Cosmetic Dentistry: Revitalize Your Smile Before New Tax Takes Effect!

Dec. 2, 2009 - PRLog -- The new tax proposals will add a 5% tax to cosmetic proceedures.  The American Dental Society is concerned that this tax will not just affect dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons but will also affect dental proceedures.

"The extent to which dental services would be subject to this tax is unclear and likely wouldn’t be known until regulations were written well after enactment," said William Prentice, director of the ADA's Washington, DC, office, in an e-mail to DrBicuspid.com. "That being said, the ADA opposes the taxation of any health care services and will be working with like-minded groups to have this provision stricken from the Senate bill."

Patients who are considering cosmetic dentistry should act now to avoid future negative tax consequences according to Gurnee cosmetic dentist Dr Ira L Shapira.  Currently cosmetic dentistry can lead to enormous tax deductions when the dollar volume exceeds 7.5% of annual income.

Dr Shapira has been practicing Neuromuscular Dentistry for over 30 years and emphasizes that reconstructive dentistry is more for health than cosmetics.  Chronic Daily Headaches, Tension-Type headaches and Migraines respond well to Neuromuscular Dentistry as do most TMJ disorders. When we treat chronic physiologic problems we create younger healthier looking faces but health is the key to successful treatment.  I is not uncommon to get incredible relief from a lifetime of pain.  These treatment should not be subject to additional taxes according to Dr Shapira who feels the current coverage of TMJ disorders by insurance companies is discriminatory toward women who make up 80% of TMD patients.

The same underlying conditions that cause pain in women cause sleep apnea, snoring and blood pressure and cardiac problems in men.  This opinion is supported by a NHLBI (National Heart Lung and Blood Institute) report:  "CARDIOVASCULAR AND SLEEP-RELATED CONSEQUENCES OF TEMPOROMANDIBULAR DISORDERS" (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/meetings/workshops/tmj_wksp.pdf)

Women with severe pain often have minimal coverage for TMJ disorders but men with sleep apnea receive excellent coverage.  This lack or medical coverage is clearly illegal and definitely unethical according to Dr Shapira who is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine and  the American Academy of Pain Management.

An article in Cranio by Shimshak et al showed up to a 300% increase in all fields of medicine in patients with a TMJ diagnosis.  The one exception was obstetrics.

Insurance companies have long placed restrictions on TMJ disorder treatment.  In truth patients with TMJ disorders have muscle problems, joint problems, nervous system dysfunction, fatigue, sleep disorders and chronic pain problems.  When they have these medical disorders and a TM Joint disorders many insurance companies opt to fraudulently deny their legitimate claims.

Dr Shapira is the Secretary of ICCMO (International College of CranioMandibular Orthopedics) and their representative to the Alliance of TMD Organizations (TMD ALLIANCE) which is working to protect women from being fraudulently denied benefits for medically necessary treatment because the TM Joint is involved.

The trigeminal or dental nerve is known to be responsible for most migraines and ension-type headaches and Neuromuscular Dentistry is considered the ideal way to correct dental problems that lead to headaches according to many prominent dental specialists and pain specialists.  "The use of oral appliances instead of drug therapy for treating migraines and headaches avoids many of the negative side effect of drugs" according to Dr Shapira who has created http://www.ihateheadaches.org to help headache patients find solutions to improve the quality of their lives.

Information about TMJ disorders and Neuromuscular Dentistry is available at Sleep and Health Journal.     http://www.sleepandhealth.com/neuromuscular-dentistry


"SUFFER NO MORE:  Dealing With The Great Imposter" is considered a must read for patients with head and neck pain that has not responded well to treatment.

Dr Shapira treats TMJ disorders  and Sleep Apnea is his general dental practice in Gurnee, Il.  He has made special arragements for reduced rates at a local hotel for out of town patients.  Dr Shapira can be contacted Toll Free at 1-800-TM-JOINT

http://www.sleepandhealth.com/story/suffer-no-more-dealing-great-impostor

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I HATE HEADACHES and the website http://www.ihateheadaches.org provide information on Neuromuscular Dental treatment of headaches and migaine. information on sleep apnea, sleep apnea treatment and cpap alternatives are available at www.ihatecpap.com This is the premiere site for the promotion of Dental Sleep Medicine and Sleep Apnea Dentisits.