NON DENTAL BLOG! My high school reunion.....

If you're from the graduating class of 1987, St Patrick's Marist Brothers Dundas, this may interest you.
If you have, or will be attending a high school reunion, this may interest you.
Anyone else, feel free to check out the more "dentally-inclined" blog posts in the archives.


You have been advised...


A recent study found that:

• High school leaves lasting memories
• These memories focus on comparison of status

Hence, reunions in the first three decades are not a party; they are a competition. Who is the most successful in business, has the best-looking partner, or has kept their body in the best shape? All you see, are pictures of the house, the beautiful children, and beautiful cars/boats. You return home depressed and exhausted.

Thirty years and up are more about life in general, and seeing how familiar faces are dealing with life. You might not even recognise these faces for who they are; but instead, see their parents.

So, where are we @?

For the people who weren't in my class, if you did your math from the title, you would've figured out that we are pushing 25 years!

In 1997, I took my then girlfriend (now wife) to the 10 year reunion. Many people would say "mistake" to take an outsider to your reunion. Gotta say, we couldn't keep our hands off each other, and for the fact that she was the outsider, she was able to take this photo.

In 2010, the belated 20 year reunion was held. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend due to business travel.

So, where am I @?

This blog is not to update anyone on what I'm doing with my life! If anyone's interested, they can check the blog archives and/or my website - http://www.myhillsdentist.com/ - and of course, Facebook.

I was cleaning out a box of stuff under the bed; scrunched up amongst documents was this old photo. I had to find a way of posting this on the Internet - this blog.

Looking at it, made me think:

• My high school left lasting GOOD memories
• The 10 year reunion was NOT a comparison-fest. I was genuinely interested in meeting high school friends who I had not seen or heard from since the day we finished.
• I regret missing the 20 year - but I will attend the 30 year.

If your experience at your high school reunion was not so good, you may wanna consider this link:

Plastic Surgeries to Knock Them Dead at Your High School Reunion

http://ezinearticles.com/?Plastic-Surgeries-to-Knock-Them-Dead-at-Your-High-School-Reunion&id=6047024

Thanks for reading,
David J. Lee
Class of '87

Dental Patient Education Flossing in 3D video

Do you have problems flossing your teeth?
Watch this short video on how to floss your teeth for a healthier smile!



Above article & video produced by: SivaSolutions

Preventive Dentistry Baulkham Hills NSW

DJ LEE - Dentist
38 Merindah Road Baulkham Hills,
NSW 2153
Tel:(02) 9686 7375
Email: hillsdentist@gmail.com 

Website: www.myhillsdentist.com  

Dental Care for Crowns, Bridges and Braces

If you have fixed bridgework, braces or other dental work which connects adjacent teeth, cleaning under and around it with an interdental brush can prevent tooth decay and gum disease. While their use may seem intuitive, many people are unaware that plaque accumulates under bridge connectors, around orthodontic brackets, etc. This animation describes use of an interdental brush to avoid recurrent caries around fixed bridge retainer margins, and the resulting failure of expensive dental work.



Above article & video produced by: www.ToothIQ.com

Cosmetic Dentistry Baulkham Hills NSW

DJ LEE - Dentist
38 Merindah Road Baulkham Hills,
NSW 2153
Tel:(02) 9686 7375
Email: hillsdentist@gmail.com 

Website: www.myhillsdentist.com  

Cavities Between Your Teeth

Interproximal Decay

Interproximal decay (decay on the smooth surfaces between teeth) requires removal of a significant amount of healthy tooth structure to access the problem areas. This animation illustrates prevention of this type of cavity through flossing and shows the amount of tooth removal required. The progression of interproximal decay is shown with a transparent view through the enamel.



Above video & article produced by: www.ToothIQ.com

Dental Care Baulkham Hills NSW

DJ LEE - Dentist
38 Merindah Road Baulkham Hills,
NSW 2153
Tel:(02) 9686 7375
Email: hillsdentist@gmail.com 

Website: www.myhillsdentist.com  

The truth about dental insurance!!!

The credit for this blog article must go to Dr. Mac Lee (no, he's not related), of Edna, Texas. I've made some important changes to this article for the Australian market; the States and Australia have a very similar experience, otherwise.

Dental Insurance:  What??

20 years ago, dental “insurance” benefits averaged $1,000 which was the equivalent of around $1,600 today.  Here is the kicker; the average “insurance” plan is still close to $1,000.  The purpose of this article is to explain the facts and fiction of what everyone calls dental insurance.

Fiction:

You have a house fire and your homeowner’s insurance steps up to the plate and lets you rebuild and replace the stuff you lost.  You'd think the same thing would happen with dental "insurance": you come down with a bunch of tooth problems and the insurance company gets you all repaired.

Unfortunately, that's big time FICTION.

Fact: 

People who think they have “dental insurance” really only have LIMITED AND RESTRICTED benefits that are CONTROLLED by an insurance company.  A dental benefit is more like a coupon.  It doesn’t pay for the entire product or service, it only pays a certain percentage and it has a maximum it will pay.

Fiction:

“My dental insurance will pay for it!”  or “My dental insurance will pay 80 percent!”

Fact:

A $1,000 was a reasonable amount of money when I graduated from dental school in 1992.  My crown fees were around $600 and insurance could, would and did pay from 50 to 80 percent.  Basically, a patient could get two or three crowns a year on old broken down, filled teeth and in a few years, their mouth was fixed. Plus, the patient could get two cleanings a year and not even max out their insurance.  I can’t speak for the insurance companies or the patients that paid the premiums, but it was a great deal for patients and dentists.

Today’s crown price for one tooth will basically wipe out a year’s benefit.  Not only that, the insurance company (yep, the one with the tallest buildings in all major cities around the World) often goes out of its way to DENY your "benefits".

Fact:

Today’s dentistry is nothing like it was 20 years ago.  If patients had problems, the choices were to pull, fill or crown.  Today’s dentistry serves the patients with some the most advanced, pain free techniques in medicine.  Most of these procedures are not covered by the dental benefit contract or the procedures cost more than the paltry yearly benefit.

Twenty years ago, there was no such thing as Member Preferred Dentist.  Today’s insurance companies want you to choose a dentist based on cost and assume that all doctors are equally talented, knowledgeable, caring, ethical, available and personable—and that just isn’t true. The dentist making the deal with the insurance company may take a cut up to 30 to 50 percent.  In order for them to stay in business, they have to see more people, do more procedures and cut costs in some manner.  And even though it is a managed care system, dental benefits still acts as a coupon and not insurance.

Fiction:

The dentist and dental team should understand a person’s dental insurance benefit, what it will cover, pay etc.

Fact:

The contract is between the patient and insurance company.  The dentist has no role to play whatsoever; they are simply caught in the middle.  Dentists, as a whole, are great people who love to help others.  They try very hard to accommodate by hiring extra staff just to handle the paperwork, phone calls, etc that insurance companies require.

MOST IMPORTANT: NEVER LET  THAT IMPERSONAL INSURANCE COMPANY DICTATE YOUR DENTAL CARE.  THEY COULD CARE LESS ABOUT YOUR HEALTH, COMFORT, PEACE OF MIND OR APPEARANCE.  Be happy you have that coupon for some "dollars off", but never expect them to rebuild your burned-down house.

Thanks again to Dr. Mac Lee, for "tellin' it like it is"! This article had so many "a-ha!" moments, I just had to share it.

BLOG OUT...