Estela Vargas

Insurance
Recent CDT coding changes affect billing dental implant services in 2025 and beyond
From start to finish, Estela Vargas, CRDH, explains what you need to know about the insurance side of dental implants and how it can impact your practice and patients.
November 19, 2024
Estela Vargas, CRDH.
Insurance
2025 trending technologies in dentistry, Part 2: New CDT codes you need to know
Estela Vargas, CRDH, explores the new ADA Code on Dental Procedures and Nomenclature (CDT) codes being introduced in January 2025 and how to apply them to patient treatment and ensure that dental procedures are billed correctly.
November 4, 2024
Vargas Estela 400
Insurance
Understanding UCR, regular fees, and MAC when estimating dental insurance reimbursement
Ready for a lesson when it comes to dental insurance? Estela Vargas, CRDH, is here to help.
October 28, 2024
Vargas Estela 400
Practice Trends
2025 trending technologies in dentistry, Part 1: Personalized dental treatment planning, more
Pivotal trends are redefining the patient experience, many of which are available now. Estela Vargas, CRDH, reviews some of these trends.
October 17, 2024
Vargas Estela 400
Insurance
Dental insurance tip: Treatment plans for scaling and root planing should include treatment prescriptions
A new system of prescribing the proposed treatment rather than listing it on a form can remove barriers to communication with the clinical and administrative team, writes Estela Vargas, CRDH.
September 24, 2024
Estela Vargas, CRDH.
Insurance
Billing and documenting CDT codes for viral microorganism cultures
Expanding the clinical hygiene practice involves teamwork between the dentist and dental hygienist. Estela Vargas, CRDH, shares guidance and billing tips for the following Current Dental Terminology codes.
September 3, 2024
Estela Vargas, CRDH.
Insurance
Dental coding tips: Reimbursement for counseling on nutrition, tobacco use, and oral hygiene care
Implementing and billing for valuable counseling services is a common challenge for dental practices. Estela Vargas, CRDH, offers advice to help you navigate these challenges.
August 6, 2024
Estela Vargas, CRDH.
Insurance
CDT codes: What you need to know about dental material fees
When getting paid for material upgrades for restoratives, prosthodontics, fixed procedures, etc., think again before you count your gold, writes Estela Vargas, CRDH.
July 22, 2024
Estela Vargas, CRDH.
Practice Management Software
3 critical reasons why your dental practice needs EHRs to stay competitive
The shift to electronic health records (EHRs) is no longer considered a trend that will go away in time. Rather, it's a necessary move toward efficiency, improved patient care, and compliance with federal regulations, writes Estela Vargas, CRDH.
July 15, 2024
Estela Vargas, CRDH.
Insurance
Will you make the 'most wanted' list for dental insurance billing fraud?
Dental insurance fraud has severe consequences for the dentist(s) and, often, the staff who help perpetrate it. Estela Vargas, CRDH, discusses various levels of fraud and some of the tactics used.
June 24, 2024
Estela Vargas, CRDH.
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Top Stories
Gavel Money Lawsuit
Legal Issues
SmileDirectClub to pay nearly $5M to 28K customers
Nearly a year after SmileDirectClub abruptly closed its operations, ceasing any future sale of its products and ending its lifetime guarantee, the clear aligner company will shell out $4.8 million in refunds to customers.
Discipline Employee
Legal Issues
Dentist suspended for pulling implant with 'rusty' pliers
Dr. Marko Vujicic
Podcasts
Exclusive: Dr. Marko Vujicic talks dental trends, including staffing shortages, spending, more
Dentist Drill Patient Dentophobia
Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Social media may up anxiety before 3rd-molar surgery
Candid Conversations
Sponsor Content
Candid Conversations
More in Home
SmileDirectClub to pay nearly $5M to 28K customers
By Melissa Busch
Nearly a year after SmileDirectClub abruptly closed its operations, ceasing any future sale of its products and ending its lifetime guarantee, the clear aligner company will shell out $4.8 million in refunds to customers.
December 3, 2024
Gavel Money Lawsuit
Dentist suspended for pulling implant with 'rusty' pliers
By Melissa Busch
A dentist had his dental license suspended by the state dental board for allegedly using "rusty," unsterilized pliers to remove an implant from a sedated patient.
December 3, 2024
Discipline Employee
Exclusive: Dr. Marko Vujicic talks dental trends, including staffing shortages, spending, more
By Kevin Henry
Recorded live at the recent Dental Trade Alliance meeting, Dr. Marko Vujicic shares insights on dental spending trends, the importance of monitoring graduate numbers in dental hygiene programs, plus more.
December 3, 2024
Dr. Marko Vujicic
Social media may up anxiety before 3rd-molar surgery
By Ava Barros
Viewing social media content about surgical treatments before third-molar surgery may increase patients' perioperative anxiety, according to a study published in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
December 3, 2024
Dentist Drill Patient Dentophobia
Dentist cops to threatening election official
By Melissa Busch
A dentist accused of sending threatening messages to multiple victims, including an election official, has pleaded guilty.
December 2, 2024
Gavel Scale Lawsuit
Dentist sued for alleged 'aggressive' dental cleaning
By Melissa Busch
A patient has filed a lawsuit claiming that an "unusually aggressive" dental cleaning led to him spending two days in the hospital.
December 2, 2024
Lawsuit Eccolo
Factors that may affect head, neck cancer survival
By Ava Barros
Low dental health-related quality of life at the time of head and neck cancer diagnosis may be associated with worse survival outcomes. This research was published in mid-November in BMC Oral Health.
December 2, 2024
Radiation Therapy Woman Mark Kostich
Let them eat starch. It may not hurt their teeth.
By Ava Barros
Consuming starchy foods such as potatoes, tubers, roots, and refined grains may not significantly affect caries development, according to a longitudinal study recently published in the Journal of Public Health Dentistry.
December 2, 2024
Yams Steph
Do's and don'ts for understanding case acceptance
By Dr. Roger P. Levin
Overcoming patient concerns about proposed treatment isn't taught in dental school. Dr. Roger P. Levin offers tips on how to boost case acceptance and practice production.
December 2, 2024
Levin Practice Success Resized Image Only
Top 5 dental stories to digest before you gobble
By Melissa Busch
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, DrBicuspid shared its top nutrition stories.
November 27, 2024
Thanksgiving Turkey Boyhey
Innovation in dentistry: A new perspective from Sekou Andrews
By Kevin Henry
Grammy-nominated spoken word poet Sekou Andrews discusses the importance of innovation in dentistry, emphasizing that true innovation begins with self-reflection and personal growth.
November 27, 2024
Sekou Andrews
Clinical tip: Dental patient opening issues during guided implant surgery, Part 2
By Kevin Henry
Courtesy of CDOCS, Dr. Doug Smail concludes his clinical tips on how dentists can ease the dental implant process.
November 27, 2024
Smail Doug 400
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