This is the most common question I get every day from my patients. My answer is NO, but I will explain in this blog why you don’t need Dental Insurance. Here are 7 main reasons.

REASON 1
Most of the dental insurances cover only 50% of the major procedures like crown and bridge which doesn’t make any sense in paying the premiums for dental insurances.

REASON 2
Majority of dental insurances are provided by the employers but there is some cost from the employee too. It can cost about $400/ year. But it covers for only two cleanings and exams which would cost the same paying out of pocket at any dentist. Unlike health insurance, there is no need to get dental insurance because the cost of the premiums is higher than paying out of pocket for exams and cleanings and other preventive services.

REASON 3
Most of the dental insurances have pre-existing clauses which will help them to prevent paying for Implants and bridge work. So it doesn’t help to have dental insurance if you have a missing tooth and want to get it replaced. And of course cosmetic dental work is not covered by any dental insurance. You should ask yourself what does dental insurance covers?

REASON 4
If you are planning to buy a dental insurance individually outside your work then make sure what is the waiting period? Waiting period is the time you have to wait before you can get any treatment. Most of the dental insurances have a year to year and half waiting period for major treatment. Waiting period is generally done by dental insurances so that you don’t buy insurance get a crown and then drop it.

REASON 5
Ok, we have made the case so far that dental insurance is not worth the cost. But there is one and only one advantage of the dental insurance is there is a negotiated discount with the dentist who accepts those insurances. But even that advantage is useless if you consider going to a dentist who offers in-house dental savings plan like Value Smiles offers Smile Value Plan.

REASON 6
Almost all the dental insurances has annual limitation about $1000-$1500. Which is not enough for an implant or two root canals and crowns. So really a dental insurance doesn’t help you in a major situation like trauma or undiagnosed dental health conditions. Understand that if you need braces, which typically costs around $5000 then according to the dental insurance plan, you will get help with only $1000 and the remaining is your out of pocket expense.

REASON 7
To get insurance pay for the service done in dental office, a claim needs to be submitted. This is a big paper work hassle, as they might not accept at first submission and it needs a constant verification and communication and it’s a time consuming task. They might downgrade a service recommended by the dentist like paying only for silver fillings instead of white fillings and down grading from a bridge to a partial denture.

So if you are looking to buy dental insurance, take some time and find a local dentist who gives discounts on their services. It’s worth forgoing the traditional dental insurance and look for discount dental plans. We at Value Smiles offer 30-40% off on all the procedures. You can also check out monthly specials at www.myvaluesmiles.com. We also offer the savings plan at no cost to the patients, it’s complimentary.

Now if you see the advantages of in-house dental plans like Value Smiles Savings Plan, there will be no waiting periods, no yearly maximums, no pre-existing conditions, can get cosmetic dental treatment. All these at a discounted price of 30-40% off of regular prices. Also ask us for payment plans and interest-free financing for the dental care.

Please contact us at 770-489-9141 or visit us at WWW.MYVALUESMILES.COM for any further information. We have same day appointments in most situations. We accept most major dental insurances. We are conveniently located at 2635 Lee Road, Suite C4, Lithia Springs, GA-30122. We are in the Publix plaza at the intersection of Fairburn Road and Lee Road. Value Smiles provide Affordable Dental Care with Excellent Customer Service to patients in Lithia Springs, Douglasville, Austell, Mableton, Powder Springs and surrounding areas.

Improve your smile and boost your confidence. A new beautiful smile is easier than ever before. Cosmetic dental care don’t have to be expensive. At Value Smiles we offer metal free white composite filling and metal free porcelain crown and bridges.

If you are trying to hide your teeth because you are embarrassed of your teeth or if you feel self-conscious about your smile, then we at Value Smiles can help you get the beautiful smile you have always wanted at affordable price. No matter which procedure we do from teeth whitening to tooth replacement, we have the experience and knowledge to make a smile makeover at affordable prices.

Please discuss with the dentists of Value Smiles about your smile and what you want to achieve and the rest will be taken care by our dentists including full smile evaluation and treatment plan with options. We listen to you and give you the treatment plans and you decide the treatment option. Due to new technology we can correct most of the dental cosmetic problems in a very few visits. Our office has tools and techniques to give patients a gentle cosmetic treatment that fits the budget. It’s all about getting the patients confidence in their smile.

Typical dental cosmetic problems include broken teeth, chipped teeth, crooked teeth, yellow or discolored teeth, gaps in teeth or missing teeth, cracked tooth and stained teeth. At Value Smiles we have dental solutions including porcelain crowns, dental bonding or white fillings, teeth whitening and more.

VALUE SMILES ANALYSIS
As your smile affects your confidence and self-image and the dentists need to know how you appraise your smile, can help in creating a beautiful natural looking smile for you. Please answer the following questions by looking in the mirror and ask the following questions to yourself.
1. Do you think your teeth are stained, discolored or yellow?
2. Do you want your teeth to be whiter?
3. Do you have any teeth which are crooked, uneven or have gaps between them?
4. Do you feel your teeth are worn, small, short or long?
5. Do you have any chipped, broken teeth or unnatural prior dental work?
6. Do you like to change anything about the teeth and appearance of your smile?
7. Do you dislike any dark fillings, crown and bridge with dark line at the edges?
If you answered YES to one or more of these questions, then you have options to improve the appearance of your teeth and smile. Call us for a personalized Value Smiles Analysis today.
Please contact us at 770-489-9141 or visit us at WWW.MYVALUESMILES.COM for any further information. We have same day appointments in most situations. We accept most major dental insurances. We are conveniently located at 2635 Lee Road, Suite C4, Lithia Springs, GA-30122. We are in the Publix plaza at the intersection of Fairburn Road and Lee Road. Value Smiles provide Affordable Dental Care with Excellent Customer Service to patients in Lithia Springs, Douglasville, Austell, Mableton, Powder Springs and surrounding areas.

Affordable Dental Care by Value Smiles, Lithia Springs Dentist

So whether you are a getting a regular cleaning or a Crown, what we do at Value Smiles is save you money by doing things efficiently and by innovation. But Affordability shouldn’t come with compromised Quality. The only way we can have Quality and Affordability is by doing this Efficiently.
This is how we do it…..

1. Consistency, Consistency and Consistency
At Value Smiles, we have 5 treatment rooms and every treatment room is equipped with same instruments, same products and same equipment. So we can do every procedure in every room consistently without being need to reschedule or move the patient around.

2. Same Day Dental Treatment
We are a big proponent of same day dental treatments including extractions, Root canals, Crowns or cleanings. Although we cannot promise but we keep some blocks in our schedule for dental emergency patients and same day service. This saves the patient and the practice time and saves the practice overhead, which we give the patients back in dental savings.

3. Dental Team is our Core
We at Value Smiles treat employees as a team not as a staff. Here we treat the team in such a way that it’s fun to come to work. When the team has fun at work, they become great happy employees. Happy employees in turn provide excellent customer service to the patients. The team members at Value Smiles love and value their job and make the office as a friendly environment.

4. Dental Practice Culture
Our practice has a great culture and this differentiates us from other dental offices. Our goal is to make the office a fun place to work and friendly place for patients to visit by having caring and empathetic staff. The ultimate goal of Value Smiles is to instill confidence and trust in our office.

5. Fair and Transparent Fee Schedule
We always try to make things better by doing it differently, by giving the fees on phone when patient enquires. Also we publish the prices of major procedures on our website www.myvaluesmiles.com in the dental specials or dental offers page.

6. Keep it Simple
We follow the U.S. navy design principle KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid), which states that most systems work best if they are kept simple. So we at Value Smiles keep the things simple rather than making them unnecessary complex. If things are not simple then we try different ways to make them simple. We keep all the procedure prices simple and fair even when they are different in complexity. This makes patients understand the price easily and make a decision about their treatment.

7. Patient Loyalty
We at Value Smiles treat patients so good that they just keep us on their mind in need of dental emergency or for a scheduled procedure. Our patients are loyal because we offer the best service from the courteous front office to attentive dental assistants to caring and demeanored doctors. We are proud to be a go to dentist in Lithia Springs, Douglasville and surrounding areas.

Please contact us at 770-489-9141 or visit us at WWW.MYVALUESMILES.COM for any further information. We have same day appointments in most situations. We accept most major dental insurances. We are conveniently located at 2635 Lee Road, Suite C4, Lithia Springs, GA-30122. We are in the Publix plaza at the intersection of Fairburn Road and Lee Road. Value Smiles provide Affordable Dental Care with Excellent Customer Service to patients in Lithia Springs, Douglasville, Austell, Mableton, Powder Springs and surrounding areas.

Oral Cancer Screening at Value Smiles, Lithia Springs Best Dentist

But why we have to do Oral Cancer Screening. Here are some quick facts

1. They account for about 40,000 cases/year
2. Unfortunately 8000 deaths/year
3. Success is higher if diagnosed at early stages.
4. 75% of these cases are related to Smoking/Tobacco or Alcohol use

About 85% of the cancers in the head and neck comprise of oral cancers. Our mouth contains many lymph vessels allowing quicker metastasis, spread of cancer. Common areas of cancer occur in the tongue, lips, cheeks, floor of the mouth, and hard and soft palate. According to the American Cancer Society, men have a greater chance of developing oral cancer than women. We at Value Smiles the dentists perform Oral Cancer Screening during the routine dental visit.

Causes

• Tobacco products have shown to be a prime contributor to oral cancer, in the form of smoking, dip, snuff, or chewing tobacco. Lips, gums, and cheeks are areas most affected.
• Familial history of cancer can play a role in developing oral cancer.
• In light skinned individuals, constant skin exposure may lead to premalignant and cancerous lesions.
• Excessive alcohol intake has shown to result in increase in risk of oral cancer.
• In women diagnosed with Human Papilloma Virus, oropharyngeal cancer can occur.

Symptoms

• Irritations or sores that do not go away
• Red or white patches
• Swelling of the area affected
• Bleeding from the mouth
• Difficulty performing ordinary motions such as, swallowing, speaking, chewing, or moving the tongue
• Pain may ensue along with numbness and tenderness
• Inability to place dentures, due to growth of soft tissue
• Thickening of tissue, lumps, small eroded areas

Diagnosis

Our dentists at Value Smiles at Lithia Springs are skilled in detecting sores and lesions that may be cancerous. If any suspicious lesion is seen, we refer our patients to specialists that can help further diagnose and treat the lesions.

Methods used to diagnose:

• Biopsy
• MRI
• X-ray
• CT scan
• Endoscopy
• PET scan

Treatment

Like any ailment, early diagnosis will result in better prognosis. Depending on the extent and duration of the lesion, the treatment will be suggested accordingly. Some options include:

• Surgical removal of the tumor and surrounding tissue (reconstruction surgery may be needed after removal of the tumor).
• Chemotherapy
• Radiotherapy
• Drug therapy (target therapy) – a series of drugs used to bind to cancerous tissue, affected its growth.
• Supportive therapy- treatment aiding in maintain the overall health. These include eating healthy, taking care of the teeth and gums, and stopping any tobacco usage.

Preventive

• Reduce exposure to sunlight and place sun screen cream prior to outdoor activities
• Remove tobacco usage from daily lifestyle
• Refrain from excessive alcohol intake
• Eat a balanced diet containing Vitamin A, C, E, fruits and vegetables
• Keep your mouth clean with regular brushing, flossing, and mouth rinsing.
• Visit the physicians for routine physicals and dental appointments

 

Please contact us at 770-489-9141 or visit us at WWW.MYVALUESMILES.COM for any further information. We have same day appointments in most situations. We accept most major dental insurances. We are conveniently located at 2635 Lee Road, Suite C4, Lithia Springs, GA-30122. We are in the Publix plaza at the intersection of Fairburn Road and Lee Road. Value Smiles provide Affordable Dental Care with Excellent Customer Service to patients in Lithia Springs, Douglasville, Austell, Mableton, Powder Springs and surrounding areas.

Canker Sores/ Mouth Ulcers

A Value Smiles Blog

Have you noticed a whitish yellow bump on the inside of your lip, on gums, or cheeks? Does it have a red halo surrounding it? It is painful and interfering with eating and drinking?

Well you probably have a canker sore. These lesions are clinically called Aphthous Ulcers. Patients mistake this with cold sores. The difference between the two occurs in cold sores being contagious and develops on the surface of the skin, unlike the soft tissue areas in canker sores.

Interesting Facts about Canker Sores

1. They are not caused by Virus
2. They are benign lesions(harmless or noncancerous)
3. They are non-contagious( doesn’t spread from person to person)
4. Occurs around the world but more common in developed countries.
5. Seen more in higher socioeconomic groups
6. Most of them develop for the first time before the individual hits their thirties.

How it happens?

The cause is not certain, however, there are conditions that may instigate or trigger the formation of these ulcers.

• Food allergies
• Hormonal changes pertaining to menstrual cycle
• Certain intake of drugs such as, ibuprofen or blood pressure medication (beta-blockers)
• Trauma to oral soft tissue- Sharp edges on teeth and appliances can contribute to this, if so please visit our office.
• Stress related anxiety
• Vitamin deficiencies (folic acid, iron, or vitamin B12)

Symptoms:

Canker sores come in two different forms. One that is larger than the other, 1.major and 2.minor sores. Generally, these ulcers can reoccur. Signals that you may need to monitor include:

Major canker sores: The ulcers are larger than 1cm, painful, and present for about 3-6 months. When the lesion heals, it leaves a scar.

Minor canker sores: In most cases, these lesions can be seen. They appear as oval, small 2-3 mm and contain a white center. They disappear without a scar in 3-14 days.

Another form known as “herpetiform,” mimics the herpes virus infection with similar ulcers, in clusters and last 7-10 days.

When to see our office:

• An ulcer reoccurs
• An ulcer becomes larger
• A lesion lasts longer than two weeks
• A high fever coinciding with the ulcer
• Unbearable pain not controlled by at home remedies

Treatment:

Canker sores can be tackled at home with salt water rinses, allergy medicine (Benadryl), or herbal liquids. Medical remedies include pain medications, iron and vitamin supplements, tetracycline suspensions, and corticosteroids.

If you have any concerns about a lesion anywhere in and around your mouth. Please visit our office so we can monitor the lesion and guide you in the right direction.

Please contact us at 770-489-9141 or visit us at WWW.MYVALUESMILES.COM for any further information. We have same day appointments in most situations. We accept most major dental insurances. We are conveniently located at 2635 Lee Road, Suite C4, Lithia Springs, GA-30122. We are in the Publix plaza at the intersection of Fairburn Road and Lee Road. Value Smiles provide Affordable Dental Care with Excellent Customer Service to patients in Lithia Springs, Douglasville, Austell, Mableton, Powder Springs and surrounding Georgia areas.