“Cha-may weeya ”
Medicine Talk
Siletz
Community
Health
Clinic
Tooth Talk
by Linda Kreutzer, RDH
Taking Care of Your Dentures and Partials
Everyone knows
what dentures and
partials are, but some
confusion remains as
o how to take care of
them. It’s very important to keep both
the denture and your mouth clean.
Brush the dentures and partials with
a denture brush. This is a special brush
with longer bristles to reach all of the
nooks and crannies where bacteria love
to hide. Use toothpaste, baking soda,
denture cleaner, or any pure soap.
Never use Ajax or Comet because
these products are too abrasive and
scratch dentures. Bleach is not
recommended either.
When cleaning dentures, be sure to
place a towel in the sink to avoid
breaking the denture if it should drop.
CHS Restricts Pharmacy
Annual $500 Limit for Retail Purchase
Unlimited Mail-In Distribution
Pharmacy costs reached a high in
2002 and will continue to increase
because of the rising cost of medications.
In an attempt to remain within our budget,
Contract Health Services (CHS) must
adjust the pharmacy benefits effective
Jan. 1,2003.
The Siletz Tribe contracted with
Pequot Pharmaceutical Network, a
tribally owned business, in 1996 to
provide pharmacy benefits to tribal
members nationwide. Tribal members
living outside the 11 -county service
area have a $500 pharmacy
benefit annually.
Distributing drugs from
the Pequot pharmacy in
Mashantucket, Conn., allows it to
dispense to other tribes or tribal
members at the federal supply schedule
price. This reduces the cost to CHS by
40 percent if the prescriptions are
mailed out. Restricting pharmacy to
mail out distribution will reduce costs
to the tribe.
Currently, we allow dispensing
from the retail market - Fred Meyer,
Rite Aid, and other providers in the
pharmacy business. CHS will allow
you to continue doing so, up to $500
annually, in cases of emergencies or
acute conditions. Asking your doctor to
write two prescriptions - one for now
and the other for mail-in for continued
use - will stretch your benefit amount.
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If you have private insurance that
requires a co-pay, you can pay the co-pay
and mail your receipt to CHS for
reimbursement. Continuing to use the
Chemawa, Grand Ronde, or Siletz
pharmacies reduces costs to CHS.
These clinics should be used whenever
possible and this does not count against
your $500 limit.
If you feel more comfortable
picking up your prescriptions
at the Siletz Clinic and would like
to use it for your pharmacy
needs, please call 72 hours before
pick up. Call 1-800-648-0449
or 541-444-1030. This
will allow time to fill
your prescriptions.
You can receive mail-in envelopes
and information by calling Pequot
directly at 1-888-779-6638 or contact
the CHS department or your nearest
community health advocate in the area
offices for envelopes or with any other
questions you may have.
Your Pequot cards will be adjusted
for acute and emergency use; a $500
limit will be set for retail purchase. A
review and adjustment of the limit will
be done on an annual basis.
Please use your pharmacy benefit
wisely. If you spend your limit before the
annual review is complete, you may have
no recourse but to use mail-in from Pequot
or go to an 1HS or tribal pharmacy.
January 2003
Dentures and partials are made from a
special hard plastic that can break.
Don’t forget about your mouth!
Rinse your mouth daily with either
plain warm water or a mild salt-and-
water rinse. Brush your tongue with a
regular toothbrush and toothpaste. This
keeps your mouth clean and healthy.
At night, take both dentures and
partials out! Your mouth needs some
air and the gums need a rest from the
constant pressure of the denture rubbing
on them all day. So give your mouth a
break and leave dentures out all night.
Be sure to soak both dentures and
partials in either plain water or use a
denture cleaner (Efferdent). Dentures
and partials are made
with a special ma
terial that needs to
remain moist. Don't
let them dry out.
Remember to see a dentist once a
year. It’s wrong to think that not having
teeth means that we don’t have to go to
the dentist! Dentists are specially
trained to check for early signs of mouth
cancer. Perhaps the denture or partial
will need a slight adjustment. This can
be taken care of at your annual checkup.
Seeing your dentist once a year and
keeping your denture or partial clean is
important in order to keep your mouth
healthy and your breath fresh!
Attention Siletz Tribal Members!
If you are a diagnosed diabetic, think you may be diabetic, or just feel
that you are at increased risk for becoming diabetic and you do not receive
primary care at the Siletz Clinic, you need to contact us!
Without your mailing address and telephone number, we are unable to
include you in our diabetic events and monthly mail-outs! Please call or
write us at SCHC, Attn: John Jasper or Laura Duarte, P.O. Box 320, Siletz,
OR 97380, or call us at:
541-444-9611 or 541-444-9659
Toll-free: 1-800-648-0449
Fax: 541-444-1278
CHS Will Handle
Out-of-Area Benefits
Beginning Jan. 1,2003, the Contract Health Services (CHS) Department
will begin administrating the benefits for tribal members who live out of the
11-county service area.
An individual health application is a registration requirement for each tribal
member who wishes to receive benefits. These applications are being sent to the
current address on file for those who have received services before. If you do not
receive a form, please call the CHS office to have one sent to you.
You will need to submit documentation that verifies your out-of-the-area
residence. You can submit a copy of a current utility bill or other appropriate
documents. In addition, please submit a copy of your insurance card if you
have private insurance, including Medicare or Medicaid.
Once you are registered, you will need to call the CHS office for pre
authorization to receive benefits. Your contact person is Rhonda Attridge or
Shannon Case at 1-800-628-5720. Rhonda and Shannon are available from
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays; and
from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesdays.