Newsletters

Happy Sunday!

Our life is controlled not by our conditions but by our DECISIONS! We can’t always control our conditions BUT we can ALWAYS be “at choice!” At choice means our mindset and actions are that WE get to decide and we ultimately have a say in how life goes or does not go for us, no matter what conditions we find ourselves in or need to face.

Isn’t our ability, even our right to make choices something that defines us as humans and creates an experience of freedom in our lives? What’s the opposite of freedom? Some antonyms are inability, impotence, restraint, captivity - may be even slavery? If we find ourselves in a constraint of a sort, aren’t we enslaved? 😱

Sometimes in our office we hear people blaming their insurance plan, the government, inflation, or some other external factor for why they will not move forward with necessary treatment.  These are examples of not being at choice.

We have chosen to elevate our practice and patient care to an unrestricted level with most Dental Benefit Plans (a.k.a. "insurances"). There is nothing that you need to do, and with this improved arrangement you can still use all of your dental benefits at our practice! We will of course assist you with accessing those.  We are doing this so that you can get the care you want, need and deserve without restrictions from 3rd parties.

To help you understand the context, here are some facts about dental benefit plans:

Dental Benefit Plans were created in the 70’s to provide access to care to underserved populations  We, in Solana Beach, are not an “underserved population.”

None of the Dental Benefit Plans are an “insurance" as that term is commonly understood. They don't meaningfully insure a person against anything, and there are no benefits available past the yearly maximum, which are generally around $1500-2000/year! This is the amount many people use as their deductible for other actual insurances, like medical, home or car insurance, which, unlike dental plans, protect against unexpected enormous expenses.

Dental Benefit Plans are more accurately thought of as a coupon towards a limited list of services.  And these benefits are primarily geared towards basic preventive care services, rather than restorative needs.

Most plans have decreased their reimbursements steadily over the years and have not increased their yearly maximums since the 1970s!  Sounds crazy, I know.  This doesn’t “work" for anyone except the benefit providers.

Many of these organizations are "non profits," so they don't pay taxes.  But do they act like charitable organizations?  Delta Dental of CA is currently under a class action lawsuit by the California Dental Association for unlawful business practices and abuse of their 501 (c) 3 status.

Moreover, their CEO, Tony Barth, earned $14.3 million in total compensation recently!  

Most dental plans only pay out about 40% of the available benefits per year, so the rest, 60%, actually goes back to the company, much of it in the form of executive compensation.

We could go on, but you get the picture.

I think you can see that it is logically fellacious to equivocate "insurance" with a dental benefit plan.

Why do we need these entities? They made sense 50 years ago but not anymore, and definitely not in North San Diego. In my view they only exist for themselves. Its time for everyone to re-think why we are even dealing with these organizations, and that is happening across the profession.

The US is a country founded on personal freedom, individual perseverance and commitment. Being passive will only make things worse. Actively making choices which are in the best interest of all is the way to practice our freedom and enjoy the society that our forefathers imaged and for which they fought. Freedom is having the ability to make informed choices.  

A patient last week showed me that $75/mo is being deducted from his paycheck for dental benefits. Basic math: he is paying $950 (monthly premiums + yearly deductible = $1100 ) for a $2000/yr benefit.  Again, this mostly applies to the lowest level of preventive care and does not contribute in any significant way to the actual treatment he needs. This is definitely NOT the best choice for his health, nor his finances. It would be much wiser for him to invest in a yearly membership in the Healthy Smiles Plan that we offer at our practice that is actually less money for the highest level of care. Based on well established data, preventative care is required every 3 months for all patients, benefits plans don’t recognize this but the Healthy Smiles Plan does.  In addition, services like Laser Bacterial Reduction, Soft Tissue screening for cancer and other abnormalities, digital carries detection, de-sensititization and enamel sealing with fluoride and calcium hydroxide varnishes are never a covered benefit under any dental plan and ARE all included at the ideal frequencies with the Healthy Smiles Plans.

What’s the answer? The solution is to choose what’s actually sustainable and works for everyone.

1. First and foremost come and at least utilize your benefits, if you have them. Unused benefits DO NOT roll over to the next calendar year.   If you don’t use them, you LOOSE them. If you have not been in at least twice this calendar year for your preventative care, make a reservation to come in. If you have any pending unscheduled treatment, schedule to complete that. We don't want you to miss out, so call before our schedule fills for the remainder of the year!
2. If you receive any confusing communication from your dental benefit plans or need further clarification on how they work, please contact the practice and we will walk you through that.  The bottom line is that after we transition to an unrestricted relationship with dental plans in 2024, you absolutely can and should still come to our office and you CAN still use ALL of your benefits.
3. Choose to be free from constraints and limitations and invest in the Healthy Smiles Plan yearly membership for you and your loved ones.  We would be happy to provide you with a comparison of your current plan and the Healthy Smiles Plan so you can make an informed choice. We have designed it to eliminate the unnecessary middle men and be a wiser choice than using a 3rd party plan.  Our ELITE level of the plan is the greatest value, with 4 preventive visits per year with the highest level of care and technology included plus great discounts towards other services. To learn more call us or look at our website under Patient Experience Tab or click the button below - all memberships are listed there with all the details. If you choose to stay with your current benefits plan, no problem!  We will help you access your benefits just as we always have.

Don’t be resigned, uniformed, complacent and passive while supporting the unethical business practices of large organizations that do not have our best in mind.

Actually CHOOSE! 🔥❤️🔥

We look forward to seeing you soon.

With love and gratitude,

Dr. Elona 💗