Questions About Dental Implants

Our patients often ask us who is a candidate for dental implant treatment. And, the answer is, nearly everyone who is in general good health. There are a few medical conditions that can undermine the success of implant treatment—such as uncontrolled diabetes. But, there are very few other conditions that would keep someone from having implant treatment all together.

The quantity and quality of available bone for implant placement is more often a factor in qualifying for dental implants—rather than a medical condition. Even folks who have lost a significant amount of bone can qualify for dental implant replacement with additional procedures to add bone or create new bone. Advances in this type of treatment have made it possible for so many people to have successful implant treatment.

And, really you are never too old to consider implant placement! Your overall health and a desire to improve the quality of your life are much more important considerations than age. Today, many patients well into their nineties have had dental implant treatment with no problems.

Learn more about implant replacement at our website www.drlargey.com and www.missingteeth.org or give us a call! We love to talk to patients about the benefits of dental implant treatment.

You can use CareCredit for your procedures

We’re pleased to offer our patients CareCredit, North America’s leader in patient payment plans.  CareCredit lets you begin your treatment immediately – then pay for it over time with low monthly payments that fit easily into your monthly budget.

Your healthcare credit card.

CareCredit is the credit card exclusively for healthcare services.  With no up-front costs and no pre-payment penalties, CareCredit lets you pay over time and frees up cash and credit cards for the other things you want or need.  CareCredit offers low monthly payment plans for healthcare procedures not commonly covered by insurance, including dental treatments.  Plus, you can use your card again and again to pay for additional treatment for yourself or family members in any CareCredit practice.

• Low minimum monthly payments
• No up-front costs, no pre-payment penalties

Learn more by visiting carecredit.com or contacting our office at 942 6620. Ready to apply? Apply online for your CareCredit card today.

Great time at Paws On Parade

Dr. Largey's Sharp K9's!

Well, the weather didn’t really cooperate, but we had a good time and raised some money for a very good cause! Eve came out to walk with her good buddies Samson and Harvey, Sharon brought her grandchildren and family pooches C.J. and Cody, Dr. Largey and AnneMarie brought their golden retriever Garth out for the festivities. It was really amazing how well behaved all the dogs were! And, the turn out was really good despite the rain. We were very lucky to do the walk without rain, but as soon as it was over, the rain came back as a very heavy down-pour. All in all, it was a success for the Bangor Humane Society–they raised $15,000 more this year than last year, so that is great. We were all happy to participate. Come join us next year!

And, check out this video from the event, if you watch to the end, you will see Eve’s little pug Harvey in his “Bad Dog” costume!

http://blip.tv/bangor-daily-news/18th-annual-paws-on-parade-in-bangor-5605328

We have joined the Paws On Parade Fundraiser!

Check out our Team Page: Dr. Largey’s Sharp K9s

AnneMarie and Big, Eve and Sampson, Sharon and CJ, Carol and friend!

Now in its eighteenth year, Paws on Parade is Bangor Humane Society’s annual fundraising event and celebration of pets to benefit the animals at the shelter awaiting forever homes.

Over a mile long, the route runs from the Bangor Waterfront through Downtown Bangor and meets back by the water. Walk with your dog or with a human companion, or simply sponsor a Paws participant, preferably one of us!

The Bangor Humane Society is a donor supported, private, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. BHS is Maine’s oldest and largest animal care and adoption facility. BHS cares for approximately 5,000 owner released and stray animals each year. We serve over 200 communities in Maine, including eastern, coastal, down east, and parts of northern Maine.

The majority of our annual revenue -56 percent — comes from donations and supporters like you!

Sign up as a team walker by September 1 and receive a free T-shirt!

Visit our donation web page to join our team or donate to this very special cause. We will keep you posted about our fundraising progress on our Facebook page. And, of course we will post photos of the walk!

Our Team name: Dr. Largey’s Sharp K9s

Click here to go to the Paws on Parade Web site. 

Wisdom Teeth and Insurance

One important question patients have about third molar surgery is about insurance. We realize that this can be a stressful part of the visit. Listed below are the details of how we handle insurance for third molar surgery.

1. Wisdom teeth (third molars) are typically covered under medical as a primary payor and a dental as secondary. So, we ask that you bring both insurance cards to your first appointment so that we can check their benefits for surgery services.
2. As a new patient to us, we ask that you pay in full for a consultation visit as well as the panoramic x-ray (if needed). Our consultation fee is $76 and our panoramic x-ray is $125. We will submit this visit to the insurance company and request that they mail a reimbursement check based on your benefits directly back to you.
3. Once Dr. Largey sees you for consultation he will provide a treatment plan. Our insurance specialist, Sharon will then check the benefits under the plan(s) and let you know your out of pocket costs. The rest will be paid directly to our office, keeping your cost as low as possible.
4. We submit all claims electronically. We will accept the assignment of benefits for third molar surgery cases. Sometimes referrals from primary care doctors are needed, or even an out of network waiver. Sharon will assist in this process to make sure everything is in place for insurance billing and payment.

Please feel free to call with any questions—that’s what we are here for.

Please welcome our new team member Rachel!

Rachel joins us as a Patient Care Coordinator. We asked her to tell us a little bit about herself and here is what she said:

 “My name is Rachel, I am 21 years old, and I grew up in Rumford Maine with my parents and a brother and sister. I have a large family and they mean everything to me. I have always been the type of person who needs to help others. I am very empathetic and understanding, I have been this way forever.

I am a Junior at the University of Maine at Orono and I am majoring in Broadcast Journalism and minoring in French. Hopefully one day I will be a news anchor for the Today show. Its a big dream, but hey, why not dream big?

 If anyone needs any help with anything, or you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. I look forward to becoming part of this team and I know this is where I belong.”

Rachel has been with us now just under a month and we are really enjoying working with her. Her primary responsibility is greeting patients, assisting them with paperwork, helping folks schedule treatment and follow up visits. She is likely the person our patients will talk to at confirmation phone calls. She will be with us full time through the summer and then part time when she goes back to school in the fall. It’s great to have her a part of our team!

Factors that may cause oral cancer

Approximately 35,000 people will be diagnosed with oral cancer each year—according to the National Institutes of Health. The disease will strike two men for every woman.

Research has identified a number of factors that may lead to oral cancer. Lifestyle choices including the use of tobacco and alcohol are the biggest cause of oral cancer. Other factors include poor oral hygiene, irritation caused by ill-fitting dentures, poor nutrition, chronic infections and a combination of all these factors. In recent years the sexually transmitted HPV16 virus has been a rising factor inoral cancer, especially among young adults. It is important to note that about 25% of oral cancer patients have no  known risk factors.

Studies show that the death rate from oral cancer is about four times higher for cigarette smokers than for non-smokers. Those who drink alcohol and smoke are 15 times more likely to develop the disease than those who engage in only one of these activities.

 

In addition, it is widely believed in the medical field that the heat generated by smoking pipes and cigars irritates the mouth and can lead to lip cancer. Prolonged sun or tanning bed exposure also puts you at risk for lip cancer.

Folks that are over the age of 40 are at an especially high risk of developing oral cancer, along with heavy drinkers and smokers, and users of smokeless tobacco including snuff. However, the number of people under 40 who have been diagnosed with oral cancer has been increasing.

We recommend that everyone perform an oral cancer self-exam each month. If you are at high risk (see the above paragraph) for oral cancer you should see your general dentist or oral and maxillofacial surgeon for an annual exam.

Resources and Links:

http://www.cancer.org/Healthy/StayAwayfromTobacco/index

http://www.smokefree.gov/

http://cdc.gov/tobacco/

http://www.spohnc.org

 

Heads Up!

April is National Facial Protection Month, so it is a great time to talk about how you and your kids can be pro-active in the prevention of injuries to the face, mouth and head. For those of us working in dental and medical offices this offers us a forum to provide some specific education regarding this topic. During the month we will be talking to our patients and providing educational literature on this topic.

Wearing helmets and mouth guards are a great way to prevent injury. Whether you are riding a bicycle, scooter or motorcycle, or playing  baseball, soccer or lacrosse wear a properly fitted helmet. According to Safe Kids USA, universal use of bicycle helmets by children age 4-15 could prevent between 39,000 and 45,000 head injuries and between 18,000 and 55,000 scalp and face injuries annually.

Nearly 50 percent of children age 14 and under who are hospitalized for bicycle related injuries are diagnosed with brain injuries. Bicycle helmets can reduce the risk of a head injury by a whopping 85 percent and brain injury by 88 percent! And yet, national estimates report bicycle helmet use among children ranges from only 15 to 25 percent.

Contact the Snell Memorial Foundation 916 331 5073 and the American National Standards Institute 212 642 4900 for additional information about helmet safety standards. And, remember a multi-sport helmet can be used for a variety of activities.

Links for information and resources:

Safe Kids

Lids On Kids

Livestrong

The 2011 Oral Cancer Awareness Week is April 11‐15

As an oral and maxillofacial surgery office, this topic is always top of mind for us.
During this week we will focus special attention on educating folks about the risk factors
and symptoms of oral, head and neck cancer and the importance of
early detection. It is critical that oral cancers receive the national media
attention necessary to raise public awareness.

The Oral Cancer Foundation points out that the high death rate traditionally
associated with oral cancer is not because it is hard to discover or diagnose, but
because the cancer has historically been discovered late in its development.
In it’s early stages, oral cancer may  and often does ‐ go unnoticed because
there are no blatant symptoms or pain.  This only underscores the importance
of establishing a regimen to include regular self‐examinations and examination
by a dentist or oral and maxillofacial surgeon at least annually.

The mouth is one of the easiest parts of your body to examine yourself. Also,
changes in the mouth can be easily seen, so oral cancer can be detected in its
early stages. The key to early detection is performing a self‐examination regularly.

Examining your mouth each month will help you identify changes or new growths
early. And, early detection is important in increasing the chance of a cure.

In our post next Monday we will review factors that may cause cancer. In the
meantime here are some educational links to check out.

The American Academy of Oral Medicine

Self Exam Guide

Dr. Largey attends 92nd Annual AAOMS Meeting in Chicago

The American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons annual meeting is in Chicago this week. Dr. Largey and AnneMarie Welsh are attending specific courses as well as the many symposiums that are being held. Of particular interest are the symposiums on Skin Rejuvenation, Face Lifts, Oral Pathology and of course one of our favorite topics Dental Implants! Dr. Largey came in early to the conference to attend the Pre-Conference Anesthesia Update. This particular conference offers a full range of continuing education, both clinical and practice management. In addition to classes, we have the opportunity to spend time with vendors that provide the latest in technology, that of course allows us to deliver the best quality services for patients. The ipad seems to be a popular topic of discussion for many of the vendors this year, we are looking forward to seeing how this new tool can integrate into the office. We will keep you posted!