March 2008 Newsletter

What´s New at Savon

• Quote Of The Month
• Cohen’s Corner – Straight Talk From The Doctor - “In-house” dental plan: yes or no?
• February's TV & Secret Word Contest Winners
• To Your Health - Want healthy gums? Hit the dairy aisle.
• A Question From A Member - Is cheaper better?
• Your Opinions Wanted!!
• New Schedule Of Benefits In Place For Arizona
• Business Partner Of The Month - Galicia Jewelers

◄ 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 (i.e. July 10th for June's 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 March is "vague and complicated".

Quote of the month:

Unquestionably, there is progress. The average American now pays out twice as much in taxes as he formerly got in wages. - H. L. Mencken (1880 - 1956).

Cohen’s Corner – Straight talk from the Doctor:
“In House” Dental Plan: Yes Or No?

Although I mostly write these articles on the scientific aspects of dentistry, I have been asked so many times about 'in-house' dental plans that I need to address this question as best I can, so that you, the consumer, can better understand the 'ins' and 'outs' of these 'in-house' plans and therefore make better decisions with your health care dollars.  An 'in-house' dental plan is defined as a dental plan that has it‘s origin in the dental office in which it is being offered.*  Like most ideas in life, there is the good, the bad, and the ugly aspects of the idea.  Let‘s take the good, the bad, and the ugly of “in-house” dental plans one at a time so that we can better understand them.

• The Good:  The good of 'in-house' dental plans are that you should get some of the procedures done in the offices that are offering these plans at a reduced rate from the 'normal' fee for service charges in these offices.


• The Bad:  The bad of 'in-house' dental plans are that if you join an 'in-house' plan you are committing yourself and your loved ones to stay with this office, or one of their affiliate offices, for the duration of the plan no matter what happens in the office as far as staff and location changes.  Usually, the 'in-house' plans have no provisions for a refund if you are unhappy with a staff and/or location change of that office.  In today‘s transient world of work, we all run into the problem that the super dentist, plumber, accountant, or lawn maintenance man you saw two months ago has moved to another practice or company, and now you have to start working with a new person.  In my thirty plus years of dentistry at the chair, I found that once a patient finds a dentist that he or she likes, it is a very upsetting situation to have to change to a new dentist (and/or staff) that you have to get 'comfortable' with again.


• The Ugly:  The ugly part of most 'in-house' dental plans is that they are extremely expensive and that many don‘t cover the majority of the more expensive procedures in the office.  These 'in-house' plans are usually very vague and complicated so that you really don‘t know what your savings are, unless you have the office list their 'normal' fee for service and then show you exactly what you are saving by being on the “in-house” plan.

Congratulations to K. Brown, of Carson City, NV  Winner of our February T. V. Drawing

Mr. Brown was the winner of February's T. V. drawing. A gift certificate for a 20" television was mailed to him last week.

NOTE:  This is the last drawing for the T. V.  The drawings now will be for a Visa® gift card worth $50.00

Congratulations to J. O'Neill of Tucson, AZ  Winner of our February Secret Word Contest

Ms. O'Neill'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 be worth $25.00 to you!!

To your health:
Routine intake of dairy products can help reduce periodontal disease
A reprint from American Academy of Periodontology 02/06/08

CHICAGO February 6, 2008 Consumers have long known that including dairy in their diets can help maintain healthy bones and even help promote weight loss.  However, a recent study published in the January issue of the Journal of Periodontology, the official publication of the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP), demonstrated that routine intake of dairy products may also help promote periodontal health.  The study analyzed the periodontal health of 942 subjects and determined that those who regularly consumed dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt had a lower instance of gum disease.

“Research has suggested that periodontal disease may affect overall systemic health,” said study author Dr. Yoshihiro Shimazaki of Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan.  “This study reinforces what much of the public already knows the importance of dairy in helping achieve a healthy lifestyle, including a healthy mouth.”

Study participants aged 40 through 79 were examined on two periodontal parameters that can indicate gum disease, periodontal pocket depth (PD) and clinical attachment loss (CAL) of gum tissue. Researchers observed that subjects that consumed 55 or more grams of products containing lactic acid each day had a significantly lower prevalence of deep PD and severe CAL, therefore demonstrating a lower instance of periodontal disease.

Periodontal, or gum, disease is a chronic bacterial infection that affects the gums and bone supporting the teeth. Periodontal disease is a major cause of tooth loss in adults and has been connected to the development of heart disease and increased risk of stroke, and can contribute to complications from diabetes, respiratory disease or osteoporosis.

“Millions of adults already suffer from periodontal disease,” says Dr. Susan Karabin, DDS, President of the AAP.  “By regularly consuming dairy products such as cheese and milk, something many people do each day, the risk of developing gum disease may decrease.  These findings are important since maintaining healthy gums is a critical component to maintaining a healthy body.”

A question from a member:

Question:

I am considering joining a dental plan. I have found a few plans that cost less to join than Savon. Can you explain why Savon is more expensive and what it offers that the other plans don‘t?

Savon's Answer:

First of all, make sure you‘re comparing apples to apples.  Savon is one of the most comprehensive plans on the market.

With the other dental plans, you may find a few procedures that are less expensive, however, the overall savings with Savon comes from our comprehensive Schedule of Benefits.  Every dentist that takes our plan is under contract to charge our members according to our Schedule of Benefits. We set the prices, not the doctor. This avoids the possibility of the dentist inflating the fees and allows the patient time to plan their budget as well as offering a clear definition as to what they are paying for.

Unlike the other dental plans, Savon allows the provider to charge for virtually every procedure.  This means that the provider is bringing in a profit (even if it‘s a little one) on almost every Savon member that they treat.  What this means to you is a greater longevity with the providers that accept Savon.  Providers stay with Savon because our fee schedule is fair and reasonable, for both our providers and our members.

In short, the provider can make money while the patient saves money!!!

Most dental plans list somewhere between 25 and 50 procedures.  In most cases, their discounts are only for the procedures that are listed.  If a procedure is not listed then you pay the provider's usual fee.  Savon‘s Schedule of Benefits lists over 225 procedures.

With Savon, any procedure done by a general practitioner that is not listed on our Schedule of Benefits is still discounted by 50% off of the doctor's own usual and customary fee.

The only thing we offer that is not at least 50% off is specialty work, which is always done at a 25% discount at any of our preferred specialist offices.

These, of course, are just a few reasons why Savon is the best choice for alternative dental coverage. For more information on the different types of dental coverage as well as some pro‘s and con‘s, read Unraveling the Mystery of Dental Coverage.

Your opinions wanted - Come blog with us:

Come join in the discussions with Savon bloggers.  We are blogging new things every day.  Read the blogs and then add your own comments.  We would really like to know what you think.  We welcome you to visit our blog pages now.

New Schedule of Benefits in place for Arizona:

The 2008 Urban Fee Schedule for Zone 1 has been revised!

If the date on your fee schedule reads anything other than February 15, 2008, give us a call at 1-800-809-3494 or get a copy online now

We are always working hard to keep your cost of dental care as low as possible.  With this new schedule of benefits, we do not anticipate another adjustment until January of 2010.

Business partner of the month:

Galicia Jewelers