Q: What game did the dentist play when he was a child?
A: Caps and robbers!
Q: What does a dentist do on a roller coaster?
A: He braces himself!
Q: What was the dentist doing in Panama?
A: Looking for the Root Canal!
As the new health exchanges begin to roll out during October, we would like to share a pair of August ADA news articles that discuss the Affordable Care Act in relation to dentistry. From the first article:
The “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” shorthanded as the ACA and as this report will refer to it, has the potential to reshape health care in America. Expansion of medical insurance coverage, a move toward more integrated care delivery and significant changes in the financing of health care are among the expectations of ACA legislators and regulators. The Association’s primary focus has been the law’s potential effects on dentistry and the delivery of dental services to patients.
To read more, see the full articles “Affordable Care Act and oral health: ADA analysis of impact,” and “Affordable Care Act: dental benefits examined.”
Casserole Ingredients:
Jaw muscles can provide about 150 pounds of maximum biting force. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masticatory_force)
One in every 2,000 to 3,000 babies is born with a tooth. (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003268.htm)
The average human produces at least 25,000 quarts of spit in a lifetime, enough to fill a small swimming pool. (http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/what-is-saliva)
Richview Family Dentistry celebrated the inauguration of football season with our second annual tailgating potluck on Thursday, August 29! Below, the happy crew pose together wearing their favored team’s colors.
Then the crew divided along team lines. For the Tennessee Volunteers:
For the Alabama Crimson Tide:
The crew also decorated the front desk area. The Alabama side:
Versus the Tennessee side:
Another piece of Vols memorabilia, an actual UT helmet worn for game play, is displayed in the front desk area.
The party ended with general mayhem and horsing around.
Let’s go team!
On Sunday, August 18, Dr. Wall turned the corner on his sixth decade! To celebrate, the Richview Family Dentistry office staff decked themselves out in UT orange — after all, we know how much Dr. Wall loves UT football! They are pictured below with Dr. Wall, who is wearing the UT lounging shorts they gave him for the occasion.
They also prepared tailgate party food for his birthday lunch, including the adorably toothy appetizers below.
Happy birthday, Dr. Wall, and many more!
Sharks can regrow unlimited sets of teeth. (http://www.npca.org/protecting-our-parks/wildlife_facts/sharks.html)
Long in the tooth, meaning old, was originally used to describe horses. As horses age, their gums recede, which gave rise to the practice of looking at a horse’s teeth to figure out its age. The older the horse, the more recessed the gums, and the longer the teeth look. (http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=19961217)
Like fingerprints, everyone has a unique tongue print.
(http://realfacts.snapple.com/presshardanddontswallow/)
Q: What’s the difference between a dentist and a New York Yankees fan?
A: One yanks for the roots and the other roots for the Yanks.
A guy had to go to the dentist. When the dentist looked in the guy’s mouth, he said, “You’ve got a verry big cavity there, a verry big cavity.”
“Well, you didn’t have to repeat it.”
The dentist replied, “I didn’t, that was an echo.”
Q: Why do dentists like potatoes?
A: Because they are so filling.
The ADA has posted several articles to its news feed this July concerning political issues. The July 19 post Delay urged discusses Rep. Nydia Velazquez’s (D-N.Y.) request to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to grant an extension for medical manufacturers and distributors to begin reporting financial transactions and transfers of value regarding anything covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children’s Insurance Program, which was due to begin August 1. She added that “CMS should be assisting professional associations to ensure physicians, manufacturers, and distributors are provided ample time to understand the impact of the amended rules on their members. This extension will ensure the affected parties are provided accurate guidance so they can comply with the law.” Reporting was due to begin August 1, and did in fact go ahead as scheduled, as reported in a number of articles including Ready or Not — Sunshine Act Data Collection Starts August 1, 2013 in The National Law Review.
The July 26 post ADA responds to Senate report addressed Senate allegations that some dental management companies who are treating Medicaid-eligible children are pressuring dental employees to perform unnecessary procedures in the interest of profit. The ADA stated that any instance of this is a clear violation of the ADA ethical code, that “professionals have a duty to act for the benefit of others,” and that “any pressure applied to dentists in conflict with this code should be reported and pursued aggressively.” The ADA statement added that the Senate reported “a stated concern about the ability of the dental profession to provide access to care to millions of low-income families and other vulnerable populations.” The ADA statement responded, “The causes of what amounts to a dental health crisis affecting these under-served Americans are complex and require a comprehensive set of solutions. The ADA, state dental societies, and individual dentists have for decades wrestled with this situation as advocates before state and federal governments, in addition to their traditional roles as caregivers. There has been significant progress made, especially in bringing more children into dental offices for much-needed care. But much more is needed, especially with regard to young adults, who have the lowest rate of dental visits of any age group.”
The July 29 post ADA tax reform priorities discusses the ADA’s letter to Congress’s tax writing committees that states that dental practices are mostly small businesses and so corporate tax reform alone will not bring relief to most dentists. The ADA states, “ADA members hope you will move toward a simpler system based on lower rates (including individual tax rates) and a broader base. We believe such a system will increase economic growth and reduce compliance costs.” Some priorities that the ADA listed in the letter include: continuing pre-tax flexible spending that provides health savings to patients, eliminating the estate tax because of its impact on family-owned businesses, and supporting the continuation of several other tax policies that benefit dental practices.
The July 31 post ADPAC issues first annual report discusses the report that discloses information regarding financial contributions to federal candidates and committees by the American Dental Political Action Committee (ADPAC), which was founded in 1968. ADPAC co-chairs Dr. Loren Feldner and Dr. Gordon Isbell said, “At ADPAC, we are committed to providing our members with clarity on PAC activities and accomplishments, and financial transparency is just one of the ways we practice good business. ADPAC is part of the personality of dentistry in America and the influential force behind our country’s health care debates. The PAC empowers ADA members to take action and be involved in the political process by helping to elect candidates who share our principles.” The ADPAC report stated, “ADPAC considers many factors before contributing to a candidate for the U.S. House or U.S. Senate. Among these are the committee assignments, accessibility in Washington and in the state/district, leadership positions, and positions on dental issues. No incumbent or candidate is entitled to receive funds. States may always choose to not give to an incumbent.”
