Health Focus

DENTAL CARE Jeffrey Gross, DDS, FAGD Q: No One Wants to Help Me

A:

When I looked at my schedule this week, I saw that I was meeting a new patient for a consultation. The note in my schedule told me that he wanted

to talk about dentures. We talked for a bit as he told me his story. His teeth always needed care, and he felt that if all of them

were removed, he would solve his problems. I hear this so often from patients, and let’s face it, it does make sense. If teeth are the

problem, the complete removal is the path to no problems. That statement is correct, but it needs some clarification. Removing all of one’s teeth solves the natural tooth problem. It does not eliminate all issues. When patients move to a denture, they replace one set of problems with a different set.

The office that started the process agreed with his thoughts and referred him to an oral

surgeon who would remove all of his teeth. During the procedure, sedation made the long process easier to handle, and when he was done, he would have a set of

temporary teeth. When teeth are removed, and the patient receives a denture the same day, the denture is called an “immediate denture.” The term is self-explanatory. There is no waiting for the denture as it is delivered to the patient immediately. Many doctors give the patient a temporary set of dentures followed by a final set down the road after gum healing. In an effort to save the patient money, I don’t follow this protocol,

but there is nothing wrong with the temporary denture approach.

Problems can occur when the surgeon is not the same doctor as the one who made the denture. If the immediate denture fits well, then all can be good. Problems arise when the denture has issues that require the patient to return to the denture-making process as quickly as possible to make the dentures wearable. Such a scenario happened to my new patient, which

resulted in the dentures falling out of his mouth.

In general, a new denture wearer will struggle to learn how to eat and speak with new dentures. The adjustment period can take weeks, months, or sometimes never to occur. Our patient fits into the last category, and I will explain why this happened to him.

We all know the phrase that you can have “too much of a good thing.” For a denture to have

stability, the mouth requires bone in the jaw under the gums. When the bone has a certain shape and

volume, the chances of the denture fitting better goes up. Forces

during eating are distributed throughout the mouth, and other areas help prevent dislodging of the denture.

Our patient had an excessive bone in his mouth because he had bumps and outcropping of bone on the upper and lower jaws. The extra bone prevented the denture from fitting snuggly against his gums. The result of all of this is

dentures that fall out routinely. No one could make him a denture without extensive surgery to recontour the bone. Even then, there was no guarantee that the dentures would fit.

I suggested that as an alternative, we use all that bone to help anchor an implant-supported denture. Whether we use standard or mini-implants, it doesn’t matter. If the implants bear the chewing load, the mouth shape is less crucial to a good fit. In implant dentistry, doctors struggle to find enough bone. My patient hit the Vegas jackpot when it came to his bone, so why not use it? If you are struggling with a denture, whether new or old, please contact us for an evaluation. Help may be around

the corner, so please call Nikki at 440.951.7856 for a consultation as I look forward to meeting you.

Jeffrey Gross, DDS, FAGD, is an Ohio licensed general dentist and is a staff member at Case School of Dental Medicine in the Department

of Comprehensive Care. The Healthy Smile

34586 Lakeshore Boulevard (¼ mile west of Route 91 on Lakeshore Blvd) Eastlake, Ohio 44095 440-951-7856 Severance Medical Arts, Suite 603 5 Severance Center Cleveland Heights, OH 44118 216-371-2333 www.jeffreygrossdds.com

OPHTHALMOLOGY Gregory Eippert, MD Q: What changes can I expect in my vision as I get older? A:

Just like your body, your eyes and vision change over time. Some changes occur because the quality of vision naturally lessens with age. Some changes may be due to age-related conditions or other eye problems that may require evaluation and treatment. While not everyone will experience the same symptoms, the following are some common vision changes to expect as you get older.

Presbyopia: Beginning in your 40s, the lens in your eye starts to lose its flexibility making it difficult to read up close or small print. You will likely be able to

compensate for a time by holding reading material farther away from your eyes. As presbyopia advances, you will eventually need reading glasses, progressive lenses, or multifocal contact lenses to help with reading and up-close tasks.

Glare: As you age, you may notice additional glare from headlights at night or from sun reflecting off the windshield or pavement during the day. Glare difficulties can be due to cataracts which are a clouding of the lens in the eye that often occurs as a natural part of aging. With cataracts, the light entering through the cloudy lens is scattered rather than directly focused on the retina thus causing glare. If you are having symptoms of glare that are affecting your daily activities, see your eye doctor for an exam and evaluation of your cataracts.

Dry eyes: Up to 75% of adults over the age of 40 have dry eyes, a condition in which your eyes don’t produce enough tears and/or the quality of the tear film has decreased.

As a result, your eyes may sting or feel gritty. In some cases there may be excessive tearing which is a natural response to irritation and your eyes attempting to compensate for lack of tears. Using artificial tears as needed throughout the day will increase your comfort level, or consult with your eye doctor for other options such as prescription dry eye medications.

Floaters: In many cases, floaters are a normal part of aging. Floaters

occur when the gel-like vitreous inside the eye begins to liquefy and pull away from the retina. Floaters can appear as specks, spots, cobwebs, and other shapes and seem to float across your vision. If you have floaters that are large, multiple or like a shower effect, or those that are accompanied by flashes of light, see your eye doctor as soon as possible.

So what can you do about agerelated vision changes? The best natural defenses against vision loss as you age include establishing and maintaining a healthy diet and wise lifestyle choices such as not smoking. Also recommended are regular eye exams with your eye doctor including a baseline exam at age 40 and yearly exams at age

50 and after. Be sure to let your eye doctor know about your current medical condition(s), medications that you are taking, any family history of eye disease, and any concerns you might have about your vision and vision health. Gregory Eippert, MD 8140 Norton Parkway Mentor, OH 44060

440-255-1115 www.opivision.com

INSURANCE Laura Mutsko Agent and CSA Q: Like almost everyone today, my budget is stretched. Got any suggestions on ways to cut down our medical costs? A:

It is never a good idea to go without medical care when you need it. This is not a place to scrimp. However, here are some alternatives that can help

you keep your costs in line the next time you need medical care.

Consider telemedicine. Telemedicine has grown increasingly popular in recent years and is now covered by many insurance plans. It is one of the quickest, easiest,

most cost-effective ways to visit a physician or mental health professional. Contact your insurance carrier to learn about the guidelines, costs, and telemedicine options through your plan.

Study your health insurance plan. Did you know some insurance companies offer customer discounts on products and services and extra benefits? Some examples

include transportation to medical appointments, fitness trackers, weight loss plans, and more.. See if you have extra benefits like an allowance for over-the-counter

health products, home delivered meals after surgery. Contact your insurance company to ask for

details on discounts and extra benefits.

Bills. Request an itemized bill following any hospital stay. If you see items you do not understand, ask for a clarification. If you are not satisfied with the explanation and

believe you were billed in error, be persistent and dispute the charge.

Prescriptions. Ask your physician to prescribe generic drugs instead of brand-name drugs whenever possible. Explore using discount drug programs such as Good Rx at www.goodrx.com or Cost Plus Drugs at www.costplusdrugs.com. If your share of the

cost is still out of reach, contact the manufacturer and ask if they have a patient assistance program. You can also contact the Northeast Ohio Drug Repository, also known as the Prescription Assistance Program of Ohio. They provide qualified clients Rx medications for a flat fee of $10 per prescription per month.

Emergency Room or Clinic? You should always choose the

hospital emergency room (ER) for life-threatening conditions and injuries. But if you have a cold or a sprained ankle, your most costeffective choice may be to visit an urgent care center or schedule a same-day doctor’s appointment instead of the ER.

The Bottom Line. By taking the time to familiarize yourself with your insurance benefits, seek discounted services and drugs, review your bills and work closely with your healthcare providers’ billing or finance staff, you can manage and even significantly decrease your medical bills.

If you would like more information on Life, Individual or Group Health plans, Medicare Advantage

plans or Medicare Supplements, please call me at 440-255-5700 or

email me at Lmutsko@mutskoinsurance.com.

Laura Mutsko Mutsko Insurance Services, LLC 6982 Spinach Drive Mentor, OH 44060 440-255-5700 www.mutskoinsurance.com