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This caught my eye,  "Cancer, AIDS, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are the most dangerous and destructive diseases on earth. OSA is reported to occur as many as 83% of women and 92% of men. This phenomenon occurs nightly when the tongue falls back and blocks the airway."

 

But then I read the rest of the link and was intrigued by the Full Breath Solution.

 

Any comments?

 

The full article is at http://www.dentistryiq.com/index/display/article-display/8668969884...

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Here is what I found most "intriguing" ....

"... With the advancements in design and treatment of oral sleep appliances ­ and in combination with the high rejection rate of the CPAP ­ dentistry has moved to the head of the line in providing the most widely accepted treatment for obstructive sleep apnea and snoring on the planet ... OSA is the disease that dentistry now leads the world in for accepted treatment of the afflicted ...

... The code 41500 ­ Non-Surgical Fixation of the Tongue ­ is labeled for the procedure. In the course of treatment, we employ this procedure an average of three to six times. Reimbursement ranges from $200 to $600 every time the procedure is applied, with the average reimbursement being $400. ...

... And the great news is that medical insurance and Medicare pay very well. ...

... Thus dental community members who treat dental sleep disorders and understand the intricacies of billing Medicare and medical insurance are well compensated. ...

... as of Dec. 2, 2009, Medicare changed the whole regimen. Payment is not fee-for-surface, but one global fee for the total treatment. If a dentist submits code E0486 for a custom appliance, he or she will be reimbursed $2,500 to $5,000 per case. ...

... To get paid by Medicare for providing a sleep appliance, you must become a DME provider. DME stands for Durable Medical Equipment. Medicare classifies beds, wheelchairs, and ­ unbelievably ­ oral sleep appliances as DMEs. To get reimbursed for an appliance, you need to get the DME provider approval. ...

... If you don’t become a provider, you can still treat Medicare patients. Medicare will cover the cost of treatment, but they will send the money to the patient. Then you’ll need to collect from the patient. Good luck on that one. The most painless route is to become a DME provider and have the reimbursement sent to you. ...

... And let’s not forget that with the FBS we utilize tongue fixation that is billed three to six times with an average of $400 per procedure. ..."


This guy sounds more interested in making a buck than in the welfare of his 0SA patients. There's nothing wrong w/making a good living but .... this guy's emphasis really turned me off.
There is another way to look at it. If you are buying something that is important to you and costly, you should always look at the profitability of the supplier. As a general rule, if a supplier is profitable it is because he manages his business well and customers are happy to give up their money in exchange for the supplier's products or services. If a supplier is not making good profits, there is a high likelihood that the underlying reasons for financial failure are negatively affecting the products/services the supplier provides.

For the same reasons, I want to deal with dentists and doctors who have their businesses under control and are making good profits. It shows me a level of responsibility that is important and also gives me comfort in dealing with a stable business who will be there if I have problems later.

To run a medical practice without a good forward-looking business plan is irresponsible. If a dentist does not have the skills or interest in running the business side of his practice, there are excellent consultants to contract with who can help him make and keep his business profitable.
I don't know what are our most dangerous risks to our health. I didn't see any statistics or research which would point to any of these things being true. Depends on which TV commercial you are watching. I have a hard time, come to think of it, believing the statistics quoted on the percentages of people who need CPAP. Very near to 100% of the population. This sounds like a tactic to sell the FBS to me. Courtesy of the CDC:
Leading Causes of Death
(Data are for the U.S.)
a href="http://" target="_blank">a href="http://http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/lcod.htm" target="_blank">
Number of deaths for leading causes of death
•Heart disease: 631,636
•Cancer: 559,888
•Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 137,119
•Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 124,583
•Accidents (unintentional injuries): 121,599
•Diabetes: 72,449
•Alzheimer's disease: 72,432
•Influenza and Pneumonia: 56,326
•Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 45,344
•Septicemia: 34,234
Source: Deaths: Final Data for 2006, table B
Well, untreated OSA can be the cause of 6 of the 10 leading causes of death in the US.

Banyon, this guy spent way more time discussing the financial benefits to a dental practice than of the FSB and OSA. THAT is what I found offensive. He "felt" like a used car salesman - or a horse trader. NOT as bad as a politician or attorney tho. *wicked grin* (Aw, Mike, that was NOT nice of me, was it?)
Judy, Just realize that is a website for selling products to dentists. It was not directed at consumers.

With dentists in my family and a close friend who is a former dentist and now business consultant to dentists, I can tell you that dentists are resisting changing their ways. Nothing against dentists, this is just human nature. Whatever you are successful at, you want it to keep on --- path of least resistance.

So when new technology comes only a minority of dentists rush out to embrace it. (Marketers call them "early adopters" - this principle is true in most markets. Inertia has to be overcome.)

How do you get the majority of dentists to move quickly - show them the financial rewards! Money is a great motivator and combined with enlightened self-interest it is the second most important factor in world progress.
Good point Mary Z.

What science does not yet understand is how often SDB is the root cause of these conditions:

Heart disease
Stroke
Accidents
Diabetes
Alzheimer's disease
?
I think horse trader the worst of the lot.

Judy said:
Well, untreated OSA can be the cause of 6 of the 10 leading causes of death in the US.

Banyon, this guy spent way more time discussing the financial benefits to a dental practice than of the FSB and OSA. THAT is what I found offensive. He "felt" like a used car salesman - or a horse trader. NOT as bad as a politician or attorney tho. *wicked grin* (Aw, Mike, that was NOT nice of me, was it?)
LOL. Today is Belmont Day! The last and longest race of The Triple Crown, the 1 1/2 mile Belmont Stakes. Ice Box is the morning favorite but UpTownCharlieBrown seems to be a sentimental favorite. Sad to say my Paddy O'Prado wasn't entered. *sigh*
I would like to see it in action. PSG's on real people with and without the device to determine if it really works or not.

John
John Krainik said:
I would like to see it in action. PSG's on real people with and without the device to determine if it really works or not.

John

That has already been done and the studies published - they were required to get FDA approval. You can find some of the studies on the Watermark Ares web site.
The HST units leave alot to be desired from a tech point of view. I do believe that these units do what they are built to do. They are definately here to stay. I did not take the initial post to question the units themselves as much as the monitoring and implementing of them. that was my interpretation anyway.

Banyon said:
John Krainik said:
I would like to see it in action. PSG's on real people with and without the device to determine if it really works or not.

John

That has already been done and the studies published - they were required to get FDA approval. You can find some of the studies on the Watermark Ares web site.

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