Clean and happy teeth for the month of May!

Everyone knows one of the biggest fashion faux pas is wearing white before Memorial Day. Thankfully, that rule doesn’t apply to your teeth. Having a bright white and beautiful smile is in fashion all year long!

It’s a good thing our specials this month can give you the dazzling smile you’ve always wanted!

Zoom! Laser Whitening

One of our specials this month is a complete Zoom! laser whitening treatment for new Oral Hygiene Plus+ patients! Zoom! laser whitening is not only one of the best and safest tooth-whitening options available. In just about an hour, you can walk out of our office with an attention-grabbing smile (up to 8 shades whiter)!

The Zoom! laser whitening process is simple. Dr. Roybal’s staff will apply a protective barrier to your gums, and then place the special laser activated Zoom! whitening gel to your teeth and turn the Zoom! laser on. The laser helps the whitening gel penetrate tooth enamel to break up and lighten deep stains and discoloration.

During the gel-and-laser process, you can sit back, relax and enjoy the time to yourself! Once your treatment is finished, we send you home with take-home whitening trays so that you can maintain your new smile.

The entire package is valued at over $1,000, but for our special this month, you can get the entire Zoom! laser whitening package for only $199! The package includes:

• The in-office Zoom! Laser Whitening treatment
• A free consultation
• Intra-oral mouth tour
• Take-home whitening trays (a value of $400)

Call us or contact us online to scheduled your Zoom! laser whitening appointment.

Teeth Polishing for $39

For our doctor-qualified patients, we are also offering teeth polishing for $39! Polishing your teeth is a key part of keeping your teeth and mouth healthy.

After a professional teeth cleaning, teeth polishing helps to fight plaque by making your teeth smoother. Bacteria can’t adhere to smooth teeth, so plaque formation is halted, and that reduces your risk of cavity formation and gingivitis.

If you’re interested in either of Dr. Roybal’s May specials, contact us or call us today at 505-989-8749 to make an appointment!

National Blood Pressure Month

Recently (April 18) the American Heart Association released a statement regarding the link between gum disease and heart disease: “Despite popular belief, gum disease hasn’t been proven to cause atherosclerotic heart disease or stroke, and treating gum disease hasn’t been proven to prevent heart disease or stroke, according to a new scientific statement published in Circulation, an American Heart Association journal.”

Since May is National Blood Pressure Month, it seems appropriate to discuss this statement and clarify how periodontal and dental health are related to overall health, including how caring for your oral health can impact your cardiovascular health.

Not All Links are Causal Links

The American Heart Association is accurate in pointing out that gum disease does not cause heart disease. The claim that gum disease causes heart disease is likely a misinterpretation of claims made by those in the oral health care field who have been working to educate patients about the link between the two diseases. Oral health care professionals, by and large, understand the difference between a “link” and a “causal link” and have not attempted to mislead the public by stating that gum disease causes heart disease.

The Link is Still Significant

Although gum disease does not cause heart disease, there is still a significant link between the two. Statistics from decades of research show that:

1. Those with heart disease frequently also have gum disease
2. Those with gum disease are at higher risk for heart disease

The common denominator between the two diseases may be chronic inflammation. Inflammation of the gum tissues (a symptom of all stages of gum disease) may be a warning sign that other epithelial tissues—like the blood vessels—may be plagued by a chronic inflammatory response as well.

What Oral Health Care Means for your Cardiovascular Health

Although gum tissue may be inflamed for many reasons, inflammation as a sign of gum disease is a natural immune response to high-risk threshold levels of oral bacteria. Some of these bacteria can travel to other parts of the body via the bloodstream, which is accessible if gums bleed after brushing or flossing. Some oral bacteria strains are tissue-invasive, causing damage to already vulnerable parts of the body, like weak heart valves or atherosclerotic vessels.

The American Heart Association is accurate in saying that gum disease treatment cannot prevent heart disease. After all, heart disease may result because of a number of risk factors

• Genetic predispositions
• Diet and lifestyle
• Smoking

And the public should not be misled into thinking that taking care of one’s teeth and gums is all they need to do to ward off heart disease. However, proper oral health care can lower an individual’s risk of cardiovascular complications by:

1. Reducing the threshold of disease-causing bacteria in the oral cavity
2. Detecting inflammation in the oral cavity early, allowing the patient to follow up with his/her primary care practitioner to assess cardiovascular health risks

Like many diseases, cardiovascular disease is often treatable and/or reversible when early detection allows for early intervention.

Be Proactive About Your Cardiovascular Health

While May is National Blood Pressure Month, and blood pressure is a significant indicator of cardiovascular health, let this month be an opportunity to do everything you can to understand your heart health risks—including seeing your dentist to assess your periodontal health.

Principle 2 of the ADA’s Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct obliges general practice dentists to refer their patients to specialists when the need arises. But your general practice dentist and his (or her) staff may have the training and experience to take care of your special needs in-house. Do you still need a specialist? How do you know?

You can find out by asking and looking for signs of a general practice dentist who’s “in the know” about specialized care.

Generally, General Practice (GP) Dentists Don’t Specialize

The dental profession includes a large number of specialties like:

• Endodontics (they’re experts on the nerve inside your tooth—the pulp)
• Orthodontics (they’re who you go to for braces)
• Periodontics (they’re the gum experts)
• Oral and maxillofacial surgery (they’re who you see to get your wisdom teeth extracted)

General practice dentists, however, don’t specialize in any one kind of oral tissue and the diagnosis and treatment of problems with it. They treat the whole mouth.

In a sense, GP dentists are gatekeepers. They help you maintain good oral hygiene through semi-annual cleanings and treating common mouth issues like tartar build up and cavities. If you don’t need anything more, you don’t need to go anywhere else.

If you do have other issues in your mouth like an exposed root nerve or gum disease, for instance, your GP dentist may pass you on to an oral health care specialist. But with continuing education and years of experience, your GP dentist and his or her staff may still be able to treat oral problems rather than referring you to a specialist.

GP Dentists and Staff Who Can Go Beyond General Practice

Years of experience alone aren’t enough to qualify a GP dentist or hygienist to go beyond the scope of general practice dentistry. However, additional training and certification may save you a trip to a specialist.

For instance:

GP dentists and hygienists typically refer someone with gum disease to a periodontist who will likely perform root planing and scaling as the first method of treatment. But Dr. Roybal’s highly trained hygiene staff is licensed and certified in periodontal treatment, including laser therapy, oral DNA, root planning and scaling. Within the scope of their license they perform many of the services a periodontist’s office also provides. If treatment does not produce the desired results, however, the patient would be referred to a periodontist for more aggressive treatment.

Before You Seek out a Specialist, Ask…

It’s not always easy to know when the staff in your GP dentist’s office has the skills, experience and credentials necessary to take on some specialty procedures. But you can find out the extent of dental services your GP practitioner provides by asking some simple questions:

• Do you treat gum disease?

• If so, is your staff trained and licensed to do the procedure?

• How much specialty procedures are done “in-house”?

If your GP dentist reports a majority of specialty procedures, like root canals or extractions, in-house, that indicates that he or she is comfortable with the procedure and has the experience to safely perform it. If your GP dentist reports that no specialty procedures are done in-house, that’s okay, too. That may indicate that either your GP dentist isn’t comfortable doing a procedure and is doing the ethical thing by referring you to someone else or the office isn’t equipped or doesn’t have adequate staffing to perform the necessary procedures.

• Do you have a good relationship with any specialist in the community?

If your GP dentist doesn’t have a relationship with any specialist in the area, that may be an indicator that he or she doesn’t refer patients out for anything…and that’s a red flag!

Red Flags to Watch For

All GP dentists and staff are bound by the Code of Ethics to refer patients out for treatment. But some dentists may honestly not think you need a specialist, perhaps because they aren’t keeping up with the changes in the dental profession.

There are some indicators that you will be better cared for by a specialist (or perhaps a new GP dentist):

The equipment

If your GP dentist is using film x-rays instead of digital or there is no intra-oral camera to show you what’s going on inside your mouth, he or she is behind the times. If the advanced technology isn’t evident in the office, there’s a good chance that the continuing education has been neglected as well.

Who’s doing your teeth cleaning

If your dentist is still doing the teeth cleanings the old fashioned way, it’s another indicator that he or she may be practicing dentistry circa 1960s. Today’s hygienists are trained and able to perform procedures before reserved for the dentist so that the GP dentist can spend more time providing more advanced care.

The standard care

In line with recent research, each office visit should be an opportunity for early detection of serious oral health issues and patient education. If your office visit doesn’t include an oral cancer screening or gum pocket measurement, opportunities to prevent or treat problems early are missed.

Your results

If you’ve been going to your GP dentist with the same complaints, like bleeding gums or tooth sensitivity, and you’re given the same advice, you’re likely to get the same results—bleeding gums or tooth sensitivity. If one solution doesn’t produce change, your treatment plan should be altered.

The absolute best oral health care is achieved through a trusting partnership between you and your GP dentist (and staff). It’s your GP dentist’s ethical responsibility to refer you to a specialist when needed. It’s your responsibility to find a good GP dentist who has kept up with advances in technology and research…and sometimes that saves you a trip to a specialist.

For the most part, patients trust their health care providers—including their dentists—to be up front with them and provide the best necessary care they need. And with good reason. Just like doctors who take the Hippocratic Oath, dentists agree to abide by a Code of Ethics that prioritizes patients’ safety and interests and promotes professionalism within the dental community.

So what exactly are dentists signing on for when they agree to practice according to the American Dental Association’s Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct? What can you as a patient be assured of when you visit your dentist? Here’s the summary version:

Principle 1: Patient Autonomy

This principle set the tone for the rest of the Code—it puts patients first. This principle outlines two very important ways that dentists can ensure patients’ agency over their oral health care:

1. Dentists must inform patients of proposed treatments and alternatives so that patients can make their own decisions about their oral health care.
2. Dentists must keep patient records confidential. Records may only be shared with the patient or other dental professional when it may benefit a patient’s treatment.

Principle 2: Do No Harm

Dentists must strive to prevent any harm to their patients, which they can do by:

• Being properly educated and keeping their knowledge and skills current
• Consulting with other dental professionals when a case goes beyond their experience and/or expertise
• Referring their patients to a specialist when treatment requires special skills or training
• Hiring only qualified personnel (like hygienists) to assist in patient care
• Practicing dentistry only when they are in sound mind and body (not under the influence of any impairing substance)
• Informing patients immediately if they may have been exposed to infectious materials, including bloodborne pathogens

In keeping with this principle, dentists are also obligated to report to the correct authorities if another professional is violating his or her obligation to do no harm.

Principle 3: Do Good

Dentists shouldn’t just avoid doing harm to a patient; they should strive to use their knowledge and skills to the benefit of their patients and the larger community.

This principle warns dentists against limiting treatment or selecting treatment based on contracted compensation (by an insurance company). Every patient should get timely, quality care in the patient’s best interests, not the dentist’s or the insurance company’s.

Principle 4: Fairness

Dentists have an ethical obligation to provide oral health care services to patients regardless of race, sex, religion, etc. This principle also clarifies that denying a patient services solely on the basis of having HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, or other bloodborne disease is unethical.

Principle 5: Truthfulness

A dentist’s obligation to be truthful covers all matters of practicing within the profession:

• Presentation of degrees
• Communication with patients about necessary vs. elective treatment, treatment alternatives, fees, etc.
• Communication with insurance companies about billing dates and services rendered
• Advertising claims
• Conflicts of interest

This principle aims to prevent any abuse of the trust patients have in their dentists.

At Dr. Gabriel Roybal, DDS, we hold the dentist-patient relationship in highest esteem. We strictly adhere to the Code of Ethics and strive to provide the best oral health care by applying current research and technology to our practice. We want your patient experience to be the best it can be. And we want your dental care to be an effective part of your overall health care strategy!

Don't forget Earth Day!

Sunday, April 22 is Earth Day 2012, the 42^nd annual Earth Day in the United States. Starting as an environmental movement hoping to harness some of the energy of anti-war protesters, Earth Day put environmental issues on a national, then a global scale.

Our growing consciousness of environmental issues has led to some significant changes:

• Separating glass, plastic and metals for recycling is nearly second nature.
• We bring our own reusable grocery sacks to the store.
• We use our vote to pressure the country to find alternative energy sources.

Businesses have made some significant strides toward being earth-friendly, too. Dr. Gabriel Roybal, DDS has been practicing “shades of green” dentistry for over two decades!

How Can a Dentist be Eco-Friendly?

When you think about what goes on in a dental practice, there are actually a lot of opportunities to reduce waste, minimize pollution and conserve resources. Here are just a few examples:

Instrument Sterilization

Metal instruments must be sterilized between patients. Traditional sterilization methods use harsh chemicals that require a lot of water to rinse away. These chemicals make their way into city waste water, which, even after treatment can end up polluting fresh water.

To eliminate the need for these chemicals and to conserve the amount of water used, Dr. Roybal uses steam-based sterilization.

Exam Area Sterilization

The entire exam area needs to be sterilized between patients as well. Again, traditional sterilization and sanitation products use harsh chemicals that can pollute fresh rivers and streams.

Instead of these hard chemicals, Dr. Roybal uses biodegradable sterilization solutions. That means that microbes already present in the water naturally break down the chemical compounds.

Water Filtration re

Mercury pollution is a major environmental problem, so much so that the UN is considering a global ban of dental amalgam fillings. When patients come in needing broken fillings repaired or dental restorations that require fillings to be removed, mercury from old fillings can get into the water.

Dr. Roybal’s practice has a specialized water filtration system that ensures environmentally-sound amalgam filling disposal.

Eco-Friendly Is Patient-Friendly

Some “shades of green” dentistry practices are not only better for the environment, they’re better for patients, too.

Mercury pollution does not only endanger the planet, but mercury vapor is harmful to humans. Although a debate rages about the safety of amalgam fillings in the United States, Dr. Roybal chooses to err on the side of caution, using only non-toxic resin composites, porcelain and/or high noble gold for cavity fillings and other restorations.

Do Your Part

We’re glad that you do your part to be Earth-friendly. Your choice of dentist is another way you can contribute to environmental sustainability. If your dentist is using mercury amalgam or sterilization methods that put tons of toxic chemicals into the wastewater system each year, or traditional x-rays that bring significantly more radiation in the work environment, maybe it’s time to look for a new dentist. Do some research to find out what dentists in your area are doing to minimize water pollution and reduce chemical waste. If you’re in Santa Fe, New Mexico are, we’d be happy to provide “shades of green” dental services!

Take care of your oral hygiene.

An estimated 34,360 Americans are diagnosed with oral cancer each year. The prognosis is grim: 25% of oral cancer patients will die from disease; only about half of them will survive more than five years.

Oral cancer used to be a disease of age, but the incidence of oral cancer is quickly increasing in patients under 40, and many of them have no known risk factors.

But oral cancer awareness isn’t all bad news. The majority of oral cancers are preventable and detectable. Early detection leads to early treatment, which increases the chance for cure.

Your dentist is a valuable ally in your campaign to prevent or survive oral cancer.

Signs and Symptoms of Oral Cancer

Many oral cancers begin as tiny white or red spots in the mouth. 60% of these sores first appear under the tongue, but oral cancers can develop in any of the oral tissues—lips, gums, cheeks, hard or soft palate.

Other signs and symptoms include:

• A sore that bleeds easily or does not heal
• A lump, thickening, rough spot, crust or small eroded area
• Pain, tenderness or numbness anywhere in the mouth or on the lips
• Difficulty chewing, swallowing, speaking or moving the jaw or tongue
• A change in the way teeth fit together (including how partial dentures fit)^*

^{* American Dental Association http://www.ada.org/3016.aspx?currentTab=1}

If you have any of these signs or symptoms, you should contact your dentist right away for a full oral cancer screening.

Oral Cancer Risk Factors

The likelihood of developing oral cancer increases with:

• Smoking or the use of other tobacco products
• Drinking alcohol in combination with smoking
• Prolonged sun exposure
• The presence of specific types of the HPV virus your mouth

Whether or not you are at increased risk for oral cancer because of oral HPV requires a saliva test. This test (OraRisk® HPV test from Oral DNA® Labs) is especially recommended for teenagers who are sexually active.

Oral Cancer Prevention and Early Detection

Some oral cancers begin as benign or pre-cancerous clusters of abnormal cells. If caught early, they may be completely removed before cancer fully develops.

Early detection of oral cancer is possible through self-checkups and regular dental exams that include intra- and extra-oral cancer screenings. Get in the habit of examining your mouth before or after brushing, looking for discoloration or areas that look or feel different from the tissues around it. If you notice anything unusual, see your dentist right away.

Your dentist can more thoroughly screen for oral cancer by performing an examination of your mouth and your face and neck. Screenings take about five to ten minutes and include a visual examination, sometimes with the assistance of a black light-sensitive rinse that helps illuminate abnormal cells, and a gentle palpation of the tissues to feel for lumps, bumps or areas of sensitivity. If any suspected areas are identified, a biopsy may be ordered.

Proper nutrition can also prevent the development of oral cancer. A diet high in fruits and vegetables (particularly cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, collard greens and arugula) contains cancer-fighting compounds like antioxidants and phytochemicals.

Your Oral Cancer Screening

Dr. Gabriel Roybal, DDS is ready to help patients in the Santa Fe, New Mexico area decrease their oral cancer risk. Call us today to schedule your oral cancer screening: 505-989-8749

Products and services of a dental professional can help with whitening your teeth.

Who loves a steaming cup of coffee to start their day? How about fresh berries by the handful, in pies or in smoothies at the peak of the season? A glass of red wine with friends?

These foods and drink are certainly delicious, and each has its own health benefits—antioxidants, phytonutrients, resveratrol, among others. But these (and other) foods also have staining power.

To continue to enjoy the taste and health benefits without sacrificing the brightness of your smile, you may need to consider teeth whitening. But what whitening products really work?

Good Whitening Results

The easiest way to whiten your smile is with whitening toothpastes.

Pros: Brushing daily with a whitening toothpaste is easy and cost-effective. It doesn’t require any change in your at-home dental care routine, just a change in product.

Cons: Whitening toothpaste takes several weeks before noticeable results…if results are possible. Stubborn stains and/or thin enamel may keep you from seeing any difference with whitening toothpaste alone. Some whitening toothpastes can also make teeth sensitive, particularly to cold temperatures.

Whitening toothpastes may work better to maintain professional whitening results.

Recommendations: Opalescence® Whitening toothpaste

Better Whitening Results

Even if whitening toothpastes don’t achieve the results you want, better whitening results are still possible at home. Gels and trays are able to deliver stronger concentrations of whitening agents than toothpastes.

Pros: At-home applications are cheaper than whitening options that require professional application.

Cons: Although designed for easy use, trays and gels are messier than simple toothpastes. And, to get gels and take-home trays that really deliver, you still need professional-strength products, which you can only get from your dentist.

Recommendations: Opalescence® Whitening Gels, Whiter Image Chic-Flic Teeth Whitening & Lip Gloss Plumper Pen

Best Whitening Results

To really get your teeth whiter, you need the help of your dentist. Laser teeth whitening is the most effective way to achieve results. The use of light activates the whitening agent and penetrates deeper into your teeth, helping you achieve better, longer-lasting results.

Pros: Laser teeth whitening can brighten your teeth up to eight shades in about an hour. Results last for months, even years (depending on your diet and other lifestyle factors).

Cons: Laser teeth whitening can only be administered by a dental professional, so it requires an office visit.

Recommendations: Zoom! laser teeth whitening

Get Your Brightest, Whitest Smile

Truth be told, most over-the-counter products that claim to whiten teeth just don’t work as promised. Any results will be weeks in coming, and almost always brings sensitivity issues with it. To get faster, longer-lasting teeth whitening results, seek the help and recommendations from your dentist.

If you’re dentist is Dr. Gabriel Roybal, DDS, you’re in luck! Not only do we use the Zoom! laser teeth whitening system to give you the best results, we almost always have specials on Zoom! teeth whitening to make it more affordable.

Right now, we are offering Zoom! teeth whitening for only $199 when you make an appointment at Oral Hygiene Plus+ (that includes take-home trays to maintain your results)!

Call us or contact us online to make your teeth whitening appointment today!

Pick a dentist who isn't stuck in the dark ages of technology.

Technology evolves quickly. It’s been less than two decades since the cell phone has become nearly ubiquitous. And it’s only been about three years since the DTV transition, making digital signals the only broadcast channel for television programming.

Technology advances just as quickly in the medical and dental fields. New devices and procedures are being developed and introduced almost daily. Think about it—when was the last time you saw a jar of leeches at your doctors’ office? And who uses mercury-filled glass tube thermometers anymore?

Although technology is constantly changing and all around us, it’s not mandatory that people keep up. There’s no law saying you have to have a cell phone, and some people still prefer their vinyl collection to an iPod.

Unfortunately, the same is true in the dental profession. There’s no regulating authority that mandates dental practices have the latest technology. It’s expensive, and not all new equipment is needed by all practices. However, there are some relics of dental equipment that, if they’re still being used at your dentist’s office, may be a sign that it’s time to move on, to find a dentist practicing 21^st century dental medicine.

Out with the Old, In with the New

Not all old medical/dental equipment is “outdated.” Some tried-and-true instruments and procedures are still very useful. For example, scalers and probes are still some of the best means of removing tartar from enamel and measuring gum pockets, respectively.

But some dental devices, materials and ways of doing procedures are ready for permanent retirement because newer, safer alternatives are already available.

Old Technology: Traditional X-Rays

X-rays are a valuable tool in diagnosing and treating oral health issues. Through X-rays, your dentist can see below the gum line and observe bone tissue changes in and around your jaws. But traditional X-rays expose you to levels of radiation that can be unsafe. Even when your dental practitioner uses lead aprons, your face and neck are exposed, and that can contribute to problems down the road.

New Technology: Digital X-Rays

Digital X-rays provide the same benefits of traditional X-rays—they allow your dentist to see teeth and bone covered by other tissues to help diagnose problems. However, digital X-rays expose patients to 90% less radiation than traditional x-rays. These images can also be manipulated—rotated, zoomed in on, etc.—to allow the dentist an even better view of what’s going on below the gum line.

Old Technology: Mercury Amalgam Fillings

Amalgam fillings are a combination of approximately 50% liquid mercury and 50% of a powder alloy of silver, tin and copper. Amalgam fillings have been used for over 150 years to fill crevices resulting from tooth decay to prevent bacterial invasion of the dentin and tooth nerve.

While some amalgam advocates stand firm in their belief that amalgam fillings present no health risk, several other studies argue otherwise. Even in the small amounts of mercury vapor released from the filling can potentially lead to brain and kidney problems.

Patient safety with amalgam fillings isn’t the only controversy surrounding this material. Mercury pollution is a global problem, and the use of mercury in dental fillings is, perhaps, one of the leading contributors.

New Technology: Composite Fillings

Patient safety and environmental concerns can be completely curtailed by the use of composite materials for dental fillings. Composite fillings contain no metal, but are instead made up of various mixtures of synthetic resins and acrylics. They are durable and more natural looking, as they can be made to match natural tooth shades.

Old Technology: Root Canals without 3D Imaging

Root canal therapy is an attempt to mitigate internal tooth infection to preserve the tooth structure. It involves extracting infected pulp and the nerve inside the tooth while leaving the root and crown in place. Using just X-rays, it’s not really possible for a dentist to know when or if all of the infected tissue and nerve had been removed. The procedures were based on the dentist’s best guess, albeit an educated one.

New Technology: Root Canals with 3D Imaging

Advances in imagery now help dentists see more—more angles, more deeply—into a tooth’s structure. With the aid of 3D imaging, a dentist performing a root canal procedure can actually see when the affected tissue and nerve are completely extracted. This minimizes the risk of further infection and abscess.

Keeping up with technology is a personal and professional challenge. But when it comes to dentistry, applying the latest technological advances is often necessary to provide the safest and most comfortable patient care…and isn’t that what you want from your dentist?

If your dentist is still in the dark ages when it comes to technology, perhaps it’s time to move on. If you’re looking for a state of the art dental practice in the Santa Fe area, Dr. Gabriel Roybal, DDS and Oral Hygiene Plus+ will be happy to meet you.

What does dental insurance mean for you as a patient?

Humans are creatures of habit. We stick with what what’s familiar, including our dentists. But sometimes we’re forced to make changes. Maybe your dentist is retiring or you got new dental insurance at work—whatever the reason, if you’re leaving a dental practice that was insurance-based, you may be surprised at what a new dentist may tell you about your oral health.

How Insurance-Based Dental Practices Work

Traditionally, dental practices contract with insurance provider(s). They become “preferred” service providers for those insurance companies’ policy holders, which means patients are typically only responsible for an office visit copay and/or a small percentage of the actual cost of dental work. Dentists are paid pre-determined reimbursement rates for specified procedures by the insurance companies.

While going to a “preferred” practitioner CAN minimize out of pocket expenses for an insured patient, it can also limit the information about and options for your oral health care.

Insurance-based dental practices will often only recommend procedures that are covered by the insurance, ones they know the insurance companies will pay them for. Since insurance companies are NOT medical or dental providers, they are not the experts in your oral health care.

The Alternative to Insurance-Based Dental Practices

Dentists and patients don’t have to remain under the thumb of dental insurance companies. And getting out from under their restrictions doesn’t mean you have to break the bank for dental care, either.

There are dental practices, like Dr. Gabriel Roybal, DDS and Oral Hygiene Plus+, that are independent of insurance companies. They do not contract to be “preferred” service providers, so there is no financial motivation to withhold the most optimal care the patient needs.

When you go to an independent practitioner, you will find that a whole new world of information about your oral health has opened up. You will be more fully educated about the current state of your oral health through a comprehensive examination, and you will learn how to take better care of your teeth, gums and oral tissues on your own. You will be presented with options for treatment to prevent problems or stop problems from getting worse.

Just because your dentist may not contract with insurance companies doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to foot the bill. If you have dental insurance, your insurance provider may reimburse you directly for visits and treatment you receive from a non-network provider.

At Dr. Gabriel Roybal, DDS insurance claims are filed on your behalf electronically to speed up the process for patient reimbursement.

And, if you have a health savings plan, your funds can typically be spent on providers of your choice, regardless of insurance affiliation.

There’s more to oral health care than filling cavities and doing root canals. You can be proactive in your oral health care by getting out from under the mandates of dental insurance company’s policies. Look for an independent dental practice in your area like Dr. Gabriel Roybal, DDS and Oral Hygiene Plus+ in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Many patients can have the smile they want with Diamante® veneers and crowns!

Every cloud has a silver lining, or in our case, a pearly white lining. The economic crisis is certainly a gloomy cloud hanging over most of us. We have to watch our pennies more carefully and find ways to cut back, slim down or go without to make it to the next paycheck. That often means that unforeseen expenses just don’t have a place in our budgets.

That was the case for one patient of Dr. Roybal’s. However, tight parameters can often prompt us to think outside the box to solve a problem. And that’s exactly what Dr. Roybal did to help give his patient a beautiful new smile when financial resources were scarce.

The Damage

Dr. Roybal’s patient Valerie^* had an accident that resulted in her four front teeth being broken. Her teeth were damaged to the extent that she needed a repair that would:

1)    cover what was left of her tooth to prevent further breakage and nerve exposure (which would result in a lot of pain), and

2)    restore each tooth’s normal coronal length, which would allow normal biting and chewing function as well as restore her appearance

The best restoration solution was veneers. But porcelain veneers cost approximately $1,400 each. Valerie did not have dental insurance which would have left her with $5,600 in out of pocket dental expenses, which she didn’t have. Her financial options were severely limited.

But Valerie needed dental restoration. Dr. Roybal couldn’t just turn her away. So he came up with another option.

The Repair

Porcelain veneers are expensive primarily because of the materials. And while porcelain is still considered the number one choice, it’s not the only material that can be used.

Advances in material science have introduced a host of composite materials to the dental field. Research demonstrates composites’ durability in an (often) acidic, bacteria-laden environment and under the stress of daily chewing and grinding activity. And composites are often much more cost effective compared to other materials (like porcelain).

Composites are primarily used for cavity fillings (as an alternative to mercury amalgam), but Dr. Roybal went beyond the “normal” parameters to create a solution for Valerie. Drawing upon his extensive work with composite materials and his expertise with veneers, Dr. Roybal developed a new composite material (patent pending) with which he made custom veneers for Valerie at a fraction of the cost of porcelain.

The Happy Ending

As a result of Dr. Roybal’s ingenuity, Valerie got a beautiful smile the same day she first visited Dr. Roybal. And because of the new material, her restored smile cost less than half of what she would have paid to get porcelain veneers.

But Valerie isn’t the only one who can benefit from Dr. Roybal’s cost-saving restoration. Now, (based on Doctor’s recommendations) many patients can have the smile they always wanted with new Diamante® veneers and crowns!

Diamante® veneers and crowns are a durable, natural-looking porcelain alternative. Each veneer or crown costs only $499—65% less than traditional porcelain veneers or crowns! If you’ve been considering a smile makeover, but the cost has kept you from putting your best face forward, now’s the time to call or come in for a smile consultation. With Diamante® veneers and crowns, you can afford to enhance and restore your pearly whites!

*Patient’s name has been changed to preserve patient confidentiality