Prehn Dental Office - Blog

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Prehn Dental Office

Dental Insurance

As we all know, insurance can be a bit overwhelming.  Explanation of benefits (EOB’s) can also be difficult to understand.  At Prehn Dental, we take pride in the fact that we are meticulous when it comes to submitting claims on behalf of our patients.  We will go the extra mile to insure that your claim is processed correctly.  If claims are denied, in most cases we will appeal the decision with a letter from Dr. Prehn along with needed photos, x-rays or clinical notes so that the Review Board has a total understanding of why the dental work was necessary.  We have had patients compliment us on going “above and beyond” to help them obtain the coverage for claims we have submitted—after all, our patients pay their monthly premiums and deserve to have their claims processed correctly to insure as much coverage as possible.  Obviously, dental insurance may not pay 100% of your claim but any coverage is better than none!   For our patients who have dental insurance, we can also submit pre-treatment estimates to their dental insurance carrier so they know the amount covered by their insurance and the amount that they will be responsible for.  We are happy to submit PTE’s for you.  Generally it takes about 3 – 4 weeks to hear back on the predetermination.  Usually the patient will get their copy first and when we receive our copy, we will contact our patients to see if they are ready to schedule the necessary appointment(s).    PLEASE BE SURE TO UPDATE US ON ANY INSURANCE CHANGES YOU MAY HAVE.  IN ORDER FOR US TO SUBMIT YOUR CLAIMS ACCURATELY, IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY THAT WE HAVE THE CORRECT INSURANCE INFORMATION!   If you have any dental insurance questions, please do not hesitate to ask---Mary, Kathy or Lori will be happy to help you!    

Posted on 11/05/2009 21:16:00

Changing Lives Every Day at Prehn Dental

As an assistant at Prehn Dental I get to see first-hand how Dr. Prehn changes a life by changing their smile. One of our patients, Lynn Sala, came to us and wanted to get her smile back again, especially for her wedding Day.  Lynn had told us that all her life she didn’t smile much and when she did she hid her teeth.  After her cosmetic treatment she couldn’t stop smiling. I could see how Dr. Prehn really put confidence back into her smile.  She was proud to wear it.  

Posted on 10/29/2009 18:44:00

Eating Disorders

:  I see eating disorders on a limited basis in my practice.  When you do see this, it is usually a serious situation.  Many times eating disorders, like bulimia or anorexia, can lead to dental concerns such as erosion of the teeth--not to mention the long-term medical affects of such a disorder.  Most patients deny ever having this but the ones that do and seek treatment are much better off.  If a patient has an eating disorder that is clearly evident by your teeth, I think the Dentist has the responsibility to inform you of what is happening to your dentition.  What you do with this information is then totally up to you.

Posted on 10/25/2009 23:22:00

Sleep Apnea Seminar

Vicki and I recently attended a seminar presented by Dr. Ron Prehn about sleep apnea and dental sleep medicine.  We learned about different dental appliances that treat sleep apnea and how a custom appliance can help make using a CPAP easier to comply with.  Dr. Prehn also discussed that when people brux and clench at night, they do so to protect a collapsing airway, which is the problem in sleep apnea.  When a patient presents in the office with wear on teeth, we should investigate their sleep habits and if they snore.  We may find that they have some sort of sleep apnea problem that they were unaware of.

Posted on 10/13/2009 15:55:00

Children's First Dental Visit

When to bring in your child for their first visit to the dentist

Posted on 09/24/2009 19:13:00

Alert->To all Joint Replacement Prehn Dental Patients!

Premedication Guidelines (updated April 2009)>>If you have received artificial joints (hips, shoulders or knees) you need to premedicate indefinitely after the joint has been placed there is reasonable data to support the belief that bacteriemia from oral procedures may result in total joint infections even after several years.

Posted on 09/10/2009 14:01:00

Aurora's Trip to Nepal

My daugher, Aurora, had the opportunity to travel to Nepal this summer. She was working in refugee camps as part of her University studies at Marquette. She took some dental hygiene products to Nepal and taught the kids how to brush. Some which had never seen a toothbrush before. I am very proud of her!

Posted on 08/27/2009 17:23:00

Dental Fear for the Patient---WOW!!

Millions of Americans, nearly 30%, are afraid of the dentist. They avoid dental care at all costs, even when they are in pain or discomfort. As quoted on www.sedationcare.com.

Posted on 08/17/2009 19:40:00

Summer Sun

  As the sun emerges for the summer season, we all like to add a little color to our skin to have a healthy glow.  You can do the same for your teeth with zoom whitening.  Like they say, a smile is worth a thousand words. 

Posted on 07/27/2009 20:05:00

Cosmetic Results with Smiles!

We love it when patients share amazing stories with our office, especially when we have played a part in their story.  One of our patients, Julia Meyer came to us wanting to fix her implants on her front teeth. She didn't like how her implants looked cosmetically or the position of the implants. Dr. Prehn re-positioned the implants and placed Procera "metal-free" crowns on her front teeth. Julia was extremely pleased with her results and the story gets better. When she was back in New York her and her friends were stopped on a street corner by a Dove soap representative.  They were asked to be photographed for a national ad campaign and the picture really shows off her new smile!  How cool is that!                                                                                                                           

Posted on 07/16/2009 19:56:00

The Economy and Dental Health in Wausau, Wisconsin

The recent economy has put a change on how many people perceive their dental health.  For the most part, patients are staying up with their constant cleaning appointments and examinations and having necessary procedures performed.  Yes, some cosmetic procedures have been put on hold—such as veneers, teeth bleaching, etc… but for the most part I think patients clearly understand that letting things go can cause more problems, pain and expense!  Clearly this is the case in my practice where I have seen some patients put off needed dental procedures and now six to ten months later, the decay has become more extensive.  There is now nerve involvement; which requires root canal therapy or the periodontal disease has been left untreated and progressed to a more serious state.  I strongly urge my patients to at least come in for routine care.  If financially things are difficult, we will try to work out some type of situation with the office to at least maintain their dental health during this difficult economic down-turn.  Think positive!

Posted on 06/26/2009 11:27:00

Brush your teeth, it could prevent a heart attack

A Study showing how people with the germiest mouths are the most likely to have heart attacks. Published on msnbc.com by Reuters updated 9:18 a.m. CT, Wed., April 1, 2009

Posted on 06/11/2009 19:07:00

Dental Implants

Implant seminar attended by the registered dental hygienists of Prehn Dental

Posted on 06/01/2009 17:32:00

Prehn Dental at the 2009 Business Expo

  In April, the Prehn Dental Office participated in the Business Expo that was held at Marathon Park Wausau, WI.  It was a great opportunity to show-case all that Prehn Dental has to offer in the dental world today.  Our booth theme was a “cozy living room affect.”   A reflection of the comfortable and pain-free treatment that is available at our office.  We have massage chairs, hot face towels, televisions on the ceiling and heated blankets and neck rolls.  A refrigerator is filled with refreshments to enjoy while warming up by the fireplace in our waiting room.  Many people were amazed by how far the technology has come.  We received a lot of feedback on the appearance of our booth and people thought that our slogan for the day was truly fitting…”Coming to Prehn Dental is like being at home.”  We handed out six hundred toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss that day and we met a lot of great people!  There was one particular group that stood out in my mind. It was a group of teens from Taiwan that we gave a toothbrush, tooth paste, and floss to.  It was obvious that our cultures and oral hygiene are so different due to their host person having to explain to them that in the United States we use these items on a daily basis.  Surprisingly, the most common question of the day was, “Where are you located?”  Downtown, next to the Grand Theater of course!

Posted on 05/14/2009 19:14:00