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

January 2021 Newsletter

What´s New at Savon

Quote Of The Month:   “On the bright side, thanks to lockdown we never got used to writing 2020 on things, so 2021 should come easier.”  (Author Unknown)


Congratulations To:

M. Britton of Surprise, Arizona and D. Rains of Mesa, Arizona  Winners of our December 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:

New Year…  New You!   Welcome 2021!

Jourdin
Do you know what the top five New Year´s resolutions are in America?  Well, if you guessed any of the following then you are correct!
  • Exercise
  • Diet to lose weight
  • Save money
  • Eat healthier in general
  • Self–care
In this article, I am going to discuss how to get off the sidelines (couch or recliner), put on athletic shoes and get back into the game of… you guessed it, exercise!

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, around 80.2 million people aged 6 and older are physically inactive.  That is despite research explaining how exercising may help prevent coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, stroke, depression and many more.
For adults, it is recommended by the American Heart Association to:
  • Get at least 2.5 - 5 hours of moderate-intense aerobic activity per week.

  • Add in moderate-heavy muscle strengthening exercises at least two days a week.

  • Spend less time sitting around.
We all know that aging is inevitable and consists of significant loss of muscle, bone, and aerobic capacity.  Most of us know that one way to slow down the process is to get moving!  If you are an elderly adult and want to start moving, It is suggested that you start with some low-impact exercises.  I have listed a few below:
  • Warm-up:
    • Simple stretches.

  • Aerobic Fitness:
    • One-mile walk (park, around the block or the local school track)
      • Take your time, there is no rush. If you need breaks, take them!

    • Muscle Strengthening:
      • Lower body:
        • Sit on the edge of a sturdy chair. Use your legs only to stand up.
          • Do this until you are uncomfortable. Record your number and slowly work on increasing the number.
      • Upper body:
        • Push-ups (regular, on knees or wall)

    • Shoulder rolls:
      • Gently raise shoulders to the ceiling then release back down.
      • Gently roll shoulder forward and backward.


    Remember, you do not have to do these all at one time.  Start slow and once you start feeling comfortable, add in a new exercise or increase your repetitions.  This is not a race; it is your journey to being active and healthy!

    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.:

    Cheesy Keto Cauliflower Bites

    Grandma C.
    Ingredients

    1. 5 egg whites

    2. ½ cup cauliflower, riced (from frozen, thawed)

    3. 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or cheddar/jack blend

    4. Extra cheese for topping

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

    Mix cauliflower, shredded cheese and egg whites in a medium mixing bowl.

    Let stand for 5 minutes.

    Grease the bottom of a mini muffin tin.

    Add approximately 1 TBSP of mixture to each muffin cup.  Sprinkle some extra shredded cheese on top.

    Bake 15 minutes until edges are golden brown.  Let stand for 5 minutes, then pop them out and enjoy!

    These cauliflower bites taste very similar to tater tots!

    Recipe makes 24-36 small bite-sized snacks.

    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
     

    Southwest Smile Center

    Dr. Ancerson
    Our spotlight for January goes to the city of Tucson, Arizona and shines on Southwest Smile Center

    If you are looking for a dentist and staff that listens and responds to your needs, look no further than Dr. Michael C. Anderson and the staff of Southwest Smile Center in Tucson, AZ.

    From routine check-ups for your family to removing plaque and teeth whitening for yourself, Dr. Anderson and his team does it all.  With Southwest Smile Center, you get the smile you have always wanted.

    The practice is located at 2025 W. Grant Rd., Tucson, Arizona 85745.  The phone number is (520)294-4444.  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:

    Crazy, Zany Facts We Bet You Didn´t Know

    confused
    • There´s a basketball court on the top floor of the U.S. Supreme Court Building.  Its nickname?  You guessed it: “the highest court in the land.”

    • Harvard might be hard to get into with a 4.5 percent admittance rate, but try this on for size: only 2.6 percent of Walmart applicants are accepted.

    • A lifetime Cleveland Browns fan and season ticket holder requested in his obituary for “six Cleveland Browns pallbearers” at his funeral.  Why?  “So the Browns can let him down one last time.”

    • “Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia” is the name for the “fear of long words.”

    • The blob of toothpaste that sits on your toothbrush has a name.  It's called a “nurdle.”

    • If you put some Viagra in a vase, it will make flowers stand up straight for a week beyond when they would normally wilt.

    • There´s a village in southern Norway actually named “Hell.” And get this: every winter it freezes over!
    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

    E. DeLong of Queens, New York asks: 

    “Why would one dentist tell me I need a crown and another dentist tell me I only need a filling?  It seems like someone is trying to sell me something that I don´t really need.”

    Savon’s Answer

    Dentistry, as is general medicine is called a practice.  The reason it´s called this is because it´s and on-going learning experience, hence… “practice.” The dentist is a person. just like you and me.  The only difference is their training.  The problem with the practice of dentistry is that the doctors practice what they have been taught in dental school.

    The difference in the diagnosis from one dentist to another most likely can be attributed to what dental school they studied at.  East coast and west coast dental schools tend to teach a more aggressive style of diagnosing where midwest, southwest and southern dental schools teach a more conservative style.

    I have found, for the most part, that the dentist has virtually no knowledge of your finances, insurance or dental plan.  They are simply telling you what they think you need and they leave the finances up to the office manager or treatment manager.

    If you feel that you have been over diagnosed don´t hesitate to ask questions.  After all, it´s your mouth and your money.


    Tooth Talk With Tommy The Wisdom Tooth

    More than 6M likely without dental coverage due to COVID-19

    A Reprint of a September 2020 article by Melissa Busch, DrBicuspid.com assistant editor
    Tommy
    About half of those who lost dental insurance when they became unemployed due to COVID-19 are expected to remain uninsured. Higher rates can be expected in states that didn't expand Medicaid, according to a study published on August 28 in the Journal of Dental Research.

    Dental practices should anticipate drops in routine dental exams, a boost in procedures such as tooth extractions that are undergone more often by the uninsured and publicly insured, and an uptick in emergency visits.

    "These changes may further affect dental practice as the dental industry resumes care delivery in an uncertain economic and [healthcare] environment," wrote the authors, led by Sung Eun Choi, PhD, of the department of oral health policy and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.
    No job, no coverage

    In August, the unemployment rate was 8.4%, and 13.6 million people were unemployed. Though this was the fourth consecutive month in which that number decreased, it's still higher than it was in February right before many states shut down due to COVID-19. In February, the unemployment rate was 3.5%, and 5.8 million were unemployed. Despite these gloomy figures, 22,000 people have returned to the dental workforce, according to statistics released on September 4 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    Dentistry's recovery has pretty much leveled off at about 80% of pre-COVID-19 levels, and industry experts have been waiting and watching to see exactly how the rising unemployment rate will affect dental practices. They also have been worried about how the pandemic may widen the gaps in care for underserved populations. The COVID-19 pandemic may lead to about one-fifth of Medicaid providers in private practice disenrolling from the program, according to recent data from the ADA's Health Policy Institute (HPI).

    Number crunching

    Using previously applied econometric estimates, the researchers estimated changes in dental insurance coverage at the state level. A microsimulation model and national practice survey data were used to project the types of dental procedures performed at dental practices in the U.S. Changes in emergency department visits for dental problems were estimated by fitting trendlines to emergency room visit patterns by payor type.

    Approximately 47% of those who lost their employer-sponsored dental insurance when they were laid off are expected to remain uninsured, while approximately 45% are likely to enroll in state-based Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Those who become eligible for Medicaid may have variable dental coverage based on the state in which they live. Twelve states, including Texas, Florida, and Wisconsin, have not adopted the Medicaid expansion, according to data released in August from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

    Dental-related emergency department visits also are expected to grow by 4%, the authors wrote.

    Important comparison

    The study had several limitations; for example, the researchers assumed the response of employer-sponsored insurance rates to the unemployment rate would be the same between medical and dental insurance plans when estimating coverage changes. However, due to overall lower dental insurance enrollment rates compared to medical, the response of employer-sponsored dental insurance rates to unemployment rates is likely higher than that of medical, they noted.

    "Losses of employment caused by the COVID-19 [pandemic] in the United States can have countervailing effects on people's health by impeding access to dental care," they wrote.

    Just scratching the surface

    Teresa Duncan, a dental insurance consultant and the president of Odyssey Management, said there are plenty of other challenges.

    "We've already seen the effects of employment status changes," Duncan said. "It's been difficult to obtain accurate eligibility due to human resources departments not reporting personnel changes."

    Patients who choose to extend coverage using the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) present different issues for dental practices.

    "Offices will need to be firm with coinsurance collection," Duncan said. "COBRA plans are notoriously slow paying. On the other hand, if a patient indicates COBRA coverage, then he or she is likely a good candidate for an in-house savings plan."

    Most importantly, patients without insurance will likely stop going to the dentist.

    "Patients who had predictable regular coverage will likely put off care until they can either afford it or until they obtain coverage," she said. "Patients will appreciate offices that make it easier by offering membership plans or third-party financing.

    Until next time; brush, floss and keep smiling!

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

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 - 2024. All rights reserved. Savon Dental Plan®
A Division of Savon Professional Services Inc.
Corporate Offices Located In Phoenix, Arizona  1-602-841-3494
facebook Twitter