February 2010 Newsletter
What´s New at Savon
◄ Back to What´s New At Savon - Monthly Newsletter Home Page
Quote of the month:
Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true. - Unknown
Congratulations to J. Griggs of Mesa, AZ Winner of our January drawing for 1 free additional year of membership.
Congratulations to our winner and thank you to everyone that entered the drawing.
Chairside Chat with Dawn Lawler:
 |
Seriously, What‘s With the Wait?
We‘ve all at some point or another, have been left to wait 10, 15, 20, 30 minutes or more in a dental office waiting room. We‘ve all experienced that tad bit of irritation and frustration that stems from not knowing when you will be seen at this point, let alone the fact that you don‘t know why you are waiting. We all dislike waiting. What we don‘t know, is what exactly is happening behind that waiting room door that may be the very good cause of your dental appointment delay.
With this being a touchy subject for most patients who have had endure a long, unplanned wait in the dentist office, I‘m going to focus on the dental office side of this fence.
|
Now, being that dentistry is not an exact science, the time allowance a dentist and his staff is given for a procedure is only an estimate. At times, unforeseen complications during treatment may cause a doctor to run behind, causing your appointment to be delayed.
Problems with anesthesia taking too long, an uncooperative patient, a cavity being larger or deeper than anticipated, a tooth fracturing at the root tip during extraction are all extremely common occurrences for the dentist and his assistants. When given the opportunity to leave chairside, the front desk is informed of the situation causing the staff to run late. Unfortunately, not all dental emergencies and complications allow for the assistant to leave the patient to do so in a timely manner.
In most cases, patients aren‘t usually kept waiting more than an average of 5 to 10 minutes. Usually at the 15-minute mark, the front desk will notify the patient of the delay and offer them to wait or reschedule. Any longer of wait, the patient is usually rescheduled, or if the front desk knows ahead time that the doctor is running behind, they may call ahead and reschedule your appointment before you make it to the office. Granted, in some offices this courtesy isn‘t always extended, however, in most dental facilities, it is applied.
For any reason, you‘ve been made to wait at the office, I always told my patients to;
- Ask the front desk if the dentist is running on time.
- Inform the front desk of other appointments or commitments you have that may conflict with your appointment if you are made to wait.
- Ask the front desk if there would be a better time for you to return if the doctor is running late.
We understand that your time is precious to you as well and in most cases would be happy to accommodate you in any way to make up for the inconveniences we may have caused you.
Most of all, I always asked my patients to be patient. Doctors will take the time necessary to finish the patient before you with the same expertise and care as he would you. You wouldn‘t want that patient they had to rush to finish, to be you.
If you have a particular topic that you would like her to discuss, please drop her an email by clicking here.
Keeping Fit with Jourdin Hendershot:
 |
Diabetes Part II
Diabetes Mellitus is a disease that has multiple affects on a person‘s body. As you are all probably aware, there are causes and effects of diabetes. Every body is different, so I‘m going to focus on what the causes and effects are of diabetes mellitus type one and type two.
Many people think that eating the wrong kinds of foods such as sweets cause diabetes, which is not true. This habit could lead to obesity and potentially cause diabetes later in life.
Diabetes is caused by the body not making enough insulin, or when the insulin produced is not working.
In type one diabetes, the cells in the pancreas are destroyed causing a lack of insulin.
Type two diabetes can be caused by increased glucose production in the liver. There are risk factors that play an important role in diabetes type two, such as increasing age, obesity, and lack of exercise.
|
The affects of diabetes definitely play a major role in the life of someone who has the disease. One of the main things people with diabetes have to do is check their blood sugar on a daily basis and often a couple of times a day.
As the diabetes worsen, there are many unpleasant effects that are possible. Some examples are; frequent urination, urinary tract infections, uncontrollable thirst, slow healing of the skin and loss of eyesight. As a result of diabetes, most that are afflicted find they have to change their meal plan by watching their diet very closely and cutting out junk food. Currently, there are approximately 23.6 million people in the United States that are diagnosed with active diabetes.
If you have questions you would like to discuss with Jourdin, feel free to drop her an email by clicking here.
Southern Comfort with Auntie Que:
Shrimp and Grits
You have truly not enjoyed the joy of real Southern cuisine until you have tasted Shrimp and Grits. If you can get a hold of Stone Ground grits from your grocer, that‘s great! If not, Quaker grits from your local store will work just fine.
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
- ¼ cup of chopped onions
- ¼ cup of chopped celery
- ½ teaspoon of dill
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 can tomato sauce
Directions:
Sautee onions, celery and shrimp in olive oil. Add dill. Salt and Pepper to taste.
Grits:
For the grits, follow the cooking directions on the box in conjunction to the number of guests you intend to serve.
Serve over each individual serving of grits. Enjoy!
To your health:
Your child‘s first dental visit
Frequently, dental staff members are asked “when should I bring my child in for their first dental visit?” Depending on the dentist, answers will almost always vary. However, the general consensus is the same.
The Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that children should be seen by a pediatric dentist when the first tooth appears in the child‘s mouth, or no later than their first birthday. This allows the dentist to begin building a life long trust with the child, promote a sense of comfort in the dental chair and begin monitoring their eruption process at an early age. Most children between the ages of 1 and 3 will only need mild cleanings that remove plaque build up from the visual surfaces of their teeth. As the child begins to show comfort in the dental chair, most parents are able to transition their child into appointment with their own family dentist.
On average, most general dentists will begin treating children around the age of 3 to 4 years of age for routine check-ups, cleanings and x-rays (provided the child is cooperative). For more young children requiring more invasive procedures, many dentists feel more comfortable referring them to a Pediatric Dental Specialist.
If you have any doubts about when or who your child should see for their dental needs, speak with your dental provider. They will be able to provide you with valuable information and pediatric providers in your area.
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.
A question from a member:
Question:
As a member of the Plus Plan, I am aware I have coverage through D.A.R.C. (Dental Accident Reimbursement Coverage). What exactly is considered a dental accident?
Savon's Answer:
As cited by the Plus Plan Benefit Guide that is distributed to all Plus Plan members, a dental accident is “any damage caused to a permanent natural tooth, unintentionally, by any object not intended for oral consumption.”
Examples of covered accidents:
- Sports related injuries occurring to the mouth
- Falls causing injuries to mouth
Examples of non-covered accidents:
- Injuries to teeth caused by something you ate.
- Injuries to teeth caused by something you were chewing on or holding with your mouth.
Should you have any questions about covered and non-covered dental accidents, please contact our Customer Service Department.
News You Can Use: News From Inside Your Dental Plan
Looking to make some extra cash each month? Join the Savon team!
Savon Dental Plan is currently looking for new sales agents in all 50 states.
Agents earn 25% commission on the policy value of each member they contract, and after 20 sales, the commission goes to 40%. There are no sign up fees to become an agent and all customer service is handled by Savon‘s Customer Service Department. This is a great part-time or full-time opportunity for self-motivated, energetic go-getters looking to make some extra money.
For more information check out our Agent Opportunities or call us at 800-809-3494!
Fun Facts
Crazy, Zany Facts We Bet You Didn't Know
Bet you didn‘t know this about the sweetest day of the year!!
- Around 498 A.D., Pope Gelasius declared Feb. 14 as St. Valentine‘s Day to honor the martyr Valentinus and to end the pagan celebration.
- Hallmark first offered Valentine‘s Day cards in 1913 and began producing them in 1916.
- Richard Cadbury, of Cadbury cream egg fame, invented the first box of Valentine's Day themed chocolates in the 1880s.
- 8 billion conversation hears will be produced this year, enough candies to stretch from Rome, Italy to Valentine, Arizona 20 times and back again.
- Over 50 million roses are given on Valentine's Day
- In Medieval times people who couldn't write their names signed with an 'X' in front of a witness. The 'X' was then kissed to show sincerity. Many believe this is how the 'X' symbol became synonymous with the kiss.
- Throughout history, chocolate has always been seen as an aphrodisiac: Madame DuBarry served chocolates to all of her suiters, Cassanova consumed chocolate instead of champagne to induce romance, and the ancient Aztec king, Montezuma believed chocolate would make him virile.
- In order of popularity, Valentine's Day cards are given to teachers, children, mothers, wives, sweethearts and pets.
- 73% of people who buy flowers for Valentine's Day are men, while only 27 percent are women.
- The Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare's lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet every Valentine's Day.
Come back for more in next months issue!
Dental Talk - a member blog forum
 |
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!!
Great Gift Idea for Birthdays, Anniversaries, or any occasion!
Savon Dental Plan has partnered up with SwartzGolf to offer you Golf Lessons with PGA Professional Instructor Dave Swartz at one SWINGIN deal!
Arizona Members can purchase gift certificates for:
- one (1) - one hour lesson with Dave for $35.00
- OR
- four (4) - one hour lessons with Dave for $100.00.
This offer is only valid for existing Savon members, however, the recipient of the gift certificates can be anyone!
For more information please call Savon's Customer Service Department at 602-841-3494 or Dave Swartz at 602-430-3379!
|
|
