New Health Benefits Excise Tax Calculator

Senate Finance Committee passed a health care proposal that included a revenue proposition that would include a "Cadillac Plan" excise tax. The excise tax amounts to 40% of the cost of benefits over certain thresholds and they would be higher for plans covering early retirees and employees in high risk industries, such as mining or law enforcement.

To help calculate the sets are tax on businesses, the Human Resources consulting Findley Davies has developed the ETC (Excise Tax Calculator). This tool projects current costs for an employer to 2013 and beyond (up to 2017) in order to estimate the impact of the Excise Tax on their projected costs. In this way, employers can begin to evaluate and implement strategies to ensure their total costs will fall below the Excise Tax thresholds. With a minimal amount of current information, the tool allows employers' human resource and finance functions to work together to ensure that strategies are in place well before the 2013 deadline.

Panic Button Lets Patients Control Dental Drill

DENTAL NEWS: Does the sound of a dental drill freak you out to the point where you avoid going to the dentist even though you need to go?

Well, there's good news as a new hand-held device known as "The Dental Button" that allows dental patients to press a button to immediately stop the dentist's drill to relieve pain or just calm the nerves.

"You have no control, you have people leaning over you. It's almost primal. Your throat is exposed," says Philadelphia dentist Dr. Jerald Matt who uses the Dental Button.

This device can help calm patients suffer from anxiety causing them to hold their breath, tremble and fidget in the dentist's chair. Whether they suffer from a little anxiety or intense fear, the dental button puts control of the drill in the hands of the patient as a dentist cannot continue drilling until the patient resets the system.

Musical Toothbrushes? Are You "Kid"ding Me

Dental News

The San Diego-based company Plackers has introduced the first line of musical toothbrushes aimed at getting kids to brush their teeth more by making the experience both fun and educational.

Called Brush & Learn, these new types of toothbrushes utilize original melodies and upbeat, catchy lyrics, each toothbrush plays an entertaining, educational song that encourages healthy dental care habits by making brushing fun for children. Parents can choose from four Brush & Learn toothbrushes with songs that help teach children their ABCs, 123s, farm animal sounds, as well as proper teeth brushing techniques for children.

The Latest Dental News and Views

Dental News: According to the March issue of DentalFax, primary care physicians who do the residencies in the state of Maine are being trained to perform basic dental procedures due to a shortage of dentists in that state.

Dental Views: Bravo! It's about time a State did something to improve the dental health of its children instead of throwing up its hands and saying "We just don't have enough dentists". I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the ADA doesn't fight this change, though; God forbid dentists should stop being the most probable small business in America.

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Dental News: According to Millennium Research Group's US Markets for Dental Implants 2009 report, because of the bad economy, patients are significantly less inclined to get dental implants and instead are opting for less expensive alternatives such as crowns and bridges.

Texans To Get Free Dental Services

DENTAL NEWS: Thousands of South Texans are expected to receive free medical and dental services this week during Operation Lone Star. Currently in its eleventh year, Operation Lone Star is a free medical and dental treatment program offered by the military along with state and county officials. The two-week event expanded to include more cities this year after providing health care to more than 11,000 South Texans last year. Laredo, Rio Grande City, Hebbronville and Zapata will host the event this week.

DENTAL VIEWS: Like most free dental care events, it's a good idea to show up early so you won't be shut out from receiving services. Is not uncommon --in fact, it's usually the case-- that there are so many people seeking these services that many are turned away. Forewarned is forearmed.

Halloween Tips For Health-Conscience Parents

Halloween tricks may scare you and the kids, but the holiday's treats can cause their fair share of trouble as well. The sugar in those Halloween goodies can fuel caries, the disease that causes tooth decay and cavities, says Julie Jenks, a pediatric dentist and assistant professor with the USC School of Dentistry. "When sugar sticks to teeth, the caries bacteria eat it and produce acid, which can wear away the teeth," she says. "It's important to limit the amount of time that the acid spends on teeth."

Did you know that not all candy is created alike when it comes to causing cavities? Sticky candies stay in between teeth a longer period of time and are not so easily removed by saliva, which means that the longer those sweets stay in your mouth the more prone you are to bacteria converting the sugars into acid and getting tooth decay. Sticky sweets like fruit rolls, gummy bears, Laffy Taffy, Starbursts and hard candy like lollipops, jawbreakers, Sweet Tarts or anything that stays in your mouth for long periods should be avoided.

Focalin

Focalin

Generic Name: dexmethylphenidate (dex METH il FEN i date)

Brand Names: Focalin, Focalin XR

What is Focalin?

Focalin (dexmethylphenidate) is a mild stimulant to the central nervous system. This medication is a modified version of Ritalin (a common medication for attention disorders) and contains only the most active component.

Focalin is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Symptoms of attention deficit disorders include continual problems with moderate to severe distractibility, short attention span, hyperactivity, emotional changeability, and impulsiveness. Focalin should be given as part of a total treatment program that includes psychological, educational, and social measures.