July 2007 Newsletter
What's New at Savon
◄ Back to What´s New At Savon - Monthly Newsletter Home Page
In every newsletter you will find a secret word or phrase. When you locate the word or phrase, copy the entire paragraph and paste it into an email along with your Savon membership ID number and your name.
Send the email to customerservice@savondentalplan.com. The emails will be printed and the winning entry will be drawn on the 15th of the following month. All entries must be received by the 10th of the month (July 10th for Junes newsletter, etc.). The winning entry will receive a check from Savon for $25.00. Only one entry per family is allowed and you may only win once per 12 months. The secret phrase for July is "explanation of lab fees"
Quote of the Month: "A husband is what is left of the lover after the nerve has been extracted." - Helen Rowland (1876-1950) .
Cohen’s Corner – Straight talk from the Doctor:
Orthodontics (braces) Made Easy
Many of you have asked in your e-mails about the hows and whys of orthodontics (braces) so, (even though it takes two years to specialize as an orthodontist after dental school), here is a very simplified version of orthodontics.
Unfortunately to understand any new field of endeavor there are always going to be definitions first. The good news is that if you can remember b and b you should have no
problem with this article. Let‘s first talk about our new code: b and b.
The first b (definition) stands for bone because it is the bone around the roots of the teeth that the orthodontist needs to move the teeth through. Without getting into too much physiology, the three main things to remember about bone are:
- bone is a live tissue, just like any other part of the body
- bone, being a live tissue, is made up of cells like all other tissues in the body
- the two main cells in the bone that play the biggest role in tooth movement are the osteoclasts and the osteoblasts.
The what?? OK here is the important part: osteoclasts are cells that when pressure is applied to them, they dissolve bone and osteoblasts are cells that when a negative pressure is put on them, they lay down new bone. Are you still with me?
So you can think about it like moving a straw through a thick malt. As the straw moves forward, pressure is formed on the ice cream in front of it and the ice cream slowly moves away from the pressure (these are the osteoclasts) and as the straw makes a void behind it, the ice cream slowly moves in to fill this void (these are the osteoblasts). OK, you still don‘t like these names! Let‘s change the names to bone takers and bone makers...heck, there goes dental school!
The second b stands for bite, or how the teeth come together to chew food. Remember your teeth are the first part of your digestive tract and the main reason we have teeth to begin with is so that we can chew our food and get it to the stomach so it can do its job in the digestive system.
So let‘s summarize what we have so far. Bone is live tissue and has bone takers (osteoclasts) and bone makers (osteoblasts). How we chew is dependent on the bite, or how our teeth come together. So by now you have probably already figured out how orthodontics works. First the orthodontist takes measurements and x-rays to determine what actually needs to be accomplished to “straighten the teeth” and correct the bite and function of the teeth. Next come the “braces” which we are all familiar with. By the way, if you are thinking about “straightening” your teeth, ask about Invisalign which is a trademarked technique using clear trays to move the teeth instead of wire and brackets used with traditional “braces”.
Congratulations, you now know the secrets of “braces”: As the pressure is slowly added to the roots of the teeth in the direction that the orthodontist wants them to move, the bone takers (osteoclasts) remove the bone and on the other side of this pressure the bone makers (osteoblasts) lay down new bone. Once the teeth are in the position that the orthodontist wants them in, he holds them in that position until the bone “tightens” around the roots of the teeth and then the “braces” come off. Obviously, this is a simplified version of how orthodontics works. If you have specific questions about “braces”, talk to your dentist and he can refer you to someone who can talk to you about your specific needs.
Once again I want to thank you all for your e-mails. I‘m trying to cover all the great questions that you, our members, are asking, however, I am limited in my time and space to answer all these questions. Remember that your dentist can answer these questions also; so before he/she starts to hang things in your mouth, speak up and ask questions. After all, the first reason you went to the dentist was to find out how your oral health was and what could be done to correct any defects in that health.
To those of you that send emails asking specific questions, I hope that my response has either answered your question or directed you to someone that was able to help you. To everyone else, keep reading and sending in your questions and comments.
Until next month, Dr. Bruce Cohen.
Congratulations to P. Ricken of San Diego, CA Winner of our June T. V. Drawing
Mr. Ricken was the winner of June's T. V. drawing. A new 20" television was delivered to him a couple of weeks ago. Again, thank you to everyone that entered the drawing.
Congratulations to A. Rodriguez of Tempe, AZ Winner of our June Secret Word Contest
Ms. Rodriguez's correct answer was drawn and a check for $25.00 was sent to her. Make sure that you look for the secret word this month, it could beworth $25.00 to you!!
Understanding the fee schedule and using it to your advantage
One of the most common issues we have to resolve is the misunderstanding of our Fee Schedule. We truly believe that knowledge is power.
We have dedicated this article to educating you as a member on how to read, understand, and use your fee schedule to avoid misunderstandings, over-charging, or
any other confusion you may have regarding your dental bill.
You may or may not be aware that Savon's Fee Schedule is 'a la carte'. This means that we break EVERYTHING down so you can see exactly what you are paying for. Unfortunately, not all dental offices do this when they make up your bill. It is very common for providers to "bundle" your bill into one lump sum, leaving you without an explanation of charges. To avoid this, we suggest that you follow these 2 easy steps:
- Ask the treatment coordinator to break down your bill by procedure.
- Ask them for the ADA (American Dental Association) codes for every procedure.
Once you have those, you can look up each procedure by code and see exactly what you should be charged.
Another common issue we run into is the charging of lab fee's. Anytime you are having a procedure done that involves something being sent to a lab to be made, there is a lab fee involved.
Although Savon's fee schedule does not have a specific section dedicated to the explanation of lab fees, we do include that information in the code number for all procedures involving lab fees, (it will look something like this: bc2752). There may be up to 3 different letters in FRONT of the procedure code. The explanations and associated procedures for these letters are:
- a. First cleaning may be a difficult cleaning - (if you haven't had your teeth cleaned in a long time)
- b. Plus Gold/Metal Charges - (crowns, inlays and onlays - in addition to lab fee)
- c. Plus Lab Fee not to exceed $100.00 - (crowns)
- d. Plus Actual Lab Fee - (pure porcelain crowns, dentures)
- f. Plus Lab Fee not to exceed $ 110.00 - (fixed bridge work)
These explanations can also be found on the back side, bottom left hand area of your fee schedule (with the exception of the online fee schedule where the lab fees are listed directly underneath the procedure). Keep in mind that we can not quote you for a "gold/metal charge" or for an "actual lab fee," as these charges vary depending upon a multitude of factors.
Finally, as always, we HIGHLY RECOMMEND taking a copy of your fee schedule to EVERY dentist appointment. If you don't have a current fee schedule, you may print a copy from the web or contact our Customer Care Center at 800-809-3494 and we will mail one to you. Of course, should you have any problems or concerns regarding your dental bill, contact our Customer Care Center during regular business hours and a representative will be available to assist you.
Here are more tips to help you have a better dental experience:
- It sounds repetitive, but ALWAYS bring your fee schedule with you!
- Study your fee schedule and become familiar with it!
- Don't be afraid to ask questions, you'll never know until you ask!
- Don't be afraid to question your bill if you feel your charges are incorrect! It's your money, and you have a right to know exactly where it's going!
- Give us feedback! You, your opinions, comments, and concerns DO matter to us and we resolve 99.9% of our customer's issues.
Initial examination and treatment plans:
A question from a member
This is a verbatim copy of a member's email:
"I just went for my first dental visit under this plan. The dentist was very nice and very professional. They did a lot of x-rays, explained
everything to me and hit me with a treatment plan for just over $3500.00. I made sure that I had my fee schedule with me and they had no problem
comparing the Savon prices and the treatment plan prices for me. The charges on the treatment plan were strictly in line with the Savon fee schedule.
They even showed me what the treatment plan would have cost me if I didn't have Savon, $6500.00, so I knew I was saving $3000.00. Not quite 50%, but
still a significant savings. My problem is that I am a single person living on $16.00 per hour raising a kid. Even with Savon there is no way that
I can afford to do everything that the dentist wants to do. Although I know I am saving money with your plan, at this point in time it doesn't seem
that your plan is going to be able to help me. Am I the only person that has experienced this problem or there others and do you have any suggestions
as to what I or we can do?" - (name withheld at members request)
Savon's reply:
First: I am happy to see that you were charged according to the fee schedule. Second: No you are not alone. In fact we find that a large number of members are in the same situation that you are. Third: Yes I do have an explanation and some suggestions.
The first thing to understand is that a treatment plan is a "road map to optimum dental health". It IS NOT carved in stone. The fact of the matter is, if you go to 10 or 15 different dentists, you will get 10 or 15 completely different treatment plans. There are a few things that determine the way a dentist will diagnosis a treatment plan:
- Where he or she went to dental school.
- How long he or she has been in practice.
- The age of the patient.
- The ability of the dentist to perform certain procedures
You will notice that I did not include COST OF THE PROCEDURE in the above list. The doctor is there to diagnose a dental condition NOT your wallet. We have found that most dentists actually don't know what their fee is for any given procedure, this is usually left up to the treatment coordinator or the check out person.
If we look at the treatment plan like a road map, then almost every procedure can be seen as a city on the map. The starting point is where you are now and the final destination is optimum dental health. With the exception of a couple of things, you should be able to pick and choose what cities you want to visit:
- Initial Exam: Not negotiable, done at 1st visit. Find out what's in the car - X-RAYS, how old it is - FORMS, how many dents - VISUAL EXAM
- Full Mouth Debredment: Not negotiable for most people, usually done on 1st or 2nd visit. Clean the old grease and gunk (tarter, plaque, etc) off the motor and bottom of the car to look for hidden leaks and dents.
- Cleaning: Not negotiable and most people want it. Cleans the car and makes it sparkle.
- Periodontal Probing and Charting: Not negotiable usually done on 1st or 2nd visit. This is a very important step. They check the looks of the tires - COLOR AND CONDITION, and the depth of the tread - PERIO POCKETS. If the tires are worn out, you MUST replace them - PERIODONTAL TREATMENT, BEFORE you leave on your trip.
- Remainder of Treatment; Now you are ready to safely proceed on your trip. FROM THIS POINT ON, with the exception of pain (minor break downs) you should be able to pick and choose what cities you want to visit.
PLEASE keep in mind that at some point you should see every city on the map. If you don't, somewhere down the road you will find out what you are missing (more dental problems, possible pain and more expense).
Thank you for your question and I hope that this answer helps. If anyone else has a question, an article or suggestion please send me an email. You will find my email link near the bottom of the Contact Us page. Send your questions or articles to Clay P.
To your health:
Last month I wrote about a juice that I started taking. If you recall, I did not go into great detail about it because I wanted to see what effect, if any that it had on me. I also told you that after taking it for only one week, I was quite impressed. The way I was starting to feel actually scared me. I didn't know if it was the product working or my mind playing games with my body making me think that I felt better.
In an attempt to answer that question, I gave 5 other people a bottle of the juice and told them to try it and tell me what it did or didn't do for them. With me, my wife and 5 other people trying it, I was surprised at their experiences.
- My wife: Said it gave her more energy, helped her stay focused, gave her better mental clarity, helped her sleep better at night and although she got hungrier faster, it took less to fill her up.
- Meri - (Marketing Manager): Said it gave her more energy, better focus, helped her sleep better and wake up earlier. She said it made her less hungry.
- Dawn - Dental Assistant, mother of 2 young girls): Said it gave her more energy, better focus, more patience with her 2 girls, and it cleared up her acne problem (which was moderate to severe). She also said that it helped her sleep better and when she ran out of it she noticed the difference within 2 days.
- Nicki - (Computer Analyst) I haven't talked to her about it yet.
- Dick - (Attorney) I haven't talked to him about it yet.
- Adrian - Truck Driver) Said that he felt like he had more energy but has been taking it sparingly and hasn't seen a real big difference in anything.
Now for my report I told you in the June newsletter how my previous occupation damaged my knees, arms and back. I now know that the way I feel today is because of this juice and not just my imagination After 4 bottles of the juice, here are my results:
- The constant pain in my arms, knees and back is almost gone. (I have taken only 3 advil in 2 weeks and that was for a headache)
- I have 3 times the energy that I had before I started on the juice
- At 54 years old, I can see that my memory is improving
- Being a smoker, the horrible morning "hack" that I have had for many years is almost gone
- I find that not only am I less hungry all day, we I do eat, it takes less to fill me up
- I have lost 10 pounds without even trying
- Finally, I feel better overall than I have in many many years
As you can see, I don't think this is a good product. I BELIEVE it is a GREAT product!! The name of this product is Tahitian Noni. There are a lot of products out there that have Noni in them and many of them are far less expensive. I have done a lot of research on all of these products and have found that most of them are made with a powder form of Noni. To the best of my knowledge, only Tahitian Noni is made from the pulp of the Noni plant, processed and bottled in Provo, Utah.
One thing I will advise you about is this product is on the pricey side. They suggest that you drink 2 ounces a day and it comes in 1 liter bottles that cost about $42.00 a bottle. That means it will cost you about $2.63 a day. I know that you can buy Noni in other brands for a lot less (some as low as $13.00 a bottle at Costco), but my research has proven to me that it is not the same in quality. There is a way that you can purchase it for about $32.00 a bottle and that is by becoming a member. Membership cost is a one time fee of $35.00. Period. No strings attached.
Let's get one thing straight here - I am not trying to sell anyone anything - My goal is simple. I want to try and put a bottle of Tahitian Noni in the refrigerator of everyone I know. Please take a few minutes and visit the Tahitian Noni International website and read about this fine product.
If you are sincere about your health, have tried other products that don't seem to work or have not produced the results that you wanted, I invite you to try Tahitian Noni. For the first 5 people (single or couple) that email me at or call me at 602-841-3494, I will give you a $20.00 gift card for lunch at Motu's, out by the University of Phoenix stadium. I will set up a time with you and meet you at Motu's with your gift card. After lunch I will give you a quick tour of the store and the lifestyle center.
I look forward to meeting, eating and talking with you. This offer is limited to the first 5 people.
To your health - Clay Parker
Business partners guide to go live on July 15th:
On Monday morning July 16th, there will be a new page on the website. The business partners page will be up and running. This page will listevery business that is a member of Savon and has a website.
As a member, if you have a business that you would like to have listed, you still have time to get your name in. Please email your name, a brief description of your business and your website url to ().
If you have a business and don't have a website, we can help. We have the ability to design and maintain professional looking websites at a fraction of what other companies charge. If you are interested in a website, send a short email to me at ()
Golf tournament update:
Within the next 2 weeks we will be finalizing our date and course for the golf tournament. Those of you that have already replied will be receiving an email with the information. Those of you that would like to participate and have not yet replied, please send an email to Ms. Meri Osborne, or give her a call at 800-809-3494.
Again, We are looking for 18 - 4 person teams. The event will be a shotgun start, best team score. There will be a buffet lunch following the tournament and a raffle for some great prizes. The expected cost per player will be around $80.00 which will include greens fees, cart rental and the buffet lunch.
All proceeds from this event will benefit United Cerebral Palsy.
Don't forget to tell your friends:
In the June newsletter I explained how easy it is to make money telling your friends, family and co-workers about Savon. I want to thank those of you that have already referred people to us and I want to encourage the rest of you to make sure that you mention Savon whenever you have the opportunity.
Remember: Word of mouth is always the best source of advertising!
|
|
