Winter 2020 Newsletter Happy New Year! We hope that everyone enjoyed the holidays and were able to find some relaxing moments. For our new patients opening one of our newsletters for the first time...welcome! Our newsletters come under the guise of spreading dental information, but really is for sharing cute pictures of Dr. Jones' family and fun personal tidbits. This time...you get a video!!! Though we may be your dental office, we absolutely love getting to know our patients and their families on a more personal level. So, as long as you don't care about passing the test on newsletter content we give you at your next visit, scroll past all the very helpful office updates and information and skip on down to our "top ten lists!" Schedule Widget We recently added a new and very convenient scheduling application to our website for new patients (and current ones) that allows you to make an appointment online. Ashleigh updates all the open dental hygiene openings for the next 4 weeks. This is really is helpful for those that think about making appointments on weekends and evenings, when we are away from the office. If you are a patient that needs to book appointments closer to the time you are due because of a busy schedule, this will be help, too. Just click on the green, oval button on the lower left corner of our page. Winter Weather Policy Do you follow us on Facebook? No?! Well, here is a taste of the important policy updates and messages that you are missing: Of course, this FB post was a joke...kind of. But, we would love for you to follow us on Facebook and Instagram (@alisonjonesddsleawood). Mostly, our social media is a fun way for Dr. Jones to interact outside of business hours, but we do post important updates and notices such as last-minute dental appointment openings, traffic or parking conditions that may impact your alloted time to arrive, and other helpful last minute information.
Payment Options We offer a variety of ways to pay your account balance. For patients with dental benefits, your Billing Statement will be mailed after we receive the Explanation of Benefits from your benefits carrier. The exception are those patients with BlueCross BlueShield of Kansas City. Because our office is Out-of-Network, BCBS will send reimbursement payments directly to their members. Your payment options are to: Mail in a check or your credit card information. We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express Call us with your credit card information during business hours. Please DO NOT leave your card information on the voicemail Pay online via the Patient Portal on our website. If we have your email in our system, you will have access to the Patient Portal. However, only the Head-of-Household is able to make a payment. Use CareCredit. This is a great option for patients that are wanting to finance with zero or low interest for 6 or 12 months. If using CareCredit, payment is due on the day of treatment, or the seating date for patients getting a crown, bridge, implant, or denture. Please check out our updated Financial Policy for more information. And now...for some FUN! We've noticed a lot of people posting "top ten" lists on social media. We like to dispense a lot of advice around here, and not all of it is dental related. Dr. Jones, Courtney, Kayla and Ashleigh can be overheard talking to patients about restaurants they enjoy or shows they are currently binging on Netflix. So we decided to compile our own "top ten" list of "favorite things." In no specific order, these are random things that just make our life more enjoyable and happy, or we just really couldn't live without. :) Dr. Jones 1. Protein/Energy Balls - click here for a recipe and link for video **be sure to watch the video and try to find someone sneaking chocolate chips in the background! 2. Orchids 3. Peloton Bike & Fitness classes 4. Our "Alison Jones DDS" Lip Balm 5. My morning latte 6. Daily vitamins (woman's multi, probiotic, K2/D3, magnesium, and Halo Beauty Hair, Skin and Nails) 7. Vacation cocktails (a spciy margarita tastes better looking at thte ocean!) 8. White tea scents/aromatherapy 9. Apple Watch 10. Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum cream Courtney 1. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt 2. Sporting KC 3. BRGR 4. Making lasagna 5. Tirimisu 6. Playing soccer with my kids 7. The Outsider (HBO) 8. Fleece clothes 9. Childhood memory: Riding horses at summer camp 10. Cookbook: Whole 30 Kayla 1. Country music 2. Travis Kelce 3. Chiefs 4. Chipotle 5. Summer 6. Riding motorcycles 7. Swimming with her kids 8. Any Disney movie, new and old 9. That 70s Show 10. Loves cooking new things for her family Ashleigh 1. Stephen King 2. Seva Indian Cuisine 3. Fresh, clean sheets 4. Tati Beauty - Textured Neutrals Vol. 1 (it's eyeshadow!) 5. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith 6. Crossword puzzles 7. The bee brooch from my grandmother 8. Eating with friends on Mass St. in Lawrence 9. Cooking and trying to make recipes I love vegan 10. Surprise trip from my husband to St. Lucia for our 10-year Anniversary Staff Holiday Fun Dr. Jones loves to treat us during the holidays! This year we took a limo to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts to have dinner and see The Nutcracker. On our way home, we drove us through The Plaza and Brookside for a holiday lights tour. I think my co-workers would agree that we highly recommend adding this to your KC Bucket List!
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The Mouth/Body Connection: I am your dentist, but I care about more than just your teeth and gums!7/22/2019 By: Dr. Alison Jones
Did you know that your mouth is part of your body? Duh! Right? That might seem like an obvious statement...but think about what that really means. The health of our mouth affects our systemic health and vice versa. Sometimes patients come to the dentist and think we are just supposed to poke at each tooth with that little pointy thing to look for cavities, remind your to brush and floss and say "see you in 6 months!" Okay, yes, we do that...but there is so much more that we do during your dental exam! As your dentist, I am concerned about you as a whole person, and how your mouth and body affect one another. Part of the reason that I ask every patient fill out a very detailed health history form is because everything that is happening to your body, and the medications you take can affect your oral health and can influence the way we can best care for you. It is possible to experience nutritional deficiencies or go through hormonal shifts that have an enormous impact on your mouth. I need to look at the WHOLE picture of what is going on with your health and lifestyle to best understand, diagnose and treat your mouth. In addition, there are times when I see something going on in your mouth that indicates a need for a referral to your physician or a specialist to properly diagnose and treat an underlying condition of which you might not even be aware. In some cases, it's simply asking you to be aware of some things in your daily life that you may have not given much thought previously. Questions about your diet, your stress level, changes in lifestyle, sleep patterns, etc can help me understand what is going on in your mouth and decide how to best approach the issue from a holistic point of view and not just a myopic one. Day after day, I talk to patients about how the health of their gums and teeth are closely related to the health of their heart, immune system, musculoskeletal system, overall energy, mood and many other aspects of our health and wellness. For patients with diabetes, heart disease, GI disorders, sleep disorders, inflammatory conditions, autoimmune diseases and patients who are pregnant or have any hormonal changes...maintaining optimal oral health is even more important than you may realize! Many times I can tell how much stress a patient may be under just by doing an oral exam. They eyes may be the window to our soul, but the mouth is the window to the inside of our body and very telling about our health and lifestyle. Yes, when I do your exam, I am looking for healthy gums and checking for cavities and fractured teeth. But, I am also looking for patterns, changes, symptoms, signs, connections and a "big picture" that might help us treat you in the most comprehensive way and help change, slow or prevent progression of disease processes in your mouth and body. You may hear me ask you more questions than usual during an exam or ask that you come back for another appointment when we can spend more time on properly diagnosing and treatment planning for your individual needs. It's important to me that if we see bleeding or swollen gums, we don't just tell you to floss more and send you on your merry way for another six months. Sometimes, we might notice a change in your overall health along with your bleeding gums that indicates we need to spend more time on the issue. If you ever have any concerns about how a change in your health or a change in your mouth might affect each other, please give me the opportunity to discuss that at your next appointment. Even though I am your dentist, I am committed to taking care of you as a whole person! We are a few weeks into spring and I think I can safely write that the worst of the long, cold winter weather is over. We are enjoying the warmer temps, and the sunnier days! Save 25% on Teeth Whitening Before it gets too hot, we are celebrating spring with our Annual Teeth Whitening Special. We like offering this discount this time of year because spring is full of events like graduation parties and weddings! This promotion includes the professional in-office whitening, whitening refills, Go Kits, and Curaprox Black is White Toothpaste. The prices in RED are the Promo Prices. This promotion lasts the entire spring season and will end at 5 PM on June 20, 2019. Renovation Update We are excited to announce that the office renovation is complete! Thank you to all of our patients that were scheduled during the renovation period. At times, it was a little chaotic and messy looking, but we made it through. If you would like to see a few pictures before your appointment, we've posted pictures on our website! Curaprox Manual Toothbrush Many months ago, we were introduced to a manual toothbrush from a Swiss brand called Curaprox. Every once in a while, a patient will ask for a recommendation for a manual toothbrush. Dr. Jones always suggests looking for a SOFT bristle brush that has the ADA (American Dental Association) Seal of Approval. While this is still true, we have a new manual toothbrush that has become our favorite: the Curaprox 5460. I know this sounds like an ad, but we are not sponsored, nor paid to advertise this product. We really just love it this much! There are over 5400 bristles (thus the name of the brush, Curaprox 5460). They are made out of polyester rather than nylon, so they are softer and do not tend to flair as early as regular brushes. We will still have our goody bags to give, but for those of you that want to try these other brushes, we have them to purchase for $3/each. Premed Refills - NEW POLICY Starting in January 2019, our office is no longer calling in refills for patients that take an antibiotic before dental appointments due to joint replacements. We are asking patients to contact the doctor that has recommended the antibiotic to get their refills. We have a helpful form for your doctor to fill out to get the most accurate details of his/her protocol for antibiotic prophylaxis. Please call us for a copy of that form. The reason for this change is because the American Dental Association has carefully reviewed scientific literature and found that " dental procedures are not associated with prosthetic joint implant infections, and that antibiotics given before dental procedures do not prevent such infections." In addition, we are living in a time when antibiotic resistant bacterial infections are greatly on the rise. As a medical community, it is imperative that we do whatever we can to avoid developing more dangerous antibiotic resistant bacteria. One way to do this is by avoiding the use of antibiotics when they are not necessary. Therefore, we are very discerning when we choose to prescribe antibiotics. HOWEVER, Dr. Jones wants you to talk with your orthopedic surgeon or cardiologist to get their recommendation and protocol so that we can always do our best to care for your oral health and overall health. Click here for more information about Antibiotic Prophylaxis. AND NOW.....PHOTOS! This is the fun part of the Newsletter where we share personal pictures! Dr. Jones recently traveled with her family to Arizona for the Easter weekend. A quick trip to enjoy hot, sunny weather, swim, ride horses, and climb mountains! Thank you for being a part of our dental office family!
We look forward to seeing you at your next dental appointment! |
AuthorsAli Jones, D.D.S. - Dentist Archives
November 2021
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