Spring 1998 E-Newsletter
Feature Article: Teeth in Heaven
This issue also features articles on:
- Our new associate Dr. John Lu
- Win $100 in CD giveaway - Play Name
That Tune On Line
- Class Action Suit in Canada - Mercury in Fillings
Cover-up by Government and Canadian Dental Association
- Patients in the news
- We are concerned about your: HEALTH
- We are concerned about your:COMFORT
- We are concerned about your:FINANCES
- We are concerned about THE ENVIRONMENT
- HMO Spoof
- Gary Mohler contest winner
- New office technology: EYEPHONES that
let you watch videos while in the chair
- Important information about your toddler's nutrition:
BABY BOTTLE SYNDROME
Teeth In Heaven
Not all new patients learn about our practice philosophy in identical
terms, from their hygienist and dentist when they first come to
the practice. One thing we try to convey is that it is our responsibility
to help you keep your teeth a lifetime.
While in some cases that is not totally possible due to periodontal
problems (which undermine the bone and make the teeth weaker), in
most cases, assuming we see you twice a year for professional cleanings,
you should be able to take those teeth of yours with you!
Increasing Your Lifespan
I have now been using nutritional supplements for over a year and
find that I feel great mentally and physically, and require less
sleep than I used to. I met Al Lewis on a golf course in Florida,
and to make a long story short, he introduced me to USANA products
(they're on the Web at usana.com), whose president, Dr. Myron Wentz,
is a Nobel laureate in cellular microbiology. The theory is that
if the body gets all the nutrients it needs, then we keep all organ
systems working at top performance. There is a lot more to the story
than this, as many of our patients have found out at our monthly
discussions on proper vitamin and mineral supplementation.
If you would like to attend one of our meetings, contact the office
and ask to be put on our mailing list for the next meeting. Now
that you know you're going to keep those teeth a lifetime, why not
extend the warrantee by living longer and healthier? Call us today. Meetings are tentatively scheduled for the second Tuesday of every
month at 7PM. Please call ahead to confirm your attendance and to
verify the date and time. There is absolutely no charge or obligation. You owe it to yourself and your family to listen to this important
informaton. Feel free to bring anyone with you who might be interested.
Introducing:
Dr. John Lu has taken over the periodontist in residence position
here at the Centre. Unfortunately, Dr. Fox was forced into early
retirement due to a problem related to his diabetes. He has landed
on his feet as a computer project supervisor, and he and Dale
are
working together and doing fine.
Dr. Lu is a graduate of the University
of Pennsylvania, where he also completed his specialty training
in periodontics and a fellowship in implantology. He has published
articles on implants in the Journal of Esthetic Dentistry, and
also
serves as an Assistant Professor at the U of Pa in the Department
of Periodontics and Implantology. His interests include travel,
cars, swimming, and model railroading.
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Win $100 in CD's
Anyone who has spent any time in our office knows that Dr. Markus
loves music. Everyday, we put a mix of CD's in the player, press
the "shuffle" switch, and listen to a variety of CD's from our extensive
selection. Patients can listen to the mix on wireles headphones,
that block out all outside sounds.
Brand New Contest: How Well Do You Know Music? The Name
that tune CD Contest.
Here's how it works: Simply visit our website
and point your browser to the contest icon. You'll be able to listen
to the beginnings of 5 songs, and try to identify them. There are
four separate contests that Dr. Markus has created:
Oldies, Motown,
Classic Rock, and for those of you who think they know-it-all,
the "Mother of all Contests". At the
end of November, 1998, we will select two winners, at random, from
all entries received, to go on a $100 music shopping spree at CD
Warehouse in Gloucester Township. We will enter you whether your
answers are right or wrong, however, anyone getting 5 out of 5 right
will have their musical knowledge published here in our Winter newsletter. Refer a friend, to the website, and if their response is chosen
in the random drawing, you will win the $100 Compact Disc shopping
spree as well. There is a spot in the response form for them to
enter your name. Good luck. If you have any problems, please notify
Dr. Markus by email at drmarkus@cent4dent.com.
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Canadian Class Action Suit Targets Cover-up of Mercury Toxicity
Lawyers in Toronto have filed suit on behalf of any individual
who has ever had a silver filling placed in their mouth. The suit
alleges that the Canadian authorities held back infor-mation from
the public and the den-tists of their country. As most of you know,
silver fillings are 50% mercury, a known bio-toxin. The governments
of Germany, all of the Scandinavian countries, England and Canada
have banned the use of these fillings, in pregnant women, children,
or (in Germany) entirely. Years ago I stopped placing silver fillings
because of my concern over the fact that the American Dental Association
told us that we had to store all left-over filling material under
water, in a tightly-sealed glass jar. I asked myself how they could
then say that the material was totally inert when left in a human
mouth. I preferred to err on the side of caution, and do whatever
I can to prevent human and environmental exposure. For more information
please check our Web pages on
this topic.
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Every month our practice randomly rewards referrers with prizes
like concert tickets, manicures, and meals just for thinking kindly
of us. Rudy Meyers was invited to play golf with Dr. Markus. Jim
and Floss Ruggerio were awarded dinners at A Little Café.
Kristin King, Mike Panella, Diane Marini, Alex DeSimone, won passes
to the new Ritz 12 Theater Complex in Voorhees, and coffee and dessert
afterwards at A Little Café in Voorhees.
Hank Jones, Karen DiLullo, and Chris Cote each won gift certificates
for CD Warehouse in Gloucester Township.
Congratulations are also in order for: Erin Kellaway for passing
the Bar Exam. Michelle Ciaffey for her new management position
with
Delaware Charter. Tom and Nicole Maloney on the birth of their
daughter.
Mr. & Mrs. Joe Caruso on the birth of their son. Chris and Amy
Murphy on the birth of their daughter. Elaine Vassey and Ira Powers
on
their marriage.
Jason Markus on being named to the Olympic Conference All-Star
Basketball Team, and to the Cherry Hill East Hall of Fame. Greg
Markus on his
finishing 4th overall on the Nike Junior Winter Golf Tour, and
on his first ace.
Get well wishes to June Orlando, Linda Krwawecz,
Carol Drinkwater,
Brian Diemunsch, Kathy Howe and Cathy Colonna.
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We are concerned.
About your health.
Let me pose a question to you: Suppose a child develops a high
fever, and due to delays with the HMO, care is not delivered in
an appropriate amount of time causing brain damage - - - or, a
newborn is released from the hospital after 24 hours and it is
later determined
that there were tests which were never run which would have prevented
severe developmental problems - - - or a patient with terminal
cancer
discovers that had his primary care physician failed to run tests
which his symptoms would have required, and had they been run,
his
cancer would have been discovered and treated and his prognosis
would be good instead of terminal - - -His doctor was trying to
save money on his case.
How much can they sue the HMO for?
The answer is - they can't!
Visit our Web site to find out why - check out the
ERISA page under managed care. Dr. Markus is active in the
ADA Grassroots campaign to control managed care. The Patient Access
to Responsible Care Act before Congress was proposed by Rep. Norwood
of GA, a dentist.
Write your congressman to support PARCA to keep HMO's at bay. Sample
letters are available at the front desk or online at our PARCA
page.
Dr. Markus has been a crusader against managed care in dentistry
as well as in medicine. He has created a newsletter "What Your Doctor
Can't Tell You About HMO's", to educate patients about the pitfalls
of managed care in medicine and what you can about it. Call our
office to request your copy. It is also available on-line.
Recent medical literature has indicated there is a direct link
between periodontal disease and heart disease. It seems that people
with gum problems have a much higher incidence of heart disease.
About your comfort..
In May, the FDA
gave approval for two new devices which effect patient comfort
in the dental chair, transdermal Novacaine patches, and
the Premiere Dental Laser. We immediately purchased the patches,
which, when left in place for about ten minutes, makes the
mandibular
block injection much more tolerable. These patches cost us $2 each,
and take considerably longer to use than topical anesthetic,
yet
we are so committed to your comfort, that we will not pass this
additional cost on to you.
The laser, on the other hand, costs over $40,000, and is still
considered experimental by the ADA. It is not considered safe for
the removal of old silver fillings, and, we do not feel that our
patients will be willing to pay an estimated $60 per filling to
have their cavities lased instead of drilled. Please feel free to
discuss your feelings with us by mail, e-mail, or in person the
next time you're in the office so that we can more accurately judge
patient sentiment.
We realize that there are many individuals who postpone dental treatment
because of anxiety, and that no matter how many distractions we
provide, they would still rather be asleep during the procedure.
Therefore, we are pleased to announce that we have added Adam Sackstein,
M.D. to our practice. Dr. Sackstein is an anesthesiologist associated
with Princeton University Hospital, and will be providing IV sedation
and general anesthesia to our patients and their friends. Call our
office to schedule a consultation.
About your finances..
Therefore we offer several different payment options, and financing
through USMed and Healthcare
Creditline.
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About the environment..
We are proud to announce that our new office is now equipped with
special filters that remove mercury waste from our drain lines,
before it can get into the sewer system (and the environment). We
are one of only two offices in NJ that are taking this extra step
to protect the environment, and to put our money where our mouth
is. It costs us substantially extra each month to do this, and therefore
other practices will be slow to jump on this bandwagon, and, surprisingly,
there are no regulations requiring dentists in the US to trap mercury
from waste water. There are, however, over 50,000 installations
in Europe.
"We are supposed to be stewards of our planet. My conscience
would not let me refuse this opportunity to protect it for future
generations, and hope that other dentists will see this not as an
expense, but an opportunity to do something positive."
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H.M.O. -- F.A.Q. 's
(found on the internet)
Q. What does HMO stand for? A. This is actually a variation of the
phrase, "Hey, Moe!" Its roots go back to a concept pioneered by
Doctor Moe Howard, who discovered that a patient could be made to
forget about the pain in his foot if he was poked hard enough in
the eyes. Modern practice replaces the physical finger poke with
hi-tech equivalents such as voice mail and referral slips, but the
result remains the same.
Q. Do all diagnostic procedures require pre-certification? A. No. Only those you need.
Q. I just joined a new HMO. How difficult will it be to choose
the doctor I want? A. Just slightly more difficult than choosing
your parents. Your insurer will provide you with a book listing
all the doctors who were participating in the plan at the time the
information was gathered. These doctors basically fall into two
categories -- those who are no longer accepting new patients, and
those who will see you but are no longer part of the plan. But don't
worry -- the remaining doctor who is still in the plan and accepting
new patients has an office just a half day's drive away!
Q. What are pre-existing conditions? A. This is a phrase used by
the grammatically challenged when they want to talk about existing
conditions. Unfortunately, we appear to be pre-stuck with it.
Q. Well, can I get coverage for my pre-existing conditions? A. Certainly, as long as they don't require any treatment.
Q. What happens if I want to try alternative forms of medicine?
A. You'll need to find alternative forms of payment.
Q. My pharmacy plan only covers generic drugs, but I need the name
brand. I tried the generic medication, but it gave me a stomach
ache. What should I do? A. Poke yourself in the eye.
Q. What should I do if I get sick while traveling? A. Try sitting
in a different part of the bus.
Q. No, I mean what if I'm away from home and I get sick? A. You
really shouldn't do that. You'll have a hard time seeing your primary
care physician. It's best to wait until you return, and then get
sick.
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Gary Mohler's Desert Island Discs:
1. Hendrix - Electric Lady Land 2. Little Feat - Waiting for Columbus
3. Mark O'Connor- NewNashvilleCats 4. Led Zeppelin - BBC Sessions
5. Dwight Yocum Live Gary Mohler is presented a $100 gift certificate
to CD Warehouse. He was the winner in our Desert Island Disc Contest. A survey of your answers shows the Beatles and Pink Floyd as the
most popular groups.
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New Technology
 We are proud to
introduce our Virtual Vision "Eyephones."As our long time patients
are aware, Dr. Markus and his associates have always offered wireless
headphones, with your choice of music, to block out the noise of
the dental drill, and to help distract our patients from the procedure.
Dr. Markus attended the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas
several years ago, when these goggles were introduced. He suggested
that the manufacturer develop a dental version).
The goggles, are attached to a VCR and the image is projected on
the inside of the black lens in front of your eyes. The image appears
to be as large as a giant screen TV. We have an extensive library
of video tapes, including live rock concerts, Disney feature length
cartoons, many popular movies, and all three Academy Award winning
Wallace and Grommit animated short subjects. They will help make
even the lengthiest appointments fly by.
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Attention Parents and Grandparents of Infants and Toddlers
We have noticed an alarming increase in the incidence of "Baby
Bottle Decay". This disease causes an extraordinary amount of decay
in the baby teeth of youngsters often before they reach their second
birthday. It is caused by allowing the baby to go to sleep with
a bottle of sweetened liquid (like apple juice). What causes the
decay is the fact that the sugary liquid is bathing over the teeth
all night long.
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