Prehn Dental Office

Toothpaste just isn’t toothpaste anymore.  In today’s market, toothpastes containing many different types of ingredients, which can help reduce sensitivity, gingivitis, tartar build-up and some even claim to help whiten teeth.  But the consumer has to be wary of the toothpaste they are using.  Some can be too abrasive to the teeth or start causing sensitivity.  At Prehn Dental, we like to offer some simple guidelines to follow when selecting toothpaste.

1.                  Always look for toothpaste that contains fluoride (fluoride helps to reduce cavities and sensitivity).

2.                  Use toothpaste that has a pleasing flavor to you.  (If it doesn’t taste good, you won’t use it).

3.                  Tartar control toothpastes:  be careful of these, for some people they work great, but for others it can cause tooth or gum sensitivity.  If this happens, discontinue use and just use a paste or gel with fluoride only.

4.                  Toothpastes for sensitive teeth:  these work great if directions are followed.  Most sensitivity toothpastes need to be used every time you brush for at least 1-2 months in order for the ingredients to work and reduce the sensitivity.

5.                  Whitening toothpastes:  be careful of toothpastes that say that they can whiten teeth.  Some may be abrasive, thus we think we are scrubbing the teeth clean.  This causes extreme sensitivity.  It is actually a chemical that whitens teeth, not the abrasives added to the toothpaste.

As we all know, insurance can be a bit overwhelming.  Explanation of benefits (EOB’s) can also be difficult to understand.  At Prehn Dental, we take pride in the fact that we are meticulous when it comes to submitting claims on behalf of our patients.  We will go the extra mile to insure that your claim is processed correctly.  If claims are denied, in most cases we will appeal the decision with a letter from Dr. Prehn along with needed photos, x-rays or clinical notes so that the Review Board has a total understanding of why the dental work was necessary.  We have had patients compliment us on going “above and beyond” to help them obtain the coverage for claims we have submitted—after all, our patients pay their monthly premiums and deserve to have their claims processed correctly to insure as much coverage as possible.  Obviously, dental insurance may not pay 100% of your claim but any coverage is better than none!

For our patients who have dental insurance, we can also submit pre-treatment estimates to their dental insurance carrier so they know the amount covered by their insurance and the amount that they will be responsible for.  We are happy to submit PTE’s for you.  Generally it takes about 3 – 4 weeks to hear back on the predetermination.  Usually the patient will get their copy first and when we receive our copy, we will contact our patients to see if they are ready to schedule the necessary appointment(s). 

PLEASE BE SURE TO UPDATE US ON ANY INSURANCE CHANGES YOU MAY HAVE.  IN ORDER FOR US TO SUBMIT YOUR CLAIMS ACCURATELY, IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY THAT WE HAVE THE CORRECT INSURANCE INFORMATION!

If you have any dental insurance questions, please do not hesitate to ask---Mary, Kathy or Lori will be happy to help you!