 3.2, far into the range that damages teeth. It’s a good thing that sugar is missing, but a steady exposure to high acidity can still lead to a weakening of tooth enamel. Artificial sweeteners may have long-term general health effects that we’re yet to understand fully.

Limit The Damage

The best strategy for the sake of your teeth and overall health is to enjoy fresh water on a regular basis. If you’re going to drink soda, consider the following tips:

• Drink soda or sports drinks through a straw to minimize your teeth’s exposure.
• Rinse with water right after drinking one of these beverages.
• Avoid brushing your teeth for 30 minutes after drinking the beverage. This practice allows your mouth to return to normal pH before the teeth undergo the light abrasion of brushing.
• Avoid drinks that list acids on the ingredient label. 

If you consume a sports drink during strenuous exercise or enjoy an occasional soda with a meal, there’s not a lot of reason to worry. Commit to keep sugar exposure to a minimum and drink more fresh water: Your teeth and your body will thank you!

With winter upon us, the common cold shows us why it’s aptly named. Rhinoviruses, responsible for many episodes of congestion, coughs, and sore throats, transmit through the population during every season. But research suggests that this virus replicates better at a temperature a few degrees below the body’s core temperature. Plus, people tend to share closer spaces inside during colder weather. Cozy areas make virus transmission easier.

Many people are surprised to learn that tooth decay is the next most common disease afflicting the population. The bacteria that cause cavities thrive in the mouth, but babies aren't born with them. They're an infection that’s often passed from mothers or caregivers once teeth start to appear. Since 92% of adults report at least one cavity, dental fillings are familiar to just about everyone.

What If...

Exciting new research suggests that the way we repair teeth damaged from cavities could change in the years ahead. Consider this:

• A British team discovered that aspirin enhances the function of stem cells found inside teeth. They found that low-dose aspirin significantly increased the expression of genes that help form dentin, the primary tooth structure usually damaged by decay. This influence helps the tooth create new structure to repair damaged portions.
• Another research team found that a particular chemical could cause cells to heal small holes in mice teeth. Researchers placed a biodegradable sponge soaked in the drug inside the cavity. This step led to complete, natural repair of the damaged area!
• Another study demonstrated that a small electrical current could be used to draw new minerals into teeth, producing a stronger outer layer that’s more resistant to bacterial acid.

A vaccine to prevent cavities has been explored for over 40 years. In 1972, a British team reported they were testing one on mice, but fundamental challenges remain today. In the meantime, a host of new materials that mimic natural tooth structure allow us to restore damaged teeth and create healthy smiles. Scientists continue to produce advanced porcelains and resins that can be securely bonded into place. Sometimes the most trained eye can’t discern where the tooth ends, and the filling begins!

Solutions For Every Scenario

When enough damage leads to tooth loss, dental implants offer the ultimate solution for optimal function and confident smiling. Precise 3D imaging and advanced implant components set the foundation for predictable results. Whether replacing single teeth or securing loose dentures, implants can be life-changing!

In our evolving world, dental research continues to enhance the lives of our patients. We follow and evaluate advancements in dentistry, then choose those that serve you best. We’re here to be a resource for you and your family, so feel free to contact your team at Dental 34 with any questions we can help you explore!

Have you ever stood beside a rushing river and watched the current carry wood and leaves quickly past? Your blood pulses through your body at a similar pace. Every twenty seconds, blood completes a round trip from head to toe. This closed system averages 100,000 miles of veins, arteries, and capillaries and delivers many vital components to sustain life.

Sometimes the system breaks open and dangerous invaders enter the bloodstream. While we often think of a cut or scrape on the skin as the entry point, the lining of the mouth offers an ideal backdoor. Over thirty square inches of tissue cover the mouth and provide a home to billions of bacteria. A unique collar of gum tissue surrounds each of the teeth, and a few potent strains of bacteria can take up residence in this hidden enclave. These microorganisms produce toxins, and the immune system reacts to them with a rush of inflammation. The delicate vessels of the gums deteriorate from the reaction, and bleeding begins.

It doesn’t take long for potent bacteria to enter the river of life. Within seconds, they’re reaching the fine vessels of the brain and slipping through the coronary arteries. They’re meandering into joints, organs, and fetuses of expectant mothers. In 2010, scientists at Case Western Reserve University were asked to investigate a stillborn case in a 35-year old mother who suffered from gum disease. Plaque samples from the woman’s teeth tested positive for the precise strain of oral bacteria discovered in the stomach and lungs of the fetus.

“Once the bacteria are in the blood, they can go almost anywhere,” Yiping Han, a Case Western Reserve professor of periodontics and pathology said. “The placenta is an immuno-suppressed organ, compared to other organs like the liver and the spleen. And that makes it easy for the bacteria to colonize the placenta.”

While this single case shouldn’t create anxiety for expectant mothers, it highlights the importance of dental health. Oral bacteria may aggravate the body in different ways, and damage may come in various forms. From a 30,000 foot view, chronic inflammation anywhere in the body can exacerbate other conditions. Diabetes is known to worsen gum disease, but the opposite is also true: Gum disease negatively influences control of blood sugar. On a microscopic level, oral bacteria have been identified in the lining of damaged coronary arteries.

Cancer, Too?

As the search for a cancer cure intensifies, a preventive focus still promises the best defense against the disease. While many people don’t correlate unhealthy gums with cancer, recent research does draw a link. In a study of 48,000 men, those with a history of gum disease carried a 36 percent increased risk of lung cancer, a 49 percent increased risk of kidney cancer, and a 54 percent higher risk of pancreatic cancer. We still don’t know all the reasons why, but saving your teeth could mean saving your life.

If bleeding gums could be patched together, they’d be equivalent to a 2x2 inch open wound on the skin. Saturated with bacteria, a gash of this size anywhere on the body needs attention. When gum disease remains uncontrolled in the mouth, the door stays open indefinitely as a large wound. As a result, a steady supply of bacteria ends up in areas of the body they don’t belong.

Here’s To Your Health

Every effort you make to keep your mouth healthy helps ensure you’ll keep your teeth for the rest of your life. The evidence continues to build that a preventive focus may add years to your life, too. Dental care that combines your efforts with our periodic oversight will keep you smiling and active for years to come!