Category: Uncategorized

On February 18th, 2019, Dental Select will close its offices to observe the Presidents Day holiday.

Our offices will reopen on February 19th, 2019 at 8 am Mountain Standard Time.

Happy Halloween!

We want to make you aware that our phones will be off tomorrow (10/31) between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and again for the remainder of the day after 2:30 p.m.

Please be sure to call us during our open phone hours or reach out via email.

Have a SPOOK-tacular Halloween!

🕸👻🎃

 

Tender Teeth? 10 Ways to Relieve Tooth Sensitivity

Do you wince when you drink hot or cold beverages? Do you find yourself being cautious when you brush or floss because it’s painful? Well, you may have sensitive teeth.
Sensitivity is common, and can happen when a tooth’s dentin is exposed to acidity or cold and hot temperatures. Lucky for you, tooth sensitivity is preventable and treatable. Although sensitivity can have a number of causes, according to the American Dental Association (ADA), good oral hygiene is always your best defense. And with a few small adjustments to your oral care routine, you could be well on your way to pain-free teeth.

Here are 10 tips to help beat tooth sensitivity:

1. Brush your teeth twice a day.
2. Use a soft bristled brush.
3. Use a fluoride toothpaste.
4. Replace your toothbrush every 3 months.
5. Brush gently with appropriate technique.
6. Floss once a day.
7. Visit your dentist regularly.
8. Try an at home fluoride gel treatment (these can help strengthen tooth enamel).
9. In the meantime, avoid irritating foods and beverages until you find relief.
10. Use a mouth guard if you grind your teeth.

However, if you try these and still do not find relief, a visit to your dentist is recommended. At your appointment, your dentist can determine the cause of your sensitivity and provide treatment options. Problems can range from mild tooth decay to gums that have pulled away from the teeth from gum disease.

Your dentist may recommend trying a desensitizing toothpaste that can help prevent nerve irritation. And depending on the severity, there are also in-office treatments that can repair damaged areas of the tooth (fillings, crowns, inlays, bonding, surgical gum grafts or root canals). Again, it’s always best to speak with your dentist about treatment options available to you.

Need to schedule an appointment? Find a dentist near you.

By now, you probably are aware of the value in having a good dental plan. With lower rates from contracted dentists, included preventative services, less out of pocket costs and most importantly – healthy teeth, a quality dental plan more than pays for itself. So if you have already have dental, the low rate that you are paying is essentially an investment in your health. And if you haven’t signed up, we’re going to tell you why you should. Many things cost more than a dental plan, but not all are feasible to cut back on. So we’ve carefully selected five reasonable ways that you could not only save money, but use that money to invest in your dental health. Even when selecting Dental Select’s most comprehensive IDP dental plan, these five expenses are actually costing more than your annual dental premium.

1). Daily Coffee

Let’s start with your daily cup of joe purchase. According to USA Today, the average daily cup of coffee will end up costing you roughly $63 a month when you purchase it from your local coffee shop. A cheaper solution? Try brewing a cup at home instead.

This adds up to about $1,596 a year.

2). Going Out to Lunch

Bringing a lunch to work versus eating out is another way to cut expenses. The average meal out costs $10 per person, according to Visa data. Visa also figured the average American spends about $18 a week on lunch when eating out.

This adds up to about $936 a year.

3). Cigarettes

You already know the dangers of smoking, but this harmful habit is also a pricey one. The average smoker goes through 14.2 cigarettes a day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This adds up to about $1,596 a year.

4). Your (unused) Gym Membership

Recently, the New York Times stated that nearly 85% of Americans stop going to the gym regularly after the first 90 days of signing up. With average gym membership prices falling around $50 a month, the majority of members end up wasting a good amount of money.

This adds up to about $600 a year.

5). Wasted Food

Have you ever thought about how much food your family throws away? According to the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the average American household throws out $185 worth of food. More organized meal planning, food storage and eating leftovers are all ways to minimize food thrown away.

This adds up to about $2,200 a year.

Ready to check out our IDP plans? Click here to sign up.

Last week, we welcomed more than 150 guests to an Open House event at our new headquarters in Sandy, Utah. This exciting move supports the direction by Dental Select to transform and simplify the dental experience for it’s members and clients.

Read our press release on Business Wire.

Still using paper forms? Let us help you reduce your paperwork and simplify your benefit management process with Electronic Data Interchange (EDI).

EDI is a secure digital exchange of employee benefit information. Basically, it provides means to accurately and easily communicate data from our system to yours. And if that’s not convincing enough, here are our top 5 reasons why we think you should take advantage of this feature:

1. Saves time with faster implementation.
2. Your group can submit at your convenience on a monthly, bi-monthly or weekly basis.
3. Increased enrollment accuracy, meaning less errors and less waiting.
4. Elimination of paper documents.
5. Saves money on postage.

Ready to get started? EDI is simple set up. To take advantage of this feature, contact your Account Representative for details.

We’ve grown a lot since our start in 1989. And we’ve outgrown our offices. Now the time has come that our work space grows too.

Dental Select’s mission is to make dental simple. And with our move to a new location we have completely revamped how our teams work together. We have incorporated more collaborative workspaces, created an inspiring atmosphere, and literally lowered the walls to allow for better team communication. All with the purpose of building better and simplified solutions for our members and clients.

As of June 4^th, 2018 our new corporate address will be:

Dental Select
75 W Towne Ridge Parkway
Tower 2, Suite 500
Sandy, Utah 84070

Items sent to our P.O. Box addresses will not be affected.

This move is very exciting, please bear with us as we take a couple of days to move our things into our new home.

Hours during the move will be as follows:

Thursday, May 31^st: Closing at 3:00 pm (last day at current location)

Friday, June 1^st: Closed for setup

Monday, June 4^th: Resume normal business hours (new location)

Thank you for your patience during this exciting time; this is just the beginning of greater things to come. Update your contacts with our address and follow us on social media for future updates.

We know by now that consuming too many sugary sodas, candy, fruit drinks and non-nutritious snacks can increase risk of tooth decay. But a common misconception is that going on a “diet” will fix this problem. We hear the word “diet” and think healthy, but this isn’t always the case. On the contrary, there are also down-sides to restrictive, extreme diets as they interfere with vitamin absorption and can weaken your teeth.

So, what’s a concerned patient to do? Read on to see how your diet is affecting your teeth and why a well-balanced diet will better support healthy teeth and gums.

As many people are already aware, having a poor diet can increase risk of gum disease. This is because too many carbohydrates and excessive sugar will increase production of plaque that will break down tooth enamel. Basically, when bacteria come into contact with sugar in the mouth, acid is produced that attacks the teeth. This will eventually lead to tooth decay and cavities. Yes, tooth decay is very common, but it is also very preventable. Click here to learn more about tooth decay and how to brush properly.

Watching your nutrition and consuming a well-balanced diet helps to make sure your body, and teeth, maintain health and wellness. We recommend choosing a variety of nutritious foods like raw vegetables, yogurt, fruit, cheese, complete protein sources and whole grains. Another helpful tip is to read food labels. Check for foods that are high in added sugars and try to only eat these in moderation.

Now let’s talk about diets. Low carb, no carb, low fat, whatever it may be, many Americans are turning to diets, thinking that this is a healthier option for their bodies. But have you thought how prolonged, extreme diets are really effecting your teeth? Think about it, if your eating habits continually lack certain nutrients, it actually becomes increasingly difficult for your mouth to resist infection. This can contribute to gum disease, tooth loss and possibly cause the disease to progress more rapidly.

Other problems become more apparent on certain diets. For example, on a low fat diet, you can start disrupting the absorption of Vitamin A, D, E and K. This will also impair the absorption of calcium, which can weaken your teeth and bones. Also, when on an extreme low carb diet, your breath can start to smell like acetone, which is a sign that your body is using fat instead of carbohydrates for energy. Learn more about beating bad breath here.

And lastly, on a low calorie diet, your body becomes deprived of minerals and vitamins. Missing out on these necessary nutrients can soften your enamel, weaken your jaw bone and make your gums more vulnerable to gum disease.

Bottom line is, before you start a new diet, it’s important to take into consideration how it will affect your oral health. It may not seem like it now, but depriving your body of needed nutrients can be detrimental to your future health. Instead, a balanced diet, rich in nutrients is always recommended to ensure proper health and overall wellness.

If you need more information, a good place to start is by scheduling a visit with your dentist. And if you haven’t signed up for a Dental Select plan yet, take a look at our current offerings here.

We know you are already enjoying your dental benefits, but are you taking advantage of your vision discounts too? With every Dental Select Dental Plan, you will receive the EyeMed Discount Vision Plan automatically – and for no cost.

So how do you redeem your vision discounts?

That’s easy. First, look up a participating EyeMed vision provider here. Then at your appointment, let your provider’s office know that you are enrolled on the EyeMed Discount plan and they will verify your benefits for you. Once your appointment is finished, you’ll receive instant discounts off your services. That’s it. No claims to file, just instant discounts.

The Discount Vision plan is not an insured plan, but rather a program that provides discounts when you use participating providers. And finding a vision provider, won’t be an issue. With access to more than 22,000 locations nationwide, the EyeMed Vision Network will surely have you covered.

This includes major optical networks like:

• LensCrafters
• Target Optical
• Sears Optical
• JC Penney Optical
• Most Pearle Vision locations.

With no waiting periods, vision discounts are available the day you enroll on your dental plan. EyeMed Discount Vision also includes unlimited usage, meaning you can go as often as you’d like. And with brand name frames included in your benefits, you know you are getting top quality products. Did we mention there are also discounts on laser correction surgery and convenient features like ordering contacts online? These are just a few more reasons why you should jump at this opportunity to take care of your vision needs.

Want to learn more about the discounts available to you? Check out the plan summary here.

Despite advanced research and advancements in the dental industry, oral health issues remain one of the most significant challenges faced by seniors today. An estimated 70% of seniors (ages 65 and older) experience gum disease, while only 47% of all adults have gum disease. Seniors also have higher tooth decay rates when comparing to children. Tooth decay and gum disease are the most frequent causes of tooth loss. Although the rate of tooth loss is actually declining, about a quarter of America’s seniors are missing all of their natural teeth.

Oral cancers (mouth, throat and tongue) are primarily diagnosed in the elderly. The American Cancer Society reports about 31,000 cases a year, 7,400 of these cases resulting in death. The average age for these cancers is 62 years old.

Senior dental health can be complicated, as older adults may suffer from several issues at once. Some of the most common problems that seniors experience from poor dental health include: darkened teeth from thinning tooth enamel, dry mouth (medication and disease side effect), diminished sense of taste, root decay from exposure to acids, gum disease, tooth loss, denture-induced stomatitis and thrush.[1]

Several reasons can contribute to inadequate dental care in older Americans. Often, seniors have more difficulty accessing care to prevent and control diseases than do younger adults or children. Many senior Americans do not have dental insurance and lack of dental insurance coverage affects treatment choices and the ability to seek clinical care. Consequently, senior Americans with the poorest oral health are those without insurance benefits. Taking medications, wearing dentures and other general health conditions are a few other factors that seniors face.[2]

Some of the most common problems from poor dental health include: darkened teeth, dry mouth, diminished sense of taste, root decay, gum disease, tooth loss, stomatitis and thrush.”

With proper care and regular check-ups, your teeth can last a lifetime. No matter your age, it is never too late to start caring for your oral health. Many seniors are at risk for a number of health problems; however, tooth loss is not necessarily an inevitable consequence of aging, but is actually the result of preventable oral disease. Learn how proper oral health is vital to living a healthy life.

Dental Select offers senior plans that are tailored to fit your dental needs.  To learn more, click here.

[1] Friedman, Michael: “Dental Care for Seniors.” WebMD. May 22, 2014. <www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/dental-care-seniors?page=3#1>

[2] “Oral Health for Older Americans.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. July 10, 2013. <www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/publications/factsheet s/adult_oral_health/adult_older.htm>