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April 2018 Newsletter

What´s New at Savon

Quote Of The Month:   Found about 1,000 eggs already.  Trying to explain to this cop it's not my fault if Whole Foods did a bad job hiding them. (Guy Endore-Kaiser)


Congratulations To:

D. Cormier of Tucson, Arizona   Winner of our March early payment drawing for 1 free additional year of membership.

Congratulations to our winner and thank you to everyone that entered the drawing.


To Your Health With Jourdin Hendershot:

Allergic Rhinitis

Jourdin
Hooray!!  It‘s spring!  We can finally say goodbye to cold and flu season and hello to allergy season!

Are your sneezing, coughing and itchy/watery eyes taking the fun out of a perfectly good day?  You‘re not alone.  Millions of Americans suffer from allergic rhinitis.  Allergic rhinitis is a diagnosis associated with a group of symptoms that affect the nose.  These symptoms occur when you breathe in something you‘re allergic to, such as dust, animal dander or pollen. Luckily there are effective ways to treat and manage rhinitis.

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, more than two-thirds of spring allergy sufferers actually have year-round symptoms.  They recommend seeing an allergist.  An allergist can do a skin or blood test to help identify which allergens are causing the problems.

If you don‘t have the money to see an allergist you can try these tips and tricks to help combat spring allergies:

  • Keep all windows and doors closed during allergy season.

  • Invest in an Air purifier for the house.

  • Avoid pollen… (Tree and grass pollen counts are the highest at night during the spring and summer, while ragweed pollen counts are the highest in the morning during the late summer and early fall.)

  • Avoid smoke from bonfires or fire pits.

  • If you have been working or playing outdoors, take a shower immediately when you get inside.

  • Doing outdoor chores? Wear a filter mask or take appropriate medication beforehand and give it enough time to get into the body‘s system.

  • Use over the counter medication such as nasal sprays, antihistamines or decongestants.
It‘s time for you to manage your allergies! Don‘t let them manage you!

If you have questions you would like to discuss with Jourdin, feel free to drop her an email by clicking here.

The above health material is provided as an information service.  It should not be used for diagnostic purposes nor is it intended to take the place of the important relationship between you and your doctor.


Grandma's Kitchen With Grandma C.:

Eggplant Parmesan For Two

Grandma C.
Ingredients
  1. 1 large eggplant
  2. 1½ cup breadcrumbs, seasoned
  3. 2 eggs
  4. 2 tsp olive oil
  5. ¼ cup fresh chopped basil
  6. 1½ cup Panko Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
  7. ½ cup parmesan cheese
  8. 1 round block mozzarella cheese
  9. 1 jar Ragu spaghetti sauce, (The chunky Garden Style)
  10. Salt and Pepper

To begin, slice eggplant into ¼ inch slices and lay them on a baking sheet or platter.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and set aside (the salt pulls the excess water out of the eggplant).

Next, place breadcrumbs into a flat dish.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  In a seperate dish, whisk 2 eggs until blended.

On an oven baking sheet, spread 2 teaspoons of Olive oil to coat.  Pat the excess water off of the eggplant with a paper towel.  Coat eggplant with egg mixture, then dip in breadcrumbs, making sure to cover each slice completely.

Place on baking sheet and bake at 425° for approximately 20 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are golden brown.  Remove from oven and adjust heat to 350°.  Slice mozzarella cheese into ¼ inch slices.

In a greased, square casserole dish, layer ⅓ of the jar of Ragu on the bottom.  Place one eggplant medallion, followed by one slice of mozzarella cheese, (fan them out) then repeat until pan is full.

Top with fresh basil and the rest of the Ragu sauce.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake at 350° for 30 minutes.  Serve!

Enjoy!  And remember, if it looks and smells good, eat it!!

If you have a recipe that you would like to share with Grandma C., drop her an email by clicking here.


spotlight
 

Atlantic Dental

Dental Center
Our spotlight for April stays in our home city of Phoenix, Arizona and shines on Dr. Mark Ashtiani and the staff at Atlantic Dental

Dr. Ashtiani graduated from Marquette University, school of dentistry in 1996.  He has been practicing in Arizona since 1999 and opened his own practice in 2002.  Dr. Ashtiani's main goal is to provide outstanding and quality dentistry.

The mission of Atlantic Dental is:  “To provide affordable dental care, without sacrificing quality or convenience.”  This mission is both reinforced by their talented group of dental professionals and supported by their patients who recognize the quality of care they receive.  “Our patients rely on us to provide quality, professional dental care, and we deliver that - one smile at a time.”
The practice is located at 3229 East Greenway, Suite 103, Phoenix, Arizona 85032.  The phone number is 602-923-0700.  We also invite you to visit them on the web.

Say thank you to your dental office for the excellent manner in which you are treated by nominating your dentist!


Fun Facts:

Fun Facts About Easter We Bet You Didn't Know

confused
  • Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Christ; it is the oldest Christian holiday and one of the most important days of the year.

  • The Easter egg is said to symbolize and represent joy, celebration and new life.

  • The tallest Easter egg chocolate was made in Italy in 2011.  It stood at 10.39 meters and weighed an astounding 7,200 kg.

  • In the US, only 12 of the 50 states recognize Good Friday as a holiday.

  • The art of painting eggs is called pysanka, which originated in Ukraine.  It involves using wax and dyes to color the egg.

  • The term Easter gets its name from “Eastre”, the Anglo-Saxon goddess who symbolizes the hare and the egg.

  • Peep peep…  Did you know Americans buy more than 700 million marshmallow Peeps during Easter?  This makes Peeps the most popular non-chocolate Easter candy.

  • Are you an ears, arms or tail person?  Seventy-six percent of people eat the ears on the chocolate bunny first, 5 percent go for the feet and 4 percent for the tail.

  • An estimated $14.7 billion is spent in total for Easter in the US.

  • The White House of tradition of the Easter Egg Roll started back in 1878, with President Rutherford B. Hayes!

  • Workers in Birmingham, who make the famous Cadbury Creme Egg, produce more than 1.5 million egg delights a year.

  • The idea of the Easter bunny giving candies and eggs is said to have originated in Germany during the middle ages.
Come back for more in next months issue!


Dental Talk - A Member Blog Forum:

Blogging
Come blog with us!  Dental Talk with Savon is a fun forum to post your interesting topics!  Your comments are welcome, it's free to use and no membership is required.

Some of the topics include;

These are just a few of the topics.  Our blog site contains many other interesting topics.  Please join us!!


Here’s Your Answer

Questions From Our Members

This is a very common question asked by our members:

“I have been on blood thinners for a few years.  I have been going to the same dentist for quite sometime and have only needed cleanings and minor fillings.  The last time I went in, he decided that I needed to have a tooth extracted but would not do it at this visit because of the blood thinners.  If they can do all of the other work, why can't they just pull the tooth?”

Savon’s Answer

You are taking blood thinning drugs (antiplatelet or anticoagulant) to maintain the consistency of blood and prevent blood clotting.  These make the blood thin enough to flow through fine vessels and this reduced consistency can be dangerous in case of deep wounds or surgeries.

For dental procedures that do not involve cutting - like fillings, whitening, or cleaning - it is relatively safer for you to continue using blood thinners than to give up the medication completely.  That‘s because there are a number of local measures (like using gauze) which can be applied to control bleeding.

Sometimes, patients using blood thinners need major dental surgery or procedures like implantation, extraction, or root canal.  As always, the benefits and potential risks of stopping the blood thinners must be analyzed and weighed.  Dentists might require conducting a series of blood tests to determine the consistency of the blood, and prescribe some pre-treatment medication to the patient.

Although it is very rare in dentistry to cause critical or life threatening complexities to occur, it is important to inform the dentist about blood thinners before going for a dental procedure.  Not only about anticoagulant medications, but you should also discuss with the dentist about every medicine you are taking.  While people using anticoagulant medications can have dental work, dentists recommend patients to share their health record with them.

The above answer is provided for your information and is not a medical opinion.
Remember:  Always discuss your health conditions with your doctor before starting any procedure.

This answer was taken in part from BayView Dental Associates


Tooth Talk With Tommy The Wisdom Tooth

Helpful Suggestions For The Dental Phobic Patient

Tommy
It is a fair estimation to say that some 80% of the population has at least some level of anxiety and fear over dental procedures.  (Surprisingly, a higher percentage of women have reported having dental phobia than men!)  Many people avoid seeing a dentist (some for up to 15 or 20 years ) and consequently, they are diagnosed as needing major restorative work all because they were too afraid to see a dentist for preventative care.

So, for those dental phobics out there, any suggestions we can provide are helpful to them, even to the smallest degree:
  1. Choose a dentist you can trust.  The best method for this is word of mouth.  Talk to a trusted friend or co-worker, or ask a family member for a referral.  Chances are if they've had a good experience, you will too.

  2. Level with the dentist about your fears.  The more he/she knows about your history of phobia, the better able he is to plan your treatment.

  3. Be involved in the treatment planning.  (Except in the case of an emergency, of course). Mental preparation is important to the dental experience.  Discuss all options prior to treatment.  Knowing what to expect goes a long way toward relaxation.

  4. Bringing a spouse or trusted friend along to the office may be just enough to help you get through the treatment process.  Sometimes just knowing someone is there (even if they stay in the waiting room) provides comfort.

  5. Talking about dental related fears with a friend or family member can help to alleviate and eradicate the jitters.  You might even be surprised to learn that they have similar fears!

  6. Predetermine a "stop signal".  Most people will just raise a hand…  that seems to be the most common signal.  Sometimes all that is required is to stop for a moment and let the feeling pass.

  7. Bring a music device with headphones to distract you.  Music calms the soul, and consequently the mind and body.  If you are in to motivational or inspirational types of listening material, that can be helpful as well.  Many of the new state of the art dental facilities already have these things available.

Overall, communication is the best source for overcoming dental phobia.  It’s a joint effort between your and the doctor so keep those lines of communication open!!

Until next time; brush, floss and keep smiling!

The above material is provided as an information service and is not intended as medical advice.


News You Need To Know

Schedule Of Benefits Adjustment - Second Notice

We are in the process of examining the Schedule of Benefits.  This examination takes place every 18 months.  The last one was done in August of 2016 with the adjusted Schedule of Benefits being released in November of 2016.

This examination is critical to the success of our providers and to Savon Dental Plan.  We weigh the fees that we allow the dental facility to charge for procedures against the cost of providing the service (overhead, employees, supplies, materials, etc.).  We also consider the inflation rate, a full cash fee survey of providers Nationwide and the NDAS Official Fee Survey.  This is a complex and time-consuming process but we feel that it is vital because it assures us that our members are realizing the maximum financial benefit while at the same time ensuring that our providers are realizing a value with their participation in the our plan.

The adjusted Schedule of Benefits is scheduled to be in effect by June 1, 2018. It will not be adjusted again until fall of 2020.

Savon Dental Plan Is Not Available For Purchase In The State Of Florida
 
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