National Provider Identifier (NPI) January 18, 2008
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 OverviewThe National Provider Identifier (NPI) is a unique, government-issued, standard identification number for individual health care providers and provider organizations like clinics, hospitals, schools and group practices. The government has contracted with an external company for processing applications and developing these random 10-digit numbers for applicants. Applications to obtain an NPI began on May 23, 2005. Any health care provider who uses standard electronic transactions, like electronic claims, eligibility verifications, claims status inquiries, and claim attachments, will be required by federal law to start including NPIs on electronic transactions not later than May 23, 2007. In addition, those dentists who use only paper, voice and fax to transmit these communications may find NPIs useful or necessary for other reasons. Many dental plans will require dentists to include NPIs on paper claim submissions, so even paper based dentists may find it a necessity to have NPIs. The ADA encourages all dentists to apply for NPIs, particularly those using (or planning to use) electronic transactions. The NPI has some advantages over identifiers now in use:
However, the NPI does not do any of the following:
Prepare your practice for the NPI transition period by obtaining all necessary NPIs, share your NPI data with your patients’ health plans, your clearinghouse, your system vendor, and fellow health care providers who will need it for billing purposes. Applying for an NPI is free and relatively easy: To apply via a secure web-based process, visit the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) Web site , read the instructions carefully, complete the questionnaire, and submit your application. This takes about 20–30 minutes. After confirmation of your data’s receipt, you should receive your NPI via e-mail in one to five business days. Please note that if you have spam filtering on your email interface, the reply from the NPI Enumerator with your NPI and confirmation message may be intercepted and diverted to a spam folder. If your email service supports such a feature, please be sure to check this folder regularly after submitting your data. The message will come from Customerservice@NPIEnumerator.com. If you prefer to submit a paper application, contact the NPPES customer service hotline at 800-465-3203 to request a paper application form. The paper application process takes approximately 20 business days.Questions about the status of an NPI application may be e-mailed to Customerservice@NPIEnumerator.com. |
DISCLAIMER TERMS CONDITIONS January 17, 2008
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The information contained in this online site (the “Service”) is presented in summary form only and is intended to provide broad consumer understanding and knowledge of health care topics. The information should not be considered complete and should not be used in place of a visit, call, consultation or advice of your oral health professional, physician or other health care provider. The Service does not recommend the self-management of health problems. Information obtained by using the Service is not exhaustive and does not cover all diseases, ailments, physical conditions or their treatments. Should you have any health-care-related questions, please call or see your oral health professional, physician or other health care provider promptly. You should never disregard medical or dental advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read here. The information is compiled from a variety of sources (“Information Providers”), including but not limited to our academic partner, federal health agencies and other health organizations. Neither Dentist.Com, LLC, nor any of its affiliates, nor any Information Provider shall be responsible for information provided herein under any theory of liability or indemnity. Liability of Dentist.Com, LLC, or Information Providers, if any, for damages (including, without limitation, liability arising out of contract, negligence, strict liability, tort or patent or copyright infringement) shall not exceed any fees paid by the user for the particular information or service provided. In no event shall Dentist.Com, LLC, or any Information Provider be liable for any damages other than the amount referred to above, and all other damages, direct or indirect, special, incidental, consequential or punitive, are hereby excluded even if Dentist.Com, LLC, or the Information Provider has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Neither Dentist.Com, LLC nor any Information Provider shall be responsible for any statements or materials posted in chat rooms/forums on the Service under any theory of liability or indemnity. Information accessed through this Service is provided “AS IS” and without warranty, express or implied. ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR USE OR PURPOSE ARE HEREBY EXCLUDED. Dentist.Com, LLC, and Information Providers make no warranty as to the reliability, accuracy, timeliness, usefulness or completeness of the information. Dentist.Com, LLC and Information Providers cannot and do not warrant against human and machine errors, omissions, delays, interruptions or losses, including loss of data. Dentist.Com, LLC, and Information Providers cannot and do not guarantee or warrant that files available for downloading from this Service will be free of infection or viruses, worms, Trojan horses or other code that manifests contaminating or destructive properties.
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Child’s First Dental Visit January 17, 2008
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Child’s First Dental Visit
A child’s first set of teeth, the primary teeth, are very important in helping your child to chew food easily, learn to speak clearly and look good. A child’s first dental visit also is very important in launching your child on a lifetime of good dental health. The following information outlines important information regarding a child’s first dental visit.
FAQs About a Child’s First Dental Visit
Why should I take my child to the dentist?
Your child’s general health may be affected if diseased and broken primary teeth are not treated early. If a primary tooth is lost too soon, your child may need to wear a space maintainer until the permanent teeth erupt. Otherwise permanent teeth may come in crooked and possibly require lengthy and more expensive corrective treatment later.
At what age should my child first see a dentist?
Ideally, it’s best to take your child to the dentist between six and twelve months of age. The earlier you begin, the better chance your dentist has to prevent problems. The dentist will look for decay, teach you how to properly clean your child’s teeth daily, evaluate adverse habits such as thumbsucking and identify your child’s fluoride needs.
How often should my child see a dentist?
It is generally recommended that children visit the dentist every six months. Since children’s dental needs differ, your dentist is the best one to recommend how often that child should be seen based on his or her individual needs and habits.
What should I tell my child about seeing the dentist?
Tell your child that the dentist is a friendly doctor who will help the child stay healthy. Talk about the visit in a positive, matter-of-fact way as a pleasant, new adventure. Do the following:
- Try to make dental visits enjoyable for your child.
- Let your child go into the treatment room alone if the dentist prefers.
- Set a good example by brushing and flossing daily and visiting the dentist regularly.
Don’t do the following:
- Bribe your child into going to the dentist.
- Use a dental visit as punishment.
- Let the child know you feel anxiety about the dental visit.
- Let anyone tell your child scary stories about dental visits.
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See our referral site at …
Temporomandibular Disorders January 17, 2008
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Temporomandibular Disorders
Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are identified as problems that affect the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), otherwise known as the jaw joint, and facial muscles. The following information outlines important facts about TMDs.
FAQs about TMDs
Is a TMD a disease?
No. TMD is not a specific condition. It is a general term that refers to a problem with the jaw joint, similar to a problem you might have with a hip or knee joint. Some also confuse TMJ as the name of a disease. TMJ, however, is the name of the joint that is affected by a TMD.
What causes TMDs?
TMDs can be caused by the following:
- direct impact to jaw
- prolonged teeth clenching or grinding
- muscle spasms caused by tension or stress
- arthritis or tumors of the TMJ
What are symptoms of TMD?
The following are some symptoms of TMD:
- feelings of the jaw being stuck open or closed
- clicking, popping or cracking sounds when you open or close your mouth
- pain in the jaw area in front of your ear
- headaches originating in front of your ear
How are TMDs diagnosed?
The pain often associated with TMDs can be caused by sinus problems, toothaches or an early state of gum disease, making TMDs difficult to identify without professional help. Your dentist can thoroughly examine you and take X-rays to determine the cause and source of the pain.
How are TMDs treated?
The following treatments are used for TMDs:
- muscle relaxants
- stress-reducing exercises
- wearing a mouth protector to prevent grinding
- bite adjustment
- physical therapy
- replacement of missing teeth
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Check out our referral site…
Perfect Pictures January 15, 2008
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Perfect Pictures
Thinking about introducing photography into your practice, but not sure which camera system might be appropriate? Consider this advice and explore the requirements you should look for in any system During the last ten years, the greatest changes in imaging technology and communication have occurred. Our aim should be to achieve images that are consistent in quality and repeatable in terms of image size (magnification ratio) when taken on different dates. This article should help you chose a system relevant to your requirements.
There are many reasons to take photographs of your patients and your practice:
- Practice brochures are becoming increasingly commonplace. They are an ideal way of conveying treatment modalities to patients and advertising your successful treatments.
- Most post-graduate diplomas now require photographic records to produce photographic evidence of treatment procedures.
- But photographic records can be invaluable resource in the current climate of ever-rising litigation
One word of caution – remember that if you intend to publish a recognizable photograph of one of your patients, you must have signed consent. In my opinion, written consent is valuable when using any photo.
What system?
Before rushing off to buy a camera, consider both your budget and what you want to do with the images. If you already have a conventional camera and the processing delay is not a problem, my advice is to keep it and use a scanner if you wish to transfer the images into your computer. If instant images are required, either the Polaroid systems or a digital camera might prove better options. The relative low cost of Polaroid systems, together with a scanner, may prove an attractive package. There are really two important key factors in this brief discussion. What do you wish to do with the images and is the camera to be dedicated for the office?
These observations apply to conventional cameras, which capture a single image at a time. Intra-oral cameras can produce a continuous video image, from which single images can be captured. These systems with real-time imaging of patients’ conditions serve a slightly different purpose, which is outside the relm of this article.
Systems
The heart of any clinical photographic system is the camera body, a suitable lens and means of illumination. This is true for whatever medium is used for recording the image, whether it be conventional film, Polaroid or digital. 35mm systems of the Single Lens Reflex (SLR) camera, forms the ideal base unit. In simple terms, the image that is seen in the viewfinder, is exactly what the eye sees, since the image is coming through the lens, as opposed to seeing the image through an auxiliary viewfinder lens.
In order to obtain a natural looking portrait on 35mm film, a lens of around 100mm focal length is ideal and, therefore, a special 100mm macro (close up) lens will prove the ideal optical component.
Finally, a suitable flash system mounted on the lens axis will complete the package. A ring light will give even illumination, whereas a point light will give a very natural shadowing effect. The more sophisticated systems have full automation of the flash units.
If you are considering a 35mm system for clinical use you need to make the following decision. Is the camera intended to be a dedicated in-office camera, or will it be used outside the office also?
Some cameras, such as the Yashica Dental Eye have a range covering four teeth, to a full face filling the frame. It cannot be used other than as a dedicated close-up camera as the lens is not interchangeable.
If the system is to be used for general purpose photography, in addition to clinical use, there are SLR systems, such as Nikon and Canon systems. Their lenses can be interchanged to use normal and telephoto lenses in addition to the close-up macro lenses..
Polaroid
The Polaroid Macro 3 and Macro 5 units are ideal budget-priced systems that produce instant prints of a viewable size (9cms by 7.3 cms). The Macro 3 gives a choice of three views from 4 teeth to full arch, while the Macro 5 gives half and full face views in addition. The different images are produced by three or five built-in lens systems. Viewing is through the lens and focussing is achieved by lining up two beams of light. The flash system is also built in and automatically controlled. The Polaroid is a stand-alone system. The high-quality prints are produced within minutes and are of archival permanence when stored under normal conditions.
Digital
The market place is now flooded with digital cameras that are increasing in performance and decreasing in relative cost month by month. There are many point and shoot cameras, as well as single-lens reflex systems. This would be a good choice for those with existing SLR lenses. There is a wide choice of compact and subcompact, point and shoot cameras also. However these cameras have less exposure and shutter speed control than SLR’s, but are perfectly adequate. The higher the number of megapixels, the larger you can make prints without distortion, or take a portion of an image and enlarge it without distortion.
Once an image is digitalized, it can be downloaded to a computer, and manipulated with various programs to show before and after images etc.
Many systems have at least some exposure control, making their use extremely simple.
In addition, the lenses have the magnification ratios displayed so that it is easy to repeat same-size images from one occasion to another. The technique is simple and requires setting the appropriate ratio initially and focussing by moving the camera until the viewfinder image is sharp.
ACCESSORIES
Lip retractors are essential for access to the posterior areas of the mouth and for showing uncluttered anterior clinical views. However, most patients prefer more natural views when showing straightforward before/after shots. Mirrors are useful for viewing posterior, palatal, lingual and occlusal views.
Children Of Smokers At Risk January 13, 2008
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Children who have at least one parent who smokes have 5.5 times higher levels of cotinine, a byproduct of nicotine, in their urine, according to a study published in Archives of Disease in Childhood.
Having a mother that smokes was found to have the biggest independent effect on cotinine in the urine – quadrupling it. Having a smoking father doubled the amount of cotinine, one of chemicals produced when the body breaks down nicotine from inhaled smoke to get rid of it….. (Read the rest of this article)
Want to Sell January 13, 2008
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