On Bainbridge Island, a Crusader for Affordable Dental Implants Points Dental Tourists to the Pacific Northwest
Ultra lightweight, Zirconia-strong, affordable TruBridge™ could redirect Dental Tourism to the Pacific Northwest.
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, WA, USA, – The popular Puget Sound community of Bainbridge Island, Washington, that this Fall voted Dr. Helena Soomer Lincoln their favorite dentist, is approachable from downtown Seattle by ferry boat, not by bridge. But it’s the patent-pending dental bridge that the Estonian doctor and mother of five invented that is truly making waves here. Her innovation, known as TruBridge™, almost sounds like too good a bridge to be true.
Restoring hope as well as full-sets of teeth to those who have none and cannot wear dentures, the “teeth-only” restoration is asking Medicaid for insurance coverage following in the footsteps of the New York State Dept. of Health’s landmark agreement to cover implant-supported dental bridges.
The dental restoration is “perio-” or “socket-based” meaning it places teeth back in their original locations, with no weighty artificial gums and no invasive drilling into the jawbone under general anesthesia.
“For a great many of the 70% of senior Americans who have lost 70-100% of their teeth, dental implants are a medical necessity.”
— Dr. Helena Soomer Lincoln
Bucking the global trend known as “Dental Tourism” that has witnessed a mass migration of Americans across borders and oceans to restore or repair the teeth they have lost, TruBridge is a fraction of the cost charged by the current standard bearers including the All-on-4™ device invented in Portugal, a fraction of the $40,000 per arch ($80,000 for upper and lower) fees.
A tragic incident occurred last year when a Northwest dental patient from Chehalis, Wa., suffered a coronary and fell into a coma during a dental procedure in Costa Rica. The dollars saved for tooth replacement did not begin to offset the costs of her hospitalization, transportation, and the risk of a fatality in the dental chair.
Mr. Don Fernandez of Hat Island, WA, a short cruise from Bainbridge Island, visits Spain annually. He researched the option of obtaining dental implants in Turkey, a popular European destination for inexpensive dental care. But the facts were hard to swallow. The three visits required to fully extract his teeth, place the implants, and then allow healing time for the gum tissue to regenerate, would cost $6,000 in air fare, before covering the cost of the procedure itself which Medicare or Medicaid does not.
“There is something seriously wrong with America’s oral health care, which has been shown to be inextricably tied to general health and wellness. Should obtaining dental health care force Americans to leave the country to restore their teeth and resume a normal life?” he asks.
Even with a Spanish surname, Fernandez has little faith in Mexican border towns like Los Algodones, nicknamed “Molar City,” which hosts 350 dentists in its small downtown area. “These dental clinics are very opportunistic and with zero accountability,” he said. The Website DentalDepartures.com lists 2,194 dental clinics in 41 countries, none of which offer the TruBridge breakthrough. Bainbridge Island beckons. TruBridge maintains an apartment on Bainbridge Island for patients to stay overnight after the procedure.
Lonnie Gibbins, a Bainbridge Island chef, was elated to rediscover his taste buds after experiencing TruBridge and the TruRidge Preservation process.
TruRidge™ describes the fact that the original gumline is preserved, not reduced or removed as is the case with dentures or other implant-based prosthetics. Facial features around the cheeks and chin can sag when the ridgeline is changed.
“It’s as if my original teeth and taste buds have returned,” said the gourmet epicurean.
The use of dentures, a time-worn, outmoded substitute, can be a choking hazard and near fatal for those with insufficient bone structure, who have epilepsy or cancer, or whose mouths are simply incompatible.
“For a great many of the 70% of senior Americans who have lost 70-100% of their teeth, dental implants are a medical necessity, something that Medicaid providers across America must come to agree with New York state,” said Dr. Lincoln who has performed thousands of restorations in five countries and has multiple degrees. She is a graduate of the distinguished University of Michigan Dental School.
According to CareQuest, a national clearinghouse for information on the inequities of dental health care coverage for those most in need, lack of adequate dental insurance is a national crisis. The absence of oral health care insurance correlates with a wide range of illnesses including periodontal disease, diabetes and breast cancer. Denying natural tooth replacement coverage impacts the ability to speak and breathe as well as chew and eat normally to maintain adequate nutrition.
Dr. Lincoln has established a petition on her website to present to the Washington State Health Care Authority and make the case for restoring the smiles of the many patients she is trying to help.
