What is dental hygiene?
Oral hygiene is the practice of keeping one’s mouth clean and free of disease, by regular brushing and cleaning in between the teeth. It is important that oral hygiene be completed on a regular basis, as it can prevent dental disease from occurring.
For more information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_hygiene
Do I still need to see a dentist when under the care of a dental hygienist?
Ideally, yes. An annual examination by a dentist is recommended for everyone, regardless of their situation. We work closely alongside the resident dentist at each facility where we provide dental hygiene care.
If your family member is still able to go out to their own dentist, we are happy to provide the dental hygiene care and refer to your dentist for greater needs.
How can you provide quality dental care for people too frail/weak to get to the dentist?
We have mobile equipment that provides all the amenities you see at a traditional dental office except for dental x-rays. We roll this equipment on a sterile cart to the resident’s room, and work with the resident at bedside. Since hospital beds can be raised and tilted, we are well able to work this way without any reduction in the quality of care.
Sometimes dementia can make a dental appointment emotionally difficult, and acting out can make safe treatment difficult. Working in the resident’s home environment is a great help, since people with dementia are less anxious when they recognize their surroundings. In some cases, we provide treatment after their regular mild sedatives are given, i.e. if medicine is given to make a bath-time or nap-time easier for the resident. There is no risk of falling, since residents are in bed, and people often don’t even remember treatment (or sleep through it) after it occurred.
Can you provide dental hygiene at my home?
Smiles at Home is limited to providing care for people in residential care facilities. If you require a mobile dental hygienist to come to your private residence, please contact the Canadian Dental Hygiene Association (CDHA) at www.cdha.ca. The CDHA will have a list of local dental hygienists available for your needs.
How do I pay for care? Do you accept Interac E-Transfers or credit cards?
Once you receive our invoice by mail, please send us a cheque made payable to “Smiles at Home”. We are also able to accept Interac E-Transfers sent to reception@smilesathome.com
We are unable to process credit cards at this time.
Does Smiles at Home accept my dental insurance?
We are unable to bill insurance directly, but dental insurance will reimburse you at the designated rate for basic services for our services. Our computer software allows us to fill out insurance forms for reimbursement of family members with insurance coverage. We send the completed forms to you when we mail our invoice for treatment. You need only to sign the form in the two highlighted places and send them to your insurance company; they will pay you directly by mail.
My insurance company requires a receipt of payment. How do I get a receipt to submit to them?
The dental claim form you received with your invoice qualifies as a receipt for dental treatment. Once it has Irene’s signature in the section marked “Office Verification”, you can submit this form without an extra receipt to your insurance provider.
** Exception: If you have Veteran’s Affairs (DVA) coverage along with another carrier (i.e. Pacific Blue Cross, Greenshield or Sunlife), you must submit the first form to the other carrier first, and wait for them to provide payment of their share. Send the receipt from the first insurance company’s cheque along with your second (purple marked) form to DVA. DVA will not consider your claim for reimbursement until they see you have submitted to your first insurance carrier.
Can I get an annual receipt for my taxes?
Of course! Just or email our office at reception@smilesathome.com or give us a call at 250-381-0357 and let us know you require an annual tax receipt. We will happily mail you a receipt for all the treatment provided in the year by early March. Once you request a receipt, you don’t need to request another. You will automatically receive a receipt every year in time to complete your tax forms.
What is the institutional visit fee I saw on my invoice?
This fee covers a portion of the extra costs involved in providing mobile health care, rather than working in a traditional office. It covers a portion of:
- Transportation costs – travelling time, gas and vehicle expenses.
- Extra mobile equipment that would not be needed if working in a regular office.
- Our time for health consultations with:
- facility staff – to notify of oral health status as part of the big picture of whole body health care
- care aids – to instruct them on how much assistance a resident needs with oral daily care, and strategies to provide that oral assistance in a respectful way that helps the resident still feel as independent as possible.
** This is a service that would not be required in a regular dental office, so dentists in a traditional practice to not charge it. If a general dentist were to come to a facility to see your family member, they would also be charging this fee. You will note that the resident dentist also charges a fee for institutional services.
What can I do about bad breath (halitosis)?
Untreated bad breath has a huge effect on embarrassment, self esteem and personal happiness. When already faced with the health problems that have made living in a facility necessary, bad breath is often accepted as a lower priority, but this shouldn’t be the case. We feel that it’s important to help with as many of the aspects of complete health as we can, so the problems that can’t be fixed seem a little more manageable.
Strategies:
- A professional dental cleaning is the easiest, most conservative step towards treating bad breath. This should include diligent daily oral care (with assistance if necessary) to reduce the smell of gum disease.
- Some bad breath starts in the throat or stomach, so a physician should be consulted to rule out swallowing problems or acid reflux disorders if a dental cleaning does not provide relief.
- Mouth rinses (Scope, Listerine, Oral B rinse) can be temporarily effective, but many contain alcohol that can be drying to the mouth. If mouth rinses are your preference, stick to Oral B rinse or Cepacol, without alcohol that could conflict with medicines or irritate oral tissues.
- Avoid the use of lozenges or candies, since they provide only a temporary mask of the problem, and can cause a drastic increase in the risk of cavities.
For more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halitosis