The price of perfect teeth hits people’s pockets
The recession has torn chunks out of elective dental procedures, since medical aids still remain resistant to recognising the importance of reconstructive dentistry, which generally includes a combination of medical and aesthetic processes.
While many patients can afford to wait for cosmetic treatments such as facelifts, breast augmentation or liposuction, dental care is usually a pressing issue.
Mandy Simon*, a young woman in her early 40s, had ground her teeth to the point where she needed a full set of crowns to preserve a fully functional mouth of teeth and to avoid further damage.
Her problems were severe. Her bite, muscles, teeth and bone structure needed repairing and the process of full mouth reconstruction required orthodontics, periodontics and prosthodontics, in order to ensure a durable, functional and clinically sound treatment that also looked natural.
The total cost was beyond her budget. Even in financial boom times, this is a large financial outlay and until recently, unthinkable for most people.
Faced with false teeth or a disfigured jaw structure, Simon found an instant solution to her pressing fiscal problem in the form of recognised financial health supplier First Health Finance (FHF), which has provided full finance for many similar three-dimensional restorations.
FHF operates nationally, filling a vital gap in the market for dental patients requiring natural tooth aesthetics and anatomy.
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More people turning to FHF for funding
Nobel Biocare, a company specialising in the latest cosmetic and restorative dentistry procedures, says that an increasing number of patients are making use of FHF’s excellent loan facilities.
“You’ll likely hear about the life-changing effects of a person’s ‘smile makeover’ in terms of aesthetic dentistry. It’s a pleasure giving a person a quote and knowing they can meet the costs of the equipment and treatments,” says a company spokesman.
FHF offers credit facilities to patients for dental services not normally covered by medical schemes. Credit facilities offered to patients range from R6000 to R40 000.
Benefits of green tea for healthy teeth and gums
Green tea has been drunk both medicinally and as a refreshing drink for more than 4000 years. Now scientific studies show that drinking tea has excellent health benefits, including weight loss, cancer prevention and heart health.
The Journal of Periodontology recently revealed that regular consumption of green tea also promoted healthy gums and teeth. It’s probable that the antioxidant catechin, contained in the drink, may help reduce symptoms of periodontal disease.
Source : www.sciencedaily.com Journal reference : Kushiyama et al. Relationship Between Intake of Green Tea and Periodontal Disease. Journal of Periodontology, 2009; 80 (3): 372 DOI: 10.1902/jop.2009.080510
Adapted from materials provided by American Academy of Periodontology, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Warfarin therapy not linked to increased bleeding in minor dental procedures
Patients wishing to continue their regular dose of warfarin therapy do not seem likely to bleed more compared with stopping or changing the drug’s dose when undergoing minor dental procedures.
Independent studies reviewed randomised controlled trials comparing the effects of continuing a regular dose of warfarin with the effects of discontinuing (or modifying) the dose on the incidence of bleeding.
Source : Evidence-Based Dentistry (2009) 10, 52. doi:10.1038/sj.ebd.6400653
Sources
*Mandy Simon – name changed to protect identity
Nobel Biocare SADentistryguide.comSADA (South African Dental Association)Dr Susan E Sutherland, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada. E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, The Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, Scotland.
Nematullah A, Alabousi A, Blanas N, Douketis JD, Sutherland SE. Dental surgery for patients on anticoagulant therapy with warfarin: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Can Dent Assoc 2009
Dr Sam Thandar, Aesthetic Dentist – Sam Thandar and Associates: www.aestheticdentist.co.za or phone (011) 788 2701
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