Dr Ari Rosenblon and Dr. MI(hele So(khelm

IIIWS fr.. IUr offi" ... tH wlI1dIf ,.rlolllnlks foil I"'

~enta! irqplaqts the natural solution to missing teeth

In today' s society. looking and feeling your absolute best plays

an important role in every aspect of your life. both personal and pro­fessional. For those who have lost one or more o f thei r teeth. every­thing fro m the ability to chew nor­mally to self-esteem mny be af­fected.

While dentures and bridges are sti ll good reslOration o ptions. these treatments do not always feel natu­ral. and can lead 10 discomfort or undue stress on existing healthy teeth. Thanks to modern technol ­ogy. however, there is an option available that comes closer than

ever to replacing your natural teeth. nol 10 mention your self­confidence - dental implants.

An implant is essentialry a lita­nium screw which is surgically placed in the jawbone 10 replace the root of a nalural tooth. Once it has healed. an art ificial tooth is placed on the implant. Alternative treatment for a missing tooth is ei­ther to grind down the two healthy adjacent teeth or placi ng a remov­able appliance. The big advantage to implants is that nei ther of these treatments is necessary. Implants can also be placed to anchor full or partial dentures. or even in some cases. replace dentures. They al ­low patients to eat whatever they like. smi le with greater confidence. help with speech diffi culties. and hel p mainlain a healthy facial structure. In man y cases, denial implunls have even been shown to be stronger than natural teeth.

Dental implants enjoy a very high success rate. which is deter­mined by several factors. Proper patie nt selectio n (for instance, non­smokers with excellent oral hy· giene). the experience o f the doc-

In .his issue

Reol onswers oboul denlol insuronce

to r, and the patient' s commitment to proper home and follow-up care contribute to whether or not an im­plant will be successfu l. With the proper preventive mainlenance. implants should last a lifetime.

1f you are worried that placement of dental implants may cause too much pai n. lake comfort in the fact that patients who have been through the surgery o ften report it to be less troublesome than having a tooth removed. Another concem patients have regarding implants is the cost. It is important to consider thai dental implants are the most pennanent. natural solution to missing leeth. and they involve surgery along with several follow up visi ts to your dental office.

Ir you want to ensure the success o f your investment in dental

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Next t ime you call our office ... •..you may want to actually ask to be put on hold. We haye designed a new

message to make your time spent on hold more informative and entoYable. The Dodors onswer Let us know how like it!

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,..' Z The Perlo Reporter • DII.lmablatt IndSGllh,lm • (310)273· 1900

~ ~MAKING INFORMED DECISIONS ABOUT

DENTAL INSURAN€J! It happens in our offi ce all the

time. As you are checking OUi

following your cleaning ap­pointment, the front office staff asks you if you need an insur­ance superbill. Your face fa lls, and you say sadly, ··No, I don 't have any insurance ..

Let us try to put your minds al ease. While dental insurance can be helpful in recovering some of Ihe costs of your denial care, it is impottant lo have a clear understanding of both its benefits and its li mitations.

PURCHASING A PLAN Many of our patients who are

considering purchasing a dental insurance plan may loosely base that considemtion on their ex­perience with their medical in­surance. Many medical insur­ance plans have yearly deducti­bles. but there is usually little or no limit 10 the amount of treat­ment thai a patient can receive during the year. For those whose employers do not pro­vide medical insurance, the cost of paying one's own premiums is worth the peace of mind.

Dental insurance is not quite the same. While medical insur­ance in meanl to be a compre­hensive benefit, dental insur­ance is typically considered a limited benefi t. The yearly maximums on some plans have not changed. in some cases, for over 10 years. Again, some em­ployers may provide dental in­

surance, making it a nice bonus in recovering some of your ex­penses. However. if you are considering purchasing a plan and paying your own premiums, you need to look closely at the benefi ts to detennine whether or not they are worth the invest­ment.

• PROS AND CONS

First consider your yearly max imums (usually 51000 to 515(0). Second, consider the total dollar amount you pay in premiums eacll year. Third, consider the benefits you will get out of the plan throughout the year. Fourth, and perhaps most significantly, consider the limitations that mayor may not be placed on you in choosing the best dental provider for your

IF YOU DON'T HAVE DENTAL INSURANCE.

DON'T FEEL LEFT OUT OF I I:I E CWB._'iOU SHOULD

FEEL GREAT ABOUT THE FACT THAT YOU ARE

MAKING YOUR ORAL HEALTH A PRIORITY.

needs. For inSlance. perhaps you are

a patient in our office. are main­taining well periodontally, and only require maintenance clean­ings every three months. A typi­cal dental insurance plan will only allow two clean ings per year, covered only al a percent­

age of the aClUal fee for the cleaning. You may be paying out much more in premiums than you will ever receive in benefits.

Next, there may be a year when you find you need a lot of dental work done at a higher cost. You may need dentures, dental implants. or some other major dental therapy. Consider­ing that a large treatment plan can be completed within a year. you will see that your maximum may be reached before you even corne close to completing your treatment plan.

FREEDOM TO CHOOSE Lastly, if you are looking 10

purchase a dental plan. make sure you are fami liar with the differences between HMOs and PPOs and which dentists you can see. Ideally, you wanlto have the freedom to choose the dental provider who is best for your needs and-not be forced..to_ pick bl indly from a list.

If you don't have dental insur· ance, don ' ( feel left out of the club. You should feel great about the fact that you are ac· lively seeking quality dental care and making your oral health a priority. If you do have dental insurance, remember that even though it may affect your level of benefits. you should ­and can - always choose a den­tist who has been recommended

(cuntitwed on page 3)

.... '

Ask the DoC!tor.C"'=~•. Q: Do I really need to clean my tongue on a regular basis?

A: Definitely! The buildup oT food and bacteria on the tongue can cause halitosis. or bad breath. That buildup can then contribute 10 plaque, which can subsequently lead to gingivitis andlor periodonlai disease. Talk to your hygienist about our tongue cleaners and how regular usc: can help conuibUlc to your overall oml health.

lhave noticed lots of ' 'sonic'' toothbrushes on the m:lJ~1Q: do. better job than myoid fashioned ~ne?

Actually. they do. A recent study in the JOltnwi of Periodolllology slated Ihal palien who suf­A: fered from moderale periodontal disease and used Ihe sonic toothbru~hes had less bleeding, improved pockel depths. and lighter gum tissue surrounding ,eJth. If you nre interested i try­ing one, talk to your doctor or hygienisl al your next appointment for recommendalions.

Q: I am a cigar smoker, and am wondering if cigars can cause the same problems in my mouth ~ cigarettes.

A: With the recent increase in the popularity of cigar and pipe smoking, many people share this concern. It is a common misconception that cigar and pipe smoking is less hannful than ciga­rette smoking. In reality, however. the risk of stroke. oral cancer. and Olher types of cancer are the same. if not higher. There is no way around it - smoking of any sort is simply bad for you, no matter how you look al it.

DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? If )'ou have any questioll'i }'OU \IIouid like to sre _III'ered in "Ask the Doctor .. ,", please

feel free to let t1'i know lilt yourueJlt appointment. You ('an also ellli t1'i lit (310) 273_1900, orra'( U'i at (310) 247-2332.

Insurance.•. Dental Implants ... (comilll/ed /rom p'wt! 2) (colllilll ledjrom page I) ing if you are a good implant from a source you can truSt, implants. a visit to an experi­ cand idate. our doctors will take with whom you feel comfort­enced doctor is a crucial part of Ihe lime to carefully review able. and who will provide the implant equation. Allhough your case and help you make a you with the beSt care. You dental implants are not yet con­ wise decision regarding your wanl your smile to last a life­ sidered a separate denIal spe­ restoration options. The free­time. and nobody bUI you cialty. there are many dentists dom and self-confidence and your trusted dental pro­ who have extensive special ized gained by the placement of fessional should be making training and experience in im­ de ntal implants could. quile important decisions about planlology. simply. change your quality of your oral health. If you are imeresled in know- life.

PlI, 4 Ttte Perio Reporter • DfI. I.5tllbIItt ... s.a~~• . [3ID)2n.n..

Your periodontal health and ...Beyond Cancer treatment

Chair

YOU may wonder what our doctors do when they aren't busy working on your smiles. Believe it

or not, they spend a lot of lime out of the office do­ing some pretty interesting things!

Run for your llfel This spring, Dr. Rosenblatt was one of thousands to lake to the streets of Los Angeles in the L.A""': Mara­thon. While he was not one of the fi rst to cros~the ,.. fin ish line, we are proud to announce that he did. well...finish! He then went on to run 11 marathon in beautiful Bi g Sur. Way to go, Dr. Rosenblatt!

You can quote heron thaI As you sat down 10 your morning coffee on Mon­day, March 8. you may have opened your Los Ange­les Tim es and noliced an article on dental heallb Ibat prominently quoted our own Dr. Sackhcim. She dis­cussed how everything from drug addiction to preg­nancy can directl y affeet your teelh and gums.

Implants italiano It look a lot of persuading. bUI we talked Dr. Rosen­blatt into anending an invilution-only denial implant seminar in Rome, Italy in Ju ly. While there, he stud­ied the laleslteehniques with some: oflbe world's leading implant specialists .

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PERIO REPORTER MOIIriI~·W..,MiI.l l l

an.. " "iUs. (,liIo, 90211 (311)27J.I""

Studics now show Ihal pat viQ:ttMitn treatmcnL~ for cunccr are alII high ris f deve loping oraIl:;,mplica­lions. PaticntJ who 1IIl: ubi. to undergo any d{t of radia­lion. or who are cum:ntly ng lrealcd. should lee Iheir den­list both befotC and during tUment ln mini ~·c tile risk of problcms. Diabetes & Lung Disease Mort cvidcnce i5 now li nk in~ iado . and othcr sY5tcmic problcms. Onc SlDdy ound It. ~with diabetes 10 be at a higher risk for s~, 're PC~~II' dis­casco Another found that paticnts s~~m pneumo­nia. asthma, bronchi ti s and cmphysc wo~ cases o f gum diseusc than thosc who did not. Rossing In ca~ you needed anothcr reason 10 noss. Dr. Michael Roizcn of thc Universi ty of Chicago can give you one. He says if you noss dai ly, subtrac t 6.4 ycars from your actual uge und you are closet to your calculated " RcalAgc". Keep up u vigorous oral hygiene routinc. and you can sub­tract anothcr 2.

~--------------------------Does your friend or family member need I aperiodontist?

_ -JOIiooI-nIon._JOIiooIIt_ .....~Ilio_.. recoi!t

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