Valley Dental Group

Happy Memorial Day! Today, and every day, we would like to honor those serving and those who have served our country. Thank you for your sacrifice. #thankyou #memorialday

Did you know May is National Save Your Tooth Month? Save your teeth by scheduling cleanings and practicing good dental #hygiene to protect your natural smile! #sytm2021 #dentalhygiene

Is your smile ready for spring? Let us help you achieve a confident, radiant smile with our expert #cosmetic dental care. We'll design an affordable, customized treatment plan to fit your needs. Contact us while space is available! #smilemore

How's your gum health? Stay prepared and check out our handy Gum Care guide below for everything you need to know about gum disease prevention, risks, symptoms, and more! #perio #gumcare #healthymouths https://bit.ly/3e1lBUS

April 4 - April 10 is National Dental Hygienist Week! We would like to extend a special shoutout to our stellar team of #hygienists for their excellent care and commitment to our patients.Thank you for all that you do! Show your appreciation by booking a cleaning and #brushing and flossing daily! #NDHW2021 #NDHW #dentalhygienist

With all of the change and uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, we want to assure you that our office is safely open for your dental needs. As a reminder, we have implemented various safety precautions, including increased #PPE, rigorous #disinfection procedures, and #socialdistancing practices. Remember, good oral health has a direct effect on overall well-being. Contact us with any questions or concerns! #dentalcare #dentalsafety

Introducing our newest dentist! We are pleased to welcome Dr. Christopher Coyner to our practice! Make sure to send Dr. Coyner a warm welcome in the comments. Follow the link below to learn more about his background! #WelcometotheTeam https://bit.ly/3puhLZr

Halloween is just around the corner and that means stockpiles of candy and sugar galore for kids! However, it also presents challenges for parents to keep their child's teeth healthy. Check out this handy guide for 12 tips for a healthy Halloween: https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/h/halloween-tips

We are now open for ALL your dental needs! Per the Governor's executive order, dental offices are now permitted and encouraged to operate, while taking steps to ensure the safety of our patients and team. For questions, or to schedule an appointment, please give us a call!

UPDATE: Due to recent changes within the state guidance, our practice will be OPEN for dental emergency-related cases. We strive to provide you the services you need and hope our efforts will ease the burden on emergency rooms for doctors to treat those affected by COVID-19. Dental emergency-related cases may include pain, inflammation, or broken teeth, among other ailments. Please reach out to us if you are experiencing any issues.

UPDATE - Your oral health is our top priority and we want to ensure you get the best treatment provided and stay out of hospitals when possible. Per directive provided by Governor Tom Wolf’s order dated as of March 22, 2020 our dental practice will be closed to all in-person dental services including emergency. We encourage you to still call us to discuss your emergency and we can direct you appropriately. We are hear for you to give you the best services we can via our phones.

As a dental provider, we are required to comply with all state, federal and ADA guidelines regarding closing due the COVID-19 restrictions. We will only be able to see emergency patients, on a case by case basis for the forseeable future. Thank you for your understanding. Please stay safe and healthy, and see you soon!

In the wake of the potential COVID-19 (coronavirus) risk, we would like to take this time to remind you that our office always puts the health and well-being of our patients first and foremost. Please be assured that we advocate safe, sanitary conditions in our office to minimize any risk. We continue to closely monitor updates from @WHO and @CDC and act accordingly. Our precautions include: *Adhering to CDC disinfection guidelines to reduce the risk of infection * Re...gular autoclave testing to ensure proper function * Asking patients who may have come into contact with someone infected with the virus to reschedule their appointment * Asking patients who have traveled to high risk areas to postpone appointments. Thank you in advance for your patience as we navigate this challenging situation one day at a time and maintain our focus where it belongs on our valued patients.

Baby Boomers and Dental Health The demographic of older adults (i.e., 65 years of age and older) is growing and likely will be an increasingly large part of dental practice in the coming years. Projections are that the number of adults over age 65 will reach 72 million, or 20% of the US population by 2030. An increasing number of this group are striving to retain their natural teeth over previous groups. Advancements in dental services for this group include implants, and per...iodontal protocols, as well as improved restoration materials and options. Medicare is slowly coming to the realization that dental care is important to their clients, and are beginning to include basic dental benefits in Medicare. Costs will, however, be a concern to many older adults, and should be taken into account in planning for retirement expenses. A good rule would be to budget and accrue $500 -$1000/year for dental maintenance what you don’t use in a year should be saved for the next. Most dental offices also offer third party interest free payment options. We at Valley Dental Group are more than happy to work with any and all special requirements that come along with the boomers dental health. Although better than in years past, the typical aging patient’s baseline health state can be complicated by comorbid conditions (e.g., hypertension, diabetes mellitus) and physiologic changes associated with aging. Most older adults have at least one chronic conditions, and many have several conditions. Common conditions are hypertension, arthritis, heart disease, cancer and diabetes, back and neck pain, depression and dementia, gastrointestinal issues and immune system concerns. Many of these conditions result in physical limitations, making brushing and flossing difficult, and dementia results in almost complete lack of self care. Potential physical, sensory, and cognitive impairments associated with aging may make oral health self-care and patient education/communications challenging. Potential physical, sensory, and cognitive impairments associated with aging may make oral health self-care and patient education/communications challenging. Older adults may regularly use several prescription and/or over-the-counter medications, making them vulnerable to medication errors, drug interactions or adverse drug reactions. 39% of older adults take 5 or more prescriptions, and 90% take at least one drug. Drug related xerostomia (dry mouth) affects up to 40% of older adults, with serious dental repercussions. Dry mouth can lead to rapid dental decay. Calcium can lead to calculus build up. It is critical to maintain mouth moisture, and increase oral hygiene procedures to stay ahead of the damage. This could include increased brushing, use of a rotary toothbrush, mouth rinses and prescription fluoride toothpaste, as well limiting some foods and beverages that can make decay worse, such as juices, sodas, and other sweetened beverages.

It’s that time of year. Your dental benefits for the year will expire on December 31. If you have any dental work that you have been putting off, now is the time to schedule it so that you can take advantage of your remaining benefits dollars. You earned them, you might as well use them. A couple of interesting facts about dental insurance: First it is NOT insurance. The word insurance means protection against loss like your house, your car or your health - to prote...ct against catastrophic losses. But guess what? Losing your teeth is not considered catastrophic. We can all live just fine without teeth, so we do not have insurance to protect them. What you have is a benefit that your employer offers to help you with your dental care. The benefits were created in 1964 when Lyndon Johnson implemented many social reforms to improve the lives of Americans. At that time, the benefit maximum of most benefits was $1000. That would pay for a lot of dental work in 1964. In comparison, in 1964 a car cost $3500 and a house about $20,000. Secondly, and this is where the whole thing goes wonky, most benefits STILL have a maximum of about $1000. So while it will HELP you with your dental work, it RARELY covers as much as most people need to even fix one tooth with a root canal and crown. FYI your maximum is $1000 because your employer picked that low amount to keep the premiums down. With higher premiums, your maximum could be $5000, or $10,000 or even UNLIMITED. But most companies buy the bargain plans. The other trick is for the dental plan to put restrictions on coverage, such as wait periods, missing tooth clauses, pre-existing conditions, deductibles and copays that limit what you can get reimbursed for, which limits what they have to pay out for your dental treatment. To sum it up: You have 1964 benefits in a 2016 world (think about what kind of car you could buy in 2016 for $3500) You can live just fine without teeth, so your dental health is not considered critical The primary goal of a benefits company is to make money, NOT to fix your teeth. So, odds are, if you need any dental work beyond basic cleanings, you will personally have to pay a decent sum of money for your treatment if you want to keep a healthy, nice smile. Don’t let dental problems build up you might as well take advantage of any benefits you can use this year. Give us a call!