This is the month of gratitude and a time to remember everything that we have to be thankful for. We are thankful for you, our patients and friends, who have voted for us as Best of the Best General Dentist in Frederick, MD (THANK YOU!). We hope that you are surrounded by good health, a happy home, wonderful friends and family, and good food!
This month also focuses on bringing awareness to important health issues such as diabetes and TMJ. We’ll share with you important information to help you understand these conditions and how they affect your dental and overall health. We also want to remind you that we accept out-of-network dental insurance and how we will help with your claims.
In This Issue:
- Best of the Best Winner
- Celebrate with Gratitude
- Diabetes and Dental Health
- TMJ Awareness
- Wait, You Do Take My Insurance?
- Our Dental Health Club
- Holiday Hours
- Honoring Our Team Members
- Recipe of the Month: Chicken Pot Pie
- YouTube Channel
- Please Leave us a Review!
We’re Best of the Best!
The results are in! Thank you for voting us as the #1 Best Dental Practice! We are incredibly honored and grateful that you have – again! – chosen us above all other dental practices in Frederick. Thank you for putting your trust in us!
We won’t let this win go to our heads! We will continue, as always, to strive to make you feel welcome, comfortable, and safe under our roof, and to take our time to ensure that you receive excellent dental care.
Celebrate with Gratitude
This Gratitude Month, let’s celebrate the beauty of thankfulness and acknowledge the abundance that surrounds us. Let us also embrace a mindset that enriches our lives, and the lives of those we encounter on this shared journey.
Gratitude
by Edgar Albert Guest
Be grateful for the kindly friends that walk along your way,
Be grateful for the skies of blue that smile from day to day,
Be grateful for the health you own, the work you find to do,
For ‘round about you there are men less fortunate than you.
Be grateful for the growing trees, the roses soon to bloom,
The tenderness of kindly hearts that shared your days of gloom,
Be grateful for the morning dew, the grass beneath your feet,
The soft caresses of your babes and all their laughter sweet.
Acquire the grateful habit, learn to see how blessed you are,
How much there is to gladden life, how little life to mar!
And what if rain shall fall today and you with grief are sad,
Be grateful that you can recall the joys that you have had.
Diabetes and Dental Health
Source: https://www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/diabetes
Around 34 million people living in the U.S. – more than the entire population of Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Washington DC, and Connecticut, combined – have diabetes. Studies show that every year, around 1.5 million more people are diagnosed, including an estimated 210,000 children and teens under 20 years old.
If you are living with diabetes, you may have heard that your dental health can suffer as a result, and vice-versa. Here’s what you need to know about protecting your teeth and gums, and how taking extra-good care of your dental health can boost your overall health too.
How diabetes affects your mouth
- You may have less saliva, causing your mouth to feel dry. Because saliva helps cleanse away cavity-causing bacteria, you may experience more tooth decay.
- People with diabetes often find their gums are irritated and sensitive. You may notice that your gums bleed when you brush or floss. These are possible signs of early gum disease (gingivitis), which can be harmful to your overall health.
- Diabetes can also make it harder for you to taste your food, and increase the chances that small cuts or sores inside your mouth will become infected.
- Children living with diabetes often get their adult teeth sooner than their peers.
How diabetes leads to gum disease
With good dental care, including daily brushing and flossing, the bacteria inside our mouths are kept within healthy levels. However, diabetes can upset the natural balance in our bodies, including our mouths. This often leads to periodontal disease, an ongoing condition that can harm your gums, nearby tissues, and even your facial bones.
Periodontal disease affects nearly 22% of people living with Type I and Type II diabetes. Unmanaged blood sugar levels raise the risk for gum problems, especially as we age. This can set up a vicious cycle, since serious gum disease can cause blood sugar to rise, making diabetes even harder to control and elevating the risk for infection in the mouth and the body.
Working with your dentist to manage diabetes-related issues
If you have diabetes, regular dental visits are a must. Research suggests that treating gum disease can help improve blood sugar regulation and slow down the progression of your disease.
Having frequent cleanings in your dentist’s office can help reduce your HbA1c (the lab result that shows your average level of blood sugar over the previous three months). Ask your dentist how often you should come in for cleanings and checkups — and make all dental appointments a top priority.
Your dentist will also tell you to be mindful of these recommendations:
- If you have dentures or removable bridgework, clean them thoroughly every day.
- Always brush twice a day for at least two minutes each time, using a soft-bristled brush. Morning and evening are the best times to brush.
- Clean between your teeth once a day with regular floss or a special flossing tool.
TMJ Awareness Month
November marks TMJ Awareness Month, a dedicated time to educate, inform, and foster understanding about the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), and about TMJ disorders (TMD).
The Importance of TMJ: Beyond Chewing and Talking
As we go about our daily routines, the TMJ silently enables us to enjoy our meals, engage in conversations, and express ourselves through facial expressions. Yet, it is only when something goes wrong that we pause to consider the significance of this small but powerful joint.
The TMJ, consisting of two joints in front of each ear, connects the lower jaw bone to the skull. Its intricate structure allows for a range of movements, making it unique among the joints in our body. Up and down, side to side, and forward and back, the TMJ plays a role in every nuanced movement of our jaws.
The Complexities of TMJ Disorders
While the TMJ is resilient, it is not immune to challenges. TMJ disorders, also known as TMD, can manifest in various ways, causing pain, limitations in jaw movement, and other related symptoms. TMD is a complex condition, involving a range of systems beyond the jaw, such as the circulatory, muscular, nervous, and immune systems.
Understanding TMD goes beyond recognizing jaw pain. Research indicates that individuals with TMD frequently experience other health issues such as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and autoimmune diseases.
For more information, we invite you to explore the TMJ Association’s website: https://tmj.org/
Wait, You DO Take My Dental Insurance?
Did you know that if you have a PPO dental insurance plan, you can see any dentist you choose, even if they’re not in-network with your plan?
Even if we’re not in-network with your PPO insurance, you can still receive benefits when you come to our office. Your PPO insurance WILL cover your dental visit with us – and, depending on your plan and provider, sometimes even as much as 100%! (This does not apply to HMOs or DMOs.)
What is a PPO plan?
A PPO dental insurance plan is short for Preferred Provider Organizations. The name is misleading because a PPO plan accepts BOTH “preferred providers” (aka in-network offices) and non-preferred providers (aka out-of-network offices). If you have a PPO plan (which many people do), your insurance will most likely cover at least a portion of your treatment in our office, even if we’re not in their network.
Why does my insurance say I should see an in-network dentist?
Your insurance company might tell you that the best dentists in your area are in-network providers but, in truth, they want you to see an in-network dentist because it’s cheaper for them. You always have the choice to see a dentist who you know and trust. We’ll help you make the most of your plan, regardless of whether or not you’re in- or out-of-network.
Will I have to file my own insurance?
We’ll file the insurance claim on your behalf! We know how to get your claim submitted efficiently and correctly. We’ll review your insurance coverage, explain your benefits and, after your appointment, we’ll file a claim for you, whether you’re in- or out-of-network.
In conclusion
If you really like our dental practice (and per the Best of the Best results, many of our readers do!) please spread the word! Tell your family and friends who have PPO dental insurance that they can also become our patients. And, if they don’t have dental insurance, they can consider our budget friendly in-house discount plans, our Dental Health Club.
Our Dental Health Club
During insurance open season, here’s another option if conventional health plans don’t work for you or are unavailable to you. Take a look at our Dental Health Club, we have discount plans designed for adults, children, and periodontal patients.
Our in-house discount plan is effective immediately, has no waiting periods, and will never deny benefits for necessary treatment. While enrolled in a Dental Health Club plan, you will receive the treatment and care that you need to maintain your oral health. The choice of which treatment you get and the decision about when you get it will be between you and your dentist, without restrictions set by a third party.
While insurance companies have increased their premiums year after year, we’ve not increased the cost of our Dental Health Club plans since April 2022.
As a reminder, here are the changes to our regular hours in the upcoming weeks and months:
Thanksgiving, Thu and Fri, November 23 & 24 – CLOSED
Team Appreciation Event, Fri, December 8 – Closing Early, OPEN 9 AM to 1 PM
Christmas, Mon, December 25 – CLOSED
New Year’s Day, Mon, January 1 – CLOSED
Honoring our Team Members
To learn more about our team members, visit Our Team page on our website.
MVP – Brandon, Hygiene Team Lead
Every month we recognize a team member who has gone above and beyond, for our patients or other team members. In November we honored Brandon, our Dental Hygienist team lead!
Reasons given by our team members when voting for Brandon : “For always being so helpful.” “Checks in on all other hygienists.” “Willing to do any odd job.” “Does whatever it takes to make the schedule work and never complains.” “Held down hygiene like a champ on Oct 19th during a very busy hygiene day!” “Extra kudos for valiantly trying to protect our cars from being locked in when the power company decided to dig up our parking lot after 9 AM.” “He is a true asset and we are lucky to have him!”
Invisible Worker Recognition
We also like to recognize one or more team members who make our day-to-day operations run smoothly, despite their contribution not being obvious to many of us.
In November, we recognized dental assistant Rodney and assistant practice manager Sam. They made it possible for us to continue operating normally after a many-hours-long power outage that downed our computers, and a severe problem with one of our air compressor motors. Rodney and Sam acted on the first issue prior to the start of our clinical hours at 9 AM, and on the second issue after business hours.
These are a perfect example of “invisible to patients but critical” in a dental office. We cannot treat patients without our computers or without our dental equipment, or without the team members and technicians who keep everything running. Here’s a special shout-out to West Main Tech in Middletown who have kept our data secure and accessible for over a decade, and to Jerry, an A+ technician from Henry Schein, who has been working with us for over a decade to maintain a lot of the equipment necessary to run a dental practice.
Chicken Pot Pie
This is the best chicken pot pie recipe! Chock-full of chicken, potatoes, peas, and corn, this recipe makes two golden pies, so you can serve one at supper and save the other for a busy night.
Ingredients
- 2 cups diced peeled potatoes
- 1-¾ cups sliced carrots
- 1 cup butter, cubed
- ⅔ cup chopped onion
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1-¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¾ teaspoon pepper
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1-½ cups whole milk
- 4 cups cubed cooked chicken
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 4 sheets of refrigerated pie crust
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°. Place potatoes and carrots in a large saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, covered, 8-10 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain.
- In a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender. Stir in flour and seasonings until blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in chicken, peas, corn and potato-carrot mixture; remove from heat.
- Unroll a pie crust into each of two 9-in. pie plates; trim crusts even with rims of plates. Add chicken mixture. Unroll remaining crusts; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits in tops.
- Bake 35-40 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.