According to the National Association of Dental Plans, 164.2 million Americans have private dental insurance coverage, and that number has increased from 57% to 77% in the last decade*. This reflects a growing dental industry with more patients seeking affordable care options than ever before. Dental practices that know how to navigate dental insurance have a great tool to market their services as well as help their patients access coverage for their care.

At Zentist, we understand that navigating dental insurances can be one of the most challenging parts of running your practice. Dental insurance rules are often obscure and complicated, and expert insurance billers are hard to come by, not to mention the anxiety that comes from bad reviews when a patient misunderstands their coverage and blames the staff. In this article, we discuss the various components of dental insurance management and how Zentist can alleviate this burden for the dental practice.

Dental Insurance Processing Challenges

Dental insurance is without a doubt one of the most important sources of revenue for private dental practices. While new payment technologies now allow consumers to transact with a single click or tap, insurance claim processing involves navigating outdated practice management software, manually tracking and calling to follow up on unpaid claims, and painstakingly posting individual payments back into the patient’s ledger. In some cases, insurance claims take months of follow ups and appeals on multiple long phone calls to get paid. This not only wastes precious front office staff time, but causes significantly delayed cash flow for the practice.

1. Outdated technology
2. Lack of billing expertise
3. Wasted staff time corresponding with insurance companies
4. Tracking unpaid claims
5. Out of control/snowballing insurance aging accounts
6. Surprise bills for patients

Dental Insurance Aging Account Receivables

If your accounts receivable over 90 days is more than 5 percent of the total, you are losing money. We estimate the value of every dollar owed past 90 days is worth under 20 cents.

Insurance billing challenges 90% of dental practices experience result in growing aging accounts. Aging reports cause thousands of unpaid insurance dollars your practice needs.

Patient surprise bills

Taking care of dental insurance claims slowly can cause you customer frustration and even loss. Even if your staff handled claims correctly, speed matters. With a slow claims turn over your patients who still have to pay a copay or deductible you are likely to surprise them. And anger for a fee that they need to pay after such a long time.

Dental billing and coding guidance pdf

Zentist recognizes the extraordinary circumstances dentists and their patients face. Zentist supports and commits to American Dental Association’s recommendation that using telecommunication technology can be leveraged to support dental care. We help dental practices automate dental insurance billing.

Keep your staff and patients safe. Download “COVID-19 Coding and Billing Interim Guidance: Virtual Visits” by ADA PDF.

Dental billing jobs

At Zentist, we promote a productive and collaborative environment. We work hard, play hard, and treat people with respect. Our benefits include a competitive salary, equity package, and a culture of nurturing personal and professional growth. We can’t wait to learn from you!

Click to see open positions

Dental billing and coding books

In the beginning of every year dental office staff wonder if they need to buy a new dental billing and coding book. We know how the common dental terminology can get complicated. Also we want to learn more about changes or updates in guidance. Here is the top 3 recommended books for 2020:

1. 2020 Reimbursement Guide for Dentistry

This “Reimbursement Guide for Dentistry” gives you the coding, billing, and documentation support you need to get paid properly and keep it. With input from customers, coders, and auditors, we have combined all these needs into one great resource for professional services.

Buy For: $169

2. Insurance Verification of Eligibility and Benefits

Includes templates as an effective starting point for your own Insurance Verification of Eligibility and Benefits form.

Buy For: $10

3. CDT 2020: Dental Procedure Codes

Get paid faster and keep more detailed patient records with CDT 2020: Dental Procedure Codes. The 2020 edition includes all CDT codes and descriptors, and is updated with 37 new codes, five revised codes, and six deleted codes.

Buy For: $88

ADA recommended dental insurance billing tips

1. Educate yourself

Many dentists lack the basic training needed to keep their managerial systems in tip-top shape, so the first job should be to educate yourself.

2. No Agreements, No Services

One absolutely essential component of medical billing for dentists is to get all the information up front, signed for, and processed before any services are offered.

3. Outsource If Possible

Maybe you consider outsourcing one of the most frustrating components of your practice. Dental billing companies help keep your practice profitable and hassle-free by offloading the billing procedures to them.

4. Dental Billing- Wrap-Up

Take the time to understand what needs to be accounted for, and be sure you have your bases covered before the patient receives any services.

Solutions to dental billing challenges

Connect with a service like Zentist to take care of dental insurance billing. Zentist provides end to end insurance claims processing powered by high tech machine learning algorithms. Zentist also improves your practice’s efficacy with easy tasks management and tailored data-driven recommendations. Zentist excels in dental insurance billing by helping you:

- Collect your insurance revenue consistently, reliably and quickly.

- Reduce your insurance aging accounts receivables.

- Free up valuable staff time to focus on patient engagement and boosting production.

Ready to improve your dental insurance billing?

See Zentist demo

Manuchehr Kurbonali, Paulina Song

Source:

*https://www.nadp.org/Dental_Benefits_Basics/Dental_BB_1.aspx

Dental Billing was originally published in Zentist on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Dental cavities are the most common dental issue in the world. Unlike other dental problems that respond to specific characteristics or are not so common, cavities are found all around the world (even where good oral practices are present).

Why is it so hard to determine a normal cavity rate?

Determining these kinds of insights are pretty difficult due to a series of factors. As we mentioned before, food has a lot to do with cavities nowadays; almost everything we consume has a high sugar level.

Sadly, even if you brush your teeth every time you eat, use floss and mouthwash; you still need to go for a deeper cleaning. Once again, the highly corrosive components of foods these days make it even more important to go to the dentist periodically.

The average cavity account can be anywhere from 4–10 and there’s no definitive count.

Some insights and statistics about cavities:

• Kids from 2 to 11: the average percentage of children with cavities in their primary teeth is 42% with an average of 1.6 decayed teeth.
• Adolescents from 12 to 19: with permanent teeth growth and more teeth to take care of, adolescents suffer from dental cavities on their permanent teeth 59% of the time, on average.
• Adults from 20 to 65: 92% of adults have suffered from cavities at least once.
• Seniors +65: Even if you’ve had a great history of good oral health, 65. 92% of senior patients have had dental cavities with an average of 3.28 decayed teeth.

Ready to see the dentist? Here’s our $100 coupon for teeth whitening redeemable at any licensed dental practice in the US. Claim Here

How Many Cavities Are Normal To Have In A Lifetime? was originally published in Zentist on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Going to the dentist is always hard for kids; even though some of them are brave enough to go ahead and do it, the average kid may be hesitant. But we all know that it’s essential that children have a good control on their oral health at an early age to prepare them for the future.

Sharing some fun dental facts with children while going to the dentist is an excellent way to prepare them and keep fear away from visitation. In case you’re a dentist or a parent looking for some fun dental facts to share with kids, here are some good ideas.

1. Toothbrush colors

Statistics show that the most chosen toothbrush is the blue one. Even though this has actually nothing to do with their function, this color seems to transmit more health and sterile feelings than red or other colors.

2. Crocodiles use birds as toothbrushes

Yes, and they don’t even harm them. Nile crocodiles, the biggest breed in the world, tend to leave their mouths open so the brave bird can fly to their teeth and feed on the bacteria on them. This way, the birds keep crocodiles’ teeth clean and strong.

3. The blue whale has no teeth

The biggest animal in the world might be really scary if we thought about the size of their teeth. But, instead, kids will love to know that these poor creatures don’t actually have teeth and therefore, even at their big size, they can only feed on very tiny and cushy creatures called plankton.

4. Elephant’s teeth come with backups

As every animal in the world, including humans, elephants suffer from teeth decay and gum disease. As they use the molars to grind food, the damage is so great that they usually lose teeth. Even though this may be a great problem for humans that only receive two pairs of teeth in their lifetime, elephants have 6 replacements for theirs.

6. Cheese is good for your teeth

Great news for cheese lovers and a fun dental fact to share with kids! The components of cheese stimulate the saliva production which protects and cleanses the gums. Cheese is a good a healthy snack for children.

Want more information about Kids’ dental health? Click here to find out what’s hurting rather than helping your child’s oral hygiene.

Fun Dental Facts to Share With Your Kids was originally published in Zentist on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

When choosing any kind of doctor, trust is an essential factor; no one likes to put their own health in doubtful hands. This, of course, also applies when going to the dentist. Because our mouth and teeth are really delicate and sensitive, finding a reliable dentist is a priority for our oral health.

But, what should we take into consideration when choosing the right dentist? Let’s see some features that make good dentists and some ways to find them.

What to search for in a dentist

Qualified

Undoubtedly, the first feature we should look for in a dentist is their qualifications. Not only their Bachelor of Dental surgery, but physical proof of a constant development must be shown by this dentist.

Patient cooperation

The dentist must be open to sharing as much information with their patients as needed. As we all know going to the dentist may generate anxiety for some people. The dentist’s disposition to inform and explain everything to the patient — as well as a respectful way to manage their case is essential for a trustworthy dentist.

Practice technology

Technology these days have made going to the dentist a completely different experience. A reliable dentist will definitely be up to the date with the best equipment and tools. Sedation for nervous patients, kids’ treatments, dental laser surgery, etc. is indispensable for a modern oral health professional.

How do you find this reliable dentist?

There’re several ways how you can check a professional to see if they’re reliable.

Referrals

word-of-mouth publicity has always been the best; there’s nothing that says more about a professional than real reviews. So, ask around.

Online search

Search engines like Google allow you to find oral health professionals that are close by and some features on their practice. But the best part is that these tools also offer reviews and rankings that will work as referrals. See what their own patients have to say about them.

Location

Finding a doctor that is conveniently located is really important too; it’s already hard enough to go to the dentist, so driving two hours to get to the clinic doesn’t sound like the best decision.

Visiting

Paying a recognition visit is the last step for choosing a reliable dentist; whether it’s online or physical, seeing the facilities and watching how the doctor unwinds will tell you a lot about them and their practice.

For more information on what to look for in your dentist, visit, Zentist.io to get a list of qualified pros ready to take your case.

How to Find a Reliable Dentist was originally published in Zentist on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Teeth-bleaching or teeth whitening has become a popular procedure; it’s painless, quick and affordable. But the question that also goes through every patient’s head is, is teeth-bleaching damaging your enamel? Let’s see the answer…

What’s the enamel?

The enamel is a protective film that covers each one of your teeth. It’s considered the hardest tissue in the human body and it’s formed by tiny tubules that cannot be seen without a microscope.

How do teeth get stained?

Your enamel isn’t what gets stained. Actually, it’s the subsequent tissue that’s being affected, the one that absorbs the stains; because toothpaste is not meant to enter the enamel tubules, it cannot reach those stains.

How do whitening products work?

Whitening products, on the contrary of toothpaste, are designed to trespass the outer enamel layer and reach the inner tissue. In doing this, the bleaching gel and other whitening products flow through the enamel tubules.

The application of UV light is what activates these chemicals and makes them flow until they reach and clear out the stains. But during this period where the bleaching chemicals are doing their job, the tubules are open and vulnerable - this is called dehydration.

That’s why we feel some tooth sensitivity when the bleaching process has just occurred. This makes people believe teeth-bleaching damages your enamel. Also, during this process, your teeth are more vulnerable to get stained when consuming dark foods or drinks. It’s recommended that you should avoid these darker foods/drinks if you want your teeth bleaching to be successful.

Finally, does teeth-bleaching damage your enamel or not?

As we mentioned before, some people think their enamel is being damaged because they feel some sensitivity. But once again, this is only a temporal situation due to the chemical’s reaction, but as soon as the bleaching procedure ends, the sensitivity will cease.

Once any bleaching procedure is done, your saliva will complete the rehydration process and the necessary nutrients will flow through the tubules until they’re sealed again.

So, the answer is no. Teeth-bleaching is not going to damage your enamel, if performed properly. Of course, this is under normal circumstances; be sure not to visit the dental office for teeth whitening too often as it may begin to affect you negatively rather than positively.

Are you a candidate for teeth whitening treatment? I recommend that you see a dentist as soon as you can if you’re looking to have a brighter smile in a short amount of time.

Does Teeth Whitening Damage Your Enamel? was originally published in Zentist on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

If you’re a dentist, you probably notice that it’s pretty easy to waste a lot of water at work. Some decades ago, people wouldn’t even take this into consideration, but due to more and more awareness for the environment, people and industries at large are taking their water consumption into consideration.

It’s not only awful to waste water unnecessarily, but it also comes with penalties on our environment. That’s why so many dentists have taken proper measures to reduce the waste of water in their offices. Here is how to conserve water in your dental practices.

Run water only when using it

It’s very common for dentists to leave the water on while seeing a patient so they won’t have to spend time running it every time it’s needed while having to hang on to their dental instruments. Leaving it running means gallons lost.

Encourage Patients

Encouraging your patients to turn the faucet off while brushing by way of sign etc. is a small but lengthy gesture to conserve water.

Plumbing + Leaks

Sometimes, old buildings tend to have their leaks. This might be hard to notice in a dentist office where water is used all the time. But if you notice an increased water bill, even when implementing green practices, this might be the reason.

Other ways you can save water in your dental practice

Install low flow aerators on sinks

These simple mechanisms will reduce the amount of water flow dispensed from your sink. You’ll lose less water without affecting efficiency.

Install water-saving toilets

Low-flush toilets and dual-flush toilets are great for saving water as they only require a minimal amount to function. In case you want to try an even powerful tool, dual-flush toilets have both strong and low flow options that can be used as needed.

See? Business as usual, without doing as much harm on the environment. Looking to show off your newly renovated water-conserving installations? Look no further than Zentist Referral where you can manage appointment requests, store patient records, and build a referral network that brings new patients to your practice.

For more information, visit Zentist today.

How to Conserve Water In Your Dental Practice was originally published in Zentist on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Dental anxiety is one of the most common phobias of the century. Even with the evolution of medical tools and technology, and treatment techniques, thousands of patients still get pretty nervous when going to the dentist.

This phobia is not limited to kids, even though they may appear to be the most vulnerable. In fact, a high percentage of adults also suffer from dental anxiety. Dental anxiety can be so prominent, some people even avoid going to the dentist altogether.

As we all know, going to the dentist is mandatory to maintain good oral and overall health. For that reason, we’re sharing some recommend relaxation techniques anxious patients can borrow for their next visit.

Breathing exercises

The first thing you’ll always hear when talking about any kind of anxiety is to work on your breathing. This applies to those with dental phobia too; take slow deep breathes to let oxygen flow through your body so it relaxes and calms you. Avoid shallow breathing, since this will only make your anxiety worst.

Communication is Key

Whether you’re the patient or the dentist, communicating is essential for a positive experience. If patients can communicate their feelings, they will feel a sense of relief and be more open to the procedure.

Meditation

Practicing meditation before and during your dental visit is an excellent way to assure peace when entering the consultation.

Audio distraction

Some dentists have reported that using relaxing music while treating anxious patients has shown positive results. Dental anxiety has a lot more to do with what’s going on in your mind than it has to do with actual pain during the procedure. If your mind is somewhat at peace, the phobia should decrease or even disappear.

Visual distraction

Watching TV, especially if it’s yourfavorite movie or show, can help distract your brain and relax tension you’re feeling during the dental procedure.

Ready to brave your dentist appointment? Zentist matches Bay Area dental patients with the perfect dentist at an affordable cost to you.

Relaxation Techniques To Improve Dental Visits For Nervous Patients was originally published in Zentist on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

When it comes to growing up, braces are part of the deal sometimes. Unfortunately, due to high costs, teens are going the DIY route to save a little money in hopes of straightening their teeth with nothing more than a few household supplies. I present, DIY Braces:

What are DIY braces?

DIY braces are obviously not medical braces. But people are turning to just about anything for straighter teeth. DIY Braces serves as a custom-made dental solution aimed to replace the function of real braces.

Kids from various geographical locations are making these braces out of common materials: rubber bands, fishing wire, etc.

This practice was popularized online and very quickly. The problem is that eleven year old children don’t really know a thing about orthodontics (but neither do adults), so the truth is … these DIY braces don’t work. Generally, they just make things worse.

How are DIY braces damaging kids’ teeth?

The first thing to take into consideration is that all these materials are not aseptic; this means that they’re charged with bacteria. These bacteria go straight into the mouth when using DIY braces. And worst, due to what’s already pretty poor practice, it’s common that gums get cut by these junk-drawer supplies causing the bacteria from them to enter the bloodstream.

But that’s not all; the worst part might be that is that using rubber bands on your gums is so intense that they may take teeth out of your jaw. So yes, these braces can really hurt children, teens and adults alike.

What to do instead

Maybe some parents think that this can do no harm to their kids and maybe could help them save some money. But that’s not true; and can actually lead to a pretty hefty dental fee to fix.

If your child needs braces you may consider Zentist’s easy to pay plans where a pool of qualified dentists and orthodontists are available in a few clicks.

For more information on how to straighten your teeth without having to pay everything out-of-pocket, visit Zentist.io.

What are DIY Braces? Your Worst Nightmare. was originally published in Zentist on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

As we all know, saliva is a very important fluid produced in our mouths to prevent cavities as it neutralizes acids, helps to swallow, chew, digest and enhances your tasting capacities. Saliva is a vital component that we all need to correctly consume our food to maintain better oral health.

Nevertheless, sometimes the mouth isn’t capable of producing enough saliva. This is called dry mouth and it may become very serious. Find more information about the causes and symptoms.

What is dry mouth and what causes it?

As we mentioned, dry mouth is a condition where your saliva glands are not capable of producing enough saliva. This results in impossibility for your mouth to remain wet; as the name implies, it feels dry all the time complicating the most single processes such as swallowing or even speaking.

Causes:

Medications: one of the most common causes of this condition is a side effect of several medications. The most common are ones related to pain and mental illness, but even antihistamines can generate the dryness, especially when used during long periods.

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy: the drugs on chemo commonly change the functioning of saliva glands, making them produce less saliva than needed, but this is temporary. Otherwise, radiation treatment on your neck may damage the salivary glands permanently.

Aging: aging can cause dry mouth for a series of reasons including the continuous use of medication, the wear during natural functioning, and damages the body’s ability to process some drugs.

Nerve damage: some surgeries on your neck can affect the glands and cause permanent dryness.

Substance abuse: tobacco, alcohol and recreational drugs are among the leading causes of dry mouth.

What are the symptoms of dry mouth?

• Dryness or stickiness is the most common symptom.

• Thick and stringy saliva that can’t be swallowed.

• Bad breath

• Problems chewing or swallowing

• Dry/sore throat and tongue.

• Changes in your ability to taste.

• Difficulty or pain when wearing dentures.

What are the complications of dry mouth?

• Tooth decay and gum disease due to the increase of plaque.

• Yeast infections.

• Sores and cracking of your lips, tongue and inner cheeks.

• General mouth sore due to the lack of lubrication.

If you feel any of the symptoms or complications of dry mouth, I recommend that you see a dentist as soon as you can to get the right treatment based on your specific case.

What Is Dry Mouth? was originally published in Zentist on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Medical procedures, in general, tend to be pretty expensive. And when it comes to dental health, this is especially true. But this doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to find an affordable dentist in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego, but there’s an online service that directs you to the cheapest dentist near you.

What’s Zentist and why are they so affordable?

Zentist is a new AI platform that is built to help patients and dentists alike. For dentists, patients can get quality dental healthcare at an affordable price. The mission is to challenge systemic issues in dentistry by implementing transparent pricing.

The best part is never having to set foot in a dental office before knowing if you can afford it. You can pull an estimate for a dental procedure in three easy online steps so you’ll be saving not only money, but time.

With a great network of committed dentists you’re guaranteed to get affordable dental attention at a moment’s notice, saving thousands.

Finally, they believe in transparency, so you won’t have to deal with hidden fees and an unnecessary run around.

How does it work?

It only takes a few simple steps:

Determining the dental issue

The first step you’ll take is to describe the dental issue you’re facing. Then, Zentist will find dentists that specialize in that procedure.

Going to the diagnostic appointment

Zentist uses CBCT scans to determine the appointment, so you won’t have to jump from one dentist to another post-scan.

Receive 3 quotes

You’ll receive 3 detailed quotes, then the choice is yours on which one to pick. You’ll be able to browse the doctor’s profile and see details on the clinic location etc.

Explore financing options

Apply for monthly payment plans that don’t affect your credit report.

Want to get started? There’s nothing to lose when you’re trying to save a little money. Visit Zentist.io today.

Where Can You Find Affordable Dental Care in California? was originally published in Zentist on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.