MIXED MESSAGES?

L [TETTERS tronic claims submission service. An association for dental health that is separate from the ADA but works in harmony with the ADA may be easier to operate and more effective to administer. Steven H. Poulos, D.D.S. Scottsdale, Ariz. MIXED MESSAGES?

I couldn't help noticing that two of your recent publications (November 1996 and March) have covers and stories addressing the areas of dentistry least covered by dental insurance. Regarding "A Review of AllCeramic Restorations" (Drs. Rosenblum and Shulman), when was the last time a pa-

tient submitted claims for TMD therapy that didn't trigger the Spanish Insurance Inquisition requiring narratives, models and so on, only to have the treatment denied in the end anyway?

Anyone ever diagnose ceramic inlays and onlays that weren't denied or reverted back to amalgam fillings? Maybe that's why the March JADA included a very interesting article on a two-year study on retention of complex pin-retained amalgams as its very next article ("The Effectiveness of Periodontal Treatment as Measured by Tooth Loss," Drs. McLeod, Lainson and Spivey). Which restoration would you

want in your own mouth? The

insurance company would gladly pay for that remarkable fivesurface silver sculpture on page 310, Figure 2, but do they begin to cover the gorgeous strong ceramic on page 301? Maybe we should do modern dentistry a favor by stopping the publishing of retro research on outdated materials and techniques.

Michael W. Shields, D.D.S. Colorado Springs, Colo. TREATMENT DECISION MAKING

Thank you, Drs. Herman, Konzelman and Sutley, for your article, "Current Perspectives on Dental Patients Receiving Cou-

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http.//www.ahcpr.gov/ 818 JADA, Vol. 128, July 1997