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July 2022 Newsletter

What´s New at Savon

Quote Of The Month:   “Common sense is like deodorant.  The people who need it most never use it.”  (Anonymous)


Congratulations To:

S. Boyer of Chandler, Arizona and J. Such of Surprise, Arizona  Winners of our June 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:

Back Care: Part 1 – What‘s behind your back pain?

Jourdin
“You know when you‘re getting older when your back starts going out more than you do!” – Phyllis Diller.

Did you know that back pain is one of the leading causes of chronic pain?  According to the American Chiropractic Association, about 31 million Americans will experience low back pain at any given time.  Back pain is also the most common reason people miss work, accounting for 264 million lost workdays in one year.

Back pain does not discriminate, it can affect people of all ages.  However, the first signs of back pain are typically noticed in people in the age group between 30 and 50.

Most people don‘t think about their back until it hurts but have you delved into what could be causing the pain?  Could it be from stress, excess weight, lack of muscle, or poor posture?

Below are some of the most common sources of back pain:
  • Muscle sprain & spasms – This is usually caused by strained muscles, tendons, or ligaments.  Expect immediate pain followed by stiffness and spasms later on.

  • Osteoarthritis – This usually affects people past the age of 60.  This can be due to old injuries or just the aging process.  The tissue that covers the surface of the vertebrae begins to deteriorate.  Over time the spine will stiffen, and flexibility will be lost.

  • Sciatica – This is a nerve that runs down each leg from the hip to the heel.  When this nerve is compressed expect the pain to radiate from your buttock to the lower leg.  It can also be accompanied by a tingling sensation, numbness, and even muscle weakness.

  • Osteoporosis – This is due to the lack of calcium within the bones.  In some cases, the vertebrae become compressed which will cause back pain.

  • Herniated disc – Normal wear and tear can cause a disc in the spinal cord to bulge or rupture.  Between the vertebrae is a jelly–like substance but when that substance protrudes, it can put pressure on a nerve, resulting in pain.
If you are experiencing chronic back pain, contact your primary care physician right away for professional medical treatment.  If your pain is tolerable, come back next month for part 2 – How to treat and prevent back pain.

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.:

Simple One Pot Parmesan Pasta

Grandma C.
Ingredients
  1. 4 cups chicken stock
  2. 1 12 oz pkg spaghetti (broken in half)
  3. 1 small onion, sliced thin
  4. 1 can Rotel tomatoes (mild or spicy, your choice)
  5. 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
  6. 1 tbsp minced garlic
  7. 1 tbsp lemon juice
  8. 3 tbsp olive oil
  9. ¼ cup heavy cream
  10. 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  11. Salt and Pepper

Place all ingredients except heavy cream and parmesan cheese in a cooking pot or dutch oven.

Bring to a boil, cover and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring a couple of times so the pasta does not stick together.

Reduce heat to low and stir in heavy cream and parmesan cheese.

Cook 1 more minute, remove from heat and let it sit for a couple of minutes to thicken.  Garnish with additional basil.

Serve with toasted garlic bread or breadsticks!

Serves 6 people.

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
 

Garrett Family Dental Care

Garrett Family Dental Care
Our spotlight for July goes to the city of Surprise, Arizona and shines on Garrett Family Dental Care for the 6th time since 2015.

“From the front office to the exam room, our practice is made up of professionals who take your oral health very seriously.  Using state–of–the art equipment designed with safety and efficiency in mind, we are able to offer top-notch care.  As you walk through our office, you will notice that everything is clean, comfortable and thoroughly sterilized.  Your safety and comfort are our priority.”

Garrett Family Dental Care has been a preferred provider for Savon since 2005 and takes care of many of our members in the far west valley.  Because of the caring manner in which they treat their patients, many of our members that used to live in Surprise now drive 15 to 20 miles for their dental work because they love Dr. Garrett and the entire staff.

“At our practice, you aren´t just a patient. We take an interest in you and your oral health needs.  We think you´ll find a friend in your dental professional during your visit!”

The practice is located at 15009 W. Bell Rd. Ste 175 - Surprise, AZ 85374.  The phone number is 623-476-8100.  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
  • The only real person to be a Pez head was Betsy Ross.

  • Montpelier, Vermont, is the only U.S. capital without a McDonald‘s.

  • Studies found that women also have a more heightened sense of smell.

  • Roughly six to 10 percent of incarcerated women are pregnant.

  • Playing dance music can help ward off mosquitoes.

  • On average, 100 people choke to death on ballpoint pens every year.

  • Bears don‘t poop during hibernation.
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

D. Kincade of Phoenix, Arizona asks: 

“I just moved here and I‘m considering joining your plan.  In looking over your dental list I see that you don‘t have a ton of dentist on your plan.  Can you explain why you have such a limited selection?”

Savon’s Answer

From our point of view the answer is simple.  Quality over quanity.  While other plans have a lot more dentists, we carefully choose the facilities based on location and quality of service.  We feel that we would rather have 5 excellent facilities over having 15 good ones.

We inspect and visit every dental center on our plan and we know most of the office personnel.  With this type of interaction we are able to maintain the highest quality service from both Savon and the dental facilities.


Tooth Talk With Tommy The Wisdom Tooth

Oral Health Disparities Prevalent In People With Disabilities

A direct repirnt of an article by Alex Dagostino, DrBicuspid.com associate editor
Tommy
Dental care is the most unmet healthcare need among people with a disability, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association.  About 25% of the U.S. population has a disability that hinders their function and independence.

Adults with disabilities face disproportionate challenges in accessing dental care, the study noted.  Challenges in accessing care can contribute to decreased health outcomes, which can further cause increased disability, increased healthcare costs, and decreased quality of life (JADA, May 5, 2022).

The authors focused their study on people with disabilities in general and those with intellectual, acquired, or developmental disabilities (IADDs).  IADDs are characterized by limitations in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior and are associated with poor oral health status and outcomes.  Adults with IADDs have up to a 92% prevalence of periodontal disease and up to 73% prevalence of edentulism.

While oral health status for adults with disabilities and IADDs have been well documented, the root causes for the disparities are not well understood.  Researchers evaluated the association between disability status and oral healthcare use, with a special focus on adults with IADD diagnoses.
The study authors assessed the association between disability status and dental care use by using the 2018 U.S. National Health Interview Survey.  They evaluated the association between IADD status and oral healthcare use within two years by assessing population–based access to oral healthcare and the relationship of disability status with dental care use.

Adults with an IADD were 2.29 times as likely to have had no dental visit in the past two years compared to adults with no disabilities.  Adults with other disabilities were 1.5 times as likely to have had no visit.

An IADD diagnosis had significant associations that limited a person‘s function and independence, thus hindering their oral healthcare.  Compared to adults with other disabilities or no disabilities, adults with IADDs are less likely to visit a dentist.

The findings of this study are consistent with previous studies assessing the barriers that impact dental care for adults with disabilities.  The study authors urge dental professionals to use their study to better understand the implications of an IADD diagnosis on oral healthcare use and to make efforts to facilitate care for these patients.

One factor that might improve dental care for this cohort is reducing cost barriers.  In the study, oral healthcare use for people with IADDs was not statistically different from adults with other disabilities when only accounting those who cannot afford oral healthcare.

Adults with IADDs are often insured through Medicaid, which typically has limited dental providers, reducing the likelihood of people with disabilities receiving necessary dental care.  Without accepted insurance, patients with disabilities may not be able to cover out–of–pocket costs, the authors noted.

“The disproportionate barriers to oral healthcare for adults with IADDs, especially those covered via Medicaid, could be improved with more closely integrated medical and oral healthcare,” the authors 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.

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