◄ Back to What´s New At Savon - Monthly Newsletter Home Page

December 2020 Newsletter

What´s New at Savon

Quote Of The Month:   “In the old days, it was not called the Holiday Season; the Christians called it ‘Christmas’ and went to church; the Jews called it ‘Hanukkah’ and went to synagogue; the atheists went to parties and drank.  People passing each other on the street would say ‘Merry Christmas!’ or ‘Happy Hanukkah!’ or (to the atheists) ‘Look out for the wall!’”  (Dave Barry - American Author 1947 - Present)


Congratulations To:

L. Poch of Tempe, Arizona and S. Rocks of Surprise, Arizona  Winners of our November early payment drawings for 1 free additional year of membership.

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


To Your Health With Jourdin Hendershot:

Holiday Travel

Jourdin
OH, 2020…  What a year!

As the holidays quickly approach, it is hard to think about how drastically different this season will be.  Families are being split up, office Christmas parties are canceled, school events are canceled, and travel plans are being canceled left and right.

Like millions of people around the world, I had plans to travel and spend the holiday with my family.  However, a few days ago, I had a long talk with my mom where we weighed the pros and cons of me traveling and it came as no surprise that the cons won.  As hard as it is to cancel my plans, deep down I know I am doing the right thing for me and my family.

I read an article published in USA Today on November 23, 2020, that Sunday (Nov. 22nd) was the single-busiest day at airports since March 2020 and they are expected to become busier the closer it gets to Christmas.

If you are unable to postpone your holiday travel, please stay safe and practice these precautions set out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
  • Wear a mask (cover nose and mouth)

  • Remain 6 feet apart (do not feel bad for asking people to back up)

  • Air Travel — Check for destination travel restrictions (may require quarantine or COVID-19 testing)

  • Wipe any surfaces that you will touch down with disinfectant

  • Use hand sanitizer regularly

  • Avoid touching your face

  • Car Travel — Try and limit the number of bathroom or food breaks (if possible pack your own food)
To anyone who is unable to celebrate the holidays with their loved ones, remember…  Although you may be far apart, you are all close in each other´s hearts!

Happy Holidays!

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.:

Apple/Cinnamon Roll Cobbler

Grandma C.
Ingredients

There are only 2 ingredients needed for this 30 minute recipe but it will taste like it took you all day to make!
  1. 1 can apple pie filling

  2. 1 can refrigerated Pillsbury Cinnamon RollsTM
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a small baking dish (8x8) or (9x9). Cut each cinnamon roll into 4 quarters.  In a small mixing bowl, add the pie filling and fold in the cinnamon roll dough.

Spread the mixture onto the bottom of the baking dish.


Bake 25 minutes or until cinnamon rolls are cooked through and browned slightly.

Drizzle the icing (from the cinnamon roll tube) over the top of the cobbler.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or Cool WhipTM.

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
 

All Savon Providers

Tommy
Our spotlight for December shines on our network of providers.

This year has been an unexpected whirlwind of events, rules, regulations, restrictions and struggles for everyone.

A few of our providers were forced to close permanently, some kept skeleton crews working at reduced hours.  Everyone was affected in some way.

As we mark the end of this tumultuous year, we would like to shine our Spotlight on ALL of our superb providers.

A special heartfelt thank you to those who are still with us as well as those who are not, for the wonderful care they have given our members throughout this year.  It is because of these wonderful, hard working and dedicated people that we are able to keep moving forward and continue to provide our members with quality dental coverage and care.

Our sincerest Best Wishes going forward and we hope and pray for the health and prosperity of our members and providers in the New Year.

Thank you from the Staff at Savon Dental Plan


Fun Facts:

Fun Facts About Christmas We Bet You Didn´t Know

confused
  • 1066 – King William I of England was crowned on Christmas Day.

  • 1640 – Scotland abolished the observance of Christmas (until 1958 when it became a legal holiday).

  • Christmas trees were banned by President Teddy Roosevelt in the White House in 1901 because the President was concerned about the environmental effects, but his sons decorated a small tree cut on the White House grounds and hid it in a closet until Christmas morning.

  • 1915 – Hallmark introduced their first Christmas cards.

  • During World War II, the Bicycle playing card company made decks of cards and gave them to the prisoners of war in Germany as Christmas presents.  Hidden escape routes were revealed when the cards were soaked in water.

  • A “grog” is any drink made with rum; hence the name for the egg, cream, nutmeg, and rum drink “eggnog” which originated in 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia.

  • Ever wonder about the string on a box of animal crackers?  Introduced around Christmas in 1902, the string was intended to be used to hang the cracker boxes on your Christmas tree.
Come back for more in next months issue!


Dental Talk - A Member Blog Forum:

Blogging

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

E. Hearing of Dallas, Texas asks: 

“Why does the fee schedule say the price of my crown is one thing, but the doctor charged me more?  Aren´t the doctors supposed to charge according to the schedule?”

Savon’s Answer

Yes, all Savon Preferred Providers are contracted to the Savon Fee Schedule.  Sometimes, especially with crown and bridge work, dental offices bundle the crown and the lab fees into one price, which would make your crown appear higher than what the fee schedule allows.

All of our fee schedules have sub codes (which appear as a letter a,b,c, or d) next to any procedure where the crown, bridge, denture, or partial have allowable lab fees that can be charged by the dentist.

These fees vary depending on what type of restoration you are having done.  We recommend that you verify with the dental office what type of crown, bridge, denture, partial, etc.  you are having done and what is the lab charges on top of that.

If for any reason the math still doesn´t add up, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Care Team for assistance.


Tooth Talk With Tommy The Wisdom Tooth

Do you know which dental habit may limit the spread of COVID–19?

A Reprint of an article by Melissa Busch, DrBicuspid.com assistant editor
Tommy
People who were living with at least one person who tested positive for COVID–19 and brushed their tongue daily were less likely to become infected by the novel coronavirus, in a study published on October 19 in BMC Oral Health.

However, toothbrushing, flossing, or using oral rinses did not a make significant difference in whether those living in the same house became infected.  Despite many people taking known infection control measures such as sanitizing toothbrushes and not sharing toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes, some cross-infection occurred, the authors wrote.

“This result can be interpreted to indicate the tongue as the main oral organ acting as a reservoir of COVID–19 and the importance of brushing to decrease the viral load of the individual carrier,” wrote the group, led by María José González–Olmo of the dentistry department at Rey Juan Carlos University in Madrid.
Habits of housemates

Global efforts to contain SARS–CoV–2, the virus that causes COVID–19, include maintaining good hygiene, keeping a safe distance from others, and sanitizing surfaces.  Preliminary research has suggested that the mouth is a robust site for infection and transmission of the virus, and other evidence has indicated that maintaining good oral hygiene also may stop the spread.  Here, researchers aimed to determine whether misuse of dental hygiene would facilitate the spread of COVID–19 among people living together.

Approximately 300 people living in Spain were sent an online questionnaire in April 2020, approximately four weeks after the country was locked down due to the pandemic.  All respondents lived with and shared a bathroom with another person.  Approximately 170 people were cross–infected from housemates, the researchers found.

Routines that may matter most

Approximately 34% of all participants reported that they brushed their teeth two or more times daily, about 20% flossed every day, about 15% used a daily rinse, and about 17% brushed their tongue every day.  Tongue brushing was used more among those without transmission of the disease to other members of their households.

Of those in the cross–infected group, 127 shared toothbrush containers and 43 did not.  In the group with no cross–infection, 65 shared brush containers and 67 didn´t.  Only a small segment of both groups disinfected their brushes with bleach daily.  A total of 276 participants didn´t disinfect their brushes.  Of the 25 people who sanitized their brushes, about one–third still became infected with the novel coronavirus.  In addition, about 5% of the cross–infected group (eight people) shared their toothbrush with someone they lived with.  Of those who didn´t get infected, only one shared a toothbrush.

The study had some limitations, according to the authors.  For example, the data were self–reported, and the aerosol and surface viability of SARS–CoV–2 at the participants´ homes could not be measured due to lockdowns.

Encourage good habits

Nevertheless, dentists should encourage patients to maintain good oral hygiene, including flossing and tongue brushing, and to avoid actions like toothbrush sharing or storing brushes with others.

“The use of inappropriate measures in the dental environment could contribute to the indirect transmission of COVID–19 between cohabitants,” they wrote.

Until next time; brush, floss and keep smiling!

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


From Our House To Yours

Happy Holidays And Other Information

As we usher out 2020 and welcome 2021 with renewed hope and optimism, we want to thank every member for their continued trust in Savon Dental Plan.  It is only through your valued business that we have been able to survive.

We have watched so many businesses close for good as a result of this pandemic and we know that we are truly blessed to still be here providing the best savings in dental care in the country.

Many of you have asked why we have done away with the hard plastic membership cards.  The main reason was a cost cutting effort.  This measure has made it possible for us to hold the price of membership steady through these troubled times.

Some members have tried to laminate their new ID card only to find that it turned black and with embarrassment in their voice called and asked for a new card.  For those of you that want to laminate their card, Walmart sells card size non–heat laminating pouches that will work just fine.

From all of us at Savon, stay safe, stay healthy, keep smiling and remember that we are here to serve you!

No matter how you say it Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanzaa, Yuletide Greetings, Happy Holidays, Joyeux Noêl, Feliz Navidad, Seasons Greetings or any of many ways, we wish you health, joy and peace during this season.

Savon Dental Plan Is Not Available For Purchase In The State Of Florida
 
Legal | Disclaimer | Disclosures | Site Map | About Us | Contact Us
This is not dental insurance and is not intended to replace insurance.
Site Hosting by Internet 6.
©Copyright 1998 - 2023. All rights reserved. Savon Dental Plan®
A Division of Savon Professional Services Inc.
Corporate Offices Located In Phoenix, Arizona  1-800-809-3494
facebook Twitter