Posts by DrNetzleyDDS
Insurance – Episode Three
In episodes One and Two, I discussed the history and the current trends in the business of dental insurance. I referred to these as the “dark side of the force.” Here, I would like to discuss the alternative, or the “light side of the force.” This is a membership plan. Patients pay a monthly fee…
Read MoreInsurance – Episode Two
In you missed Episode One, you can get caught up here. In the 1960’s a group of dentists here in California formed a dental insurance company named California Dental Service, otherwise known as the CDS. The dollar amount of payments was $1,000.00 per year. I remember the price of gasoline at that time being 28…
Read MoreInsurance – Episode One
A long, long time ago, in ancient times (3770 years ago) on the far side of the planet, the first forms of insurance were recorded by the Babylonian and Chinese traders. One of the first written loss limitation methods can be found in the Code of Hammurabi— The ancient world evolved with maritime loans with…
Read MoreWhy We Don’t Go to the Dentist
Based on my decades of experience, let me take a guess at why you do not visit the Dentist.
Read MoreCrowns – Not for the Head, Just as Expensive
There is much confusion on what a dental crown does. When a tooth has decayed and/or broken down beyond the ability to be preserved and protected with the use regular filling material, partial to full coverage is often recommended – i.e. THE CROWN. Metal crowns can be of stainless steel, gold or Titanium. Tooth-colored (most…
Read MoreThe Oxymoron of Dental Insurance
In the 1960’s a group of California dentists formed a dental insurance company called the California Dental Service, which later became Delta Dental. Later came the PPO’s the HMO’s to which I call them the OhOhOhs’s (uhoh OO’s). The CEO’s of these OhOhOh’s get paid many millions of dollars each year. The dentist doesn’t get…
Read MorePatient-Doctor Communication
What did you say? Why didn’t you say something earlier? Human communication is a surreal experience. We have foreign languages that separate us, non-verbal communication that is not observed, music that the performer has not experienced, written word not understood etc. But what confounds me more as a Doctor is how much miscommunication or lack…
Read MoreThe Pain of Headaches
In the realm of reoccurring pain scenarios, Migraine Headaches ranks among the most despised. My own Mother suffered with these and would be buried in the dark bedroom for days at a time. Pills after pills, bio feedback, and psychiatric counseling did little to help her. Today, as a dentist, I can reduce headaches in…
Read MoreUnder-served Dental Patients
Within the American population there are three groups of patients that are not receiving adequate dental care. Personally, I have treated underprivileged children for seven years under the auspices of the Head Start program. Additionally, I have treated elderly patients in 26 different nursing homes for a five year period. Those are two of the…
Read MoreTo Pull or Not to Pull
That is the question — or 4 on the floor and 24 For nearly a century- orthodontists have suggested the removal of four bicuspids when straightening teeth. Thus the phrase 4 extracted teeth on the floor and 24 months of banding. Today the trend is away from extractions. The results are usually more esthetic without…
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