Estela Vargas and Belle DuCharme

Insurance
Busting the myth of ‘once perio, always perio'
The myth of “once perio maintenance, always perio maintenance” continues to hamper billing systems in dental practices. It's OK to alternate between prophy and perio maintenance codes, according to Estela Vargas, CRDH, and Belle DuCharme.
November 27, 2023
Coding Billing Woman
Insurance
Defining multiple surface restorations for insurance reimbursement
Submitting a successful claim for a multisurface restoration on one tooth can be tricky. Coding expert Estela Vargas, RDH, and Belle DuCharme offer tips to ensure you get paid.
September 7, 2023
Dental Procedure Patient
Insurance
Avoid fraud in your forecast: Experts answer 3 dental billing questions
Do you know what fraud looks like? Two coding experts review frequently asked dental billing questions.
July 19, 2023
Coding Billing Woman
Insurance
Dental hygienist responsibilities in coding dental claims
While most dental hygienists cannot legally diagnose dental disease, they still have a legal responsibility to properly code what they do. Coding expert Estela Vargas shares tips for coding common dental hygiene treatments.
January 31, 2023
2022 04 08 16 47 4860 2022 04 08 Vargas Estela 400
Insurance
How to appeal claim denials for crowns and cracked teeth
One of the most common denials from insurance plans is for crowns. Coding expert Estela Vargas shares her tips for ensuring you get paid for crowns, a common denial scenario, and a sample letter to use if you need to appeal a claim.
October 19, 2022
2022 04 08 16 47 4860 2022 04 08 Vargas Estela 400
Insurance
How to get paid for dental implants
September is National Dental Implant Awareness Month. However, awareness of implants only goes so far if your patients can't afford them. Coding expert Estela Vargas shares tips on how to get paid for dental implants from insurance and elsewhere.
September 18, 2022
2022 04 08 16 47 4860 2022 04 08 Vargas Estela 400
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King Charles III. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.
Dental Hygiene
King Charles has some quirky oral care demands
A new book about the royal family has revealed some of King Charles' oddest oral care demands.
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Legal Issues
Assault claim led to arrest of 2 men running an illegal practice
Dentist Xray Computer
AI
UCSF gets $4M grant to teach AI to spot cavities
Dentist Man Smiling
Team Management
The reason you chose to be a dentist may surprise you
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King Charles has some quirky oral care demands
A new book about the royal family has revealed some of King Charles' oddest oral care demands.
December 7, 2023
King Charles III. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.
Assault claim led to arrest of 2 men running an illegal practice
A sexual assault allegation led to the arrest of two men running an illegal dental practice in Texas, according to a story.
December 7, 2023
Handcuffs Fingerprinting
UCSF gets $4M grant to teach AI to spot cavities
The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Dentistry has received a $4 million grant to develop a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool that is designed to detect cavities in the hopes of identifying tooth decay earlier.
December 7, 2023
Dentist Xray Computer
The reason you chose to be a dentist may surprise you
The initial letter of a first name may affect some life choices, like whether a person decides to become a dentist, according to a study.
December 6, 2023
Dentist Man Smiling
Ex-payroll manager for orthodontics practice gets probation
A former payroll manager at an Illinois orthodontics practice, who admitted to stealing from her employer to pay herself bonuses, has been sentenced.
December 6, 2023
Gavel Judge
1st patients treated with 3D-printed synthetic bone graft
Patients in the U.S. have been treated with CMFlex, an off-the-shelf 3D-printed synthetic bone graft.
December 5, 2023
Hands Dental Surgeon Instruments
Kid musical genius turns oral care product sounds into song
A 7-year-old has created a two-minute song using sounds generated from buzzing electric toothbrushes and other products from Colgate.
December 5, 2023
Miles Bonham. Instagram/Miles Bonham.
This numbing agent may kill HNC cells
The common dental numbing agent lidocaine triggers specific bitter taste receptors in the mouth that may ultimately lead to the death of head and neck cancer cells, according to a preclinical study recently published in Cell Reports.
December 5, 2023
Anesthetic Needle Vials
Retired NFL player uses a tube of toothpaste a week
A former Denver Broncos player's oral hygiene routine includes brushing up to 10 times per day and using a tube of toothpaste every week.
December 4, 2023
Shannon Sharpe. Image courtesy of Wikipedia. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Elastics for braces led to arrest of Md. man
Rubber bands used for braces helped Baltimore police arrest a man for allegedly kidnapping and assaulting a 71-year-old woman in a park.
December 4, 2023
Charles Avon Taylor. Image courtesy of the Baltimore Police Department.
1-minute zap with UV light improves dental implants
Administering a one-minute pulse of ultraviolet (UV) light right before placing a prosthetic may significantly improve healing from titanium implant placement, according to a study recently published in Cells.
December 4, 2023
Surgeon Dental Implant
Do’s and don’ts for positive thinking
One of the most powerful contributors to your practice’s success isn’t your training, your marketing efforts, your patients, or even your staff -- it’s you! Dr. Roger P. Levin explains the ripple effects of positive thinking.
December 3, 2023
Dr. Roger P. Levin.
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