Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/596547
RecentlyIheardfrom the McBride family from Pennsylvania. "We're a family of five living on a sin- gle income. Things are very tight for us. We have no dental in- surance and find we cannot af- ford the luxury of den- tal care. Is there a dental plan that caters to low in- come families in our situ- ation? Please answer soon before our teeth fall out." Dental insurance is not the answer for the Mc- Bride Family's particu- lar situation and that's probably a good thing. Paying for dental insur- ance is a very expensive way to achieve good den- tal health. The only af- fordable dental insur- ance plans out there are those that are part of an employer's benefit pack- age. And these days, even that benefit is becoming as scarce as, well, hen's teeth. Dental insurance is de- signed to cover unex- pected occurrences — not the routine preventive maintenance required by a family with young chil- dren. Let me suggest several ways families who are not covered through em- ployee provided dental in- surance can begin to see dental care as absolutely essential and something they can fit into their al- ready strained budgets. ESTABLISH RULES. Starting today make rules that every family member is expected to abide by: Restrict sugar for chil- dren, use a fluoride rinse, have fluoride in the wa- ter supply and have seal- ants applied when nec- essary. If you brush and floss daily and have regu- lar check-ups, most den- tal problems can be com- pletely avoided. CUT IT OUT. Don't chew pens, ice or other hard items like popcorn kernels, or use your teeth as tools. Be sure anyone playing sports wears a mouth guard. You can get one at a sporting good store with directions on how to custom fit it your- self. GIVE IT UP. Don't smoke or chew tobacco. Both lead to stained teeth, gum disease, and oral cancer. GET HOOKED UP. Find a dental hygiene school or dental college in your area that operates a clinic. All treatments performed by students are under the careful su- pervision of instructors. The drawback can be the length of time and the number of visits required to complete the treat- ment, but you should be able to handle that just fine once you realize the fees are typically 50-75 percent less than treat- ment by a private practi- tioner. FIND A ROOKIE. Try to find a dentist who is just starting out and doesn't have a full sched- ule yet. Explain your sit- uation (low income with no dental insurance). Be- cause the dentist is trying to build the practice, you could well be offered a re- duced fee as the dentist's way of building a loyal following. It sure can't hurt to ask. In case of the event that you experience an expensive dental emer- gency, many dentists are willing to work with fam- ilies in setting up finan- cial arrangements in the form of money payments. This does, however, rep- resent a new debt. Do ev- erything you can to get that debt paid quickly. There is no doubt that when it comes to den- tal care that prevention is the cheapest way to go. It's your money, and your teeth. Savvy consumers find a way to keep them both. Wouldyouliketosend a tip to Mary? You can email her at mary@ everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Ste. B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. EVERYDAYCHEAPSKATE Dentalcareis not a luxury item Gerber School spent last week celebrating Red Rib- bon Week and the impor- tance of making healthy lifestyle choices that in- clude staying drug free. The school kicked off the week with a performance from its very own former student and internation- ally famous musician Dan- iel Munoz, who spread a message to "Turn on mu- sic, turn off drugs." Munoz attended Ger- ber Elementary School and went on to Red Bluff Union High School, where he graduated in 2001. He was the winner of a na- tional singing contest held by the Spanish language channel Univision. He has since then produced mul- tiple CDs, Pure Corazon by Daniel Munoz, El Ausente and Only You, Danny Mu- noz. Munos has been kicking off Red Ribbon Week at Gerber School for the past four years as a way to give back to the community that he came from. He tells stu- dents to be proud of where they come from and relates by sharing his experiences at Gerber School. Munoz's message to stu- dents is to dream big and follow their dreams no matter what obstacles may stand in their way. He em- phases to students that it's important to set goals for their future and the sky is the limit. Munoz talks about be- lieving in yourself, choos- ing positive influences and steering of drugs and other influences that can lead people in the wrong direc- tion and keep them from reaching their full poten- tial. RED RIBBON WEEK MunozkicksoffweekinGerber PHOTOSCOURTESYOFJENNYMARR Daniel Munoz, Gerber Elementary School graduate, spoke to students Monday about staying drug free in honor of the 2015Red Ribbon Week. SACRAMENTO The Amer- ican Red Cross is proud to announce Gary Strong has been selected to fill the role of Regional Chief Execu- tive Officer for the Ameri- can Red Cross Gold Coun- try Region. Gary joins the Red Cross after completing a successful career in the newspaper business. Gary served as Senior Vice President of Finance for the Sacramento Bee and Controller of the Los An- geles Times. As a Certified Public Accountant he also worked for Ernst & Young in Los Angeles where he served as audit manager in charge of clients repre- senting a wide variety of industries. "Gary brings a special combination of head and shoulders leadership, mis- sion focus, resource stew- ardship, and people skills that are very well suited for his new responsibili- ties," said Justin Mathe- son, Chair of the Board of Directors for the Ameri- can Red Cross Gold Coun- try Region. In his new position, Strong will oversee the Red Cross services in the Gold Country Region, which is comprised of the Sierra Delta and the Northeastern California Chapters. Strong now leads a team of more than 2,000 volunteers and 40 employees who respond to nearly 800 local disas- ters each year and serve close to five million resi- dents in the 24-county re- gion with lifesaving pro- grams. "I'm very excited to start my new career with the American Red Cross" said Strong. "The legacy of in- novation, compassion, and volunteerism in this com- munity is powerful and I am honored to be a part of carrying that forward. Each and every day the Red Cross is providing amazing services to those in need. I am proud to join the dedicated local volun- teers, employees, board members, and generous community and corporate partners in delivering the Red Cross services to those living and working in our Region." Although new to the staff position with the or- ganization, Strong has been a longtime supporter of the Red Cross having served as a Board Mem- ber and Board Chair of the American Red Cross, Rio Hondo in Whittier. Here in the Gold Country Region, Gary helped to oversee the implementation of chapter mergers during his tenure as Board Chair. Gary earned his Bache- lors of Arts in Business Eco- nomics from the University of California in Santa Bar- bara. RED CROSS Gold Country Region names new CEO Implementation of the blue wrap recycling pro- gram has begun at St. Eliz- abeth Community Hospi- tal. Blue wrap ensures the sterility of surgical instru- ments in the operating room. In 2014, Dignity Health used 250,000 pounds of blue wrap. To reduce the impact on the environment, all Dignity Health facilities will implement the blue wrap recycling program in partnership with Halyard Health and Shred-It by Jan- uary 2016. Nineteen Dignity Health facilities, including St. Eliz- abeth, have already imple- mented the program, and as of August 2015, they re- cycled some 6,600 pounds of blue wrap. The hospital has in- creased its recycling from 16 percent to 43 percent in the last six months. CONSERVATION Hospital introduces recycling program Munoz's message to students is to dream big and follow their dreams no matter what obstacles may stand in their way. Mary Hunt Dental insurance is designed to cover unexpected occurrences — not the routine preventive maintenance required by a family with young children. 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