| |
No need to scrimp on dental care
Have you ever skipped a visit to the dentist because money was tight? If so, you’re not alone. In 2008, more than a third of Americans skipped the dental chair completely, and more than half of those earned less than $2,000 a month, according to a Gallup-Healthways poll released in March.
The figures for 2009 aren’t out yet, but -- considering that unemployment increased, beleaguered employers cut expenses at the cost of such programs as dental insurance, and family budgets were squeezed even tighter -- no one is expecting any improvement.
I’m right in the middle of this particular crisis. I recently paid more than $100 for a cleaning and checkup, only to be handed an estimate that filling three small cavities would come to nearly $1,000 – and I realized there was just no way.
I also realized that those small cavities would only get bigger and eventually cost even more to fill, so I finally took a friend’s advice and looked into the Alpha Dental Plan, offered through Beta Health Association, 9725 E. Hampden Ave., 303-744-3007, www.betadental.com. This preferred provider organization (PPO) has been easing the cost of dental care for Coloradans since it was founded in Denver in 1990.
Anyone can join. Acceptance is guaranteed, regardless of age or pre-existing condition. Individual membership costs just $14.25 a month or $171 a year.
And the savings are enormous. Under the Alpha plan, my checkup and cleaning would cost $18, and filling three small cavities would set me back $40 apiece, for a total of $120. That’s $309 (counting the cost of membership) vs. $1,100.
There’s always a catch, of course, and the catch here is that you have to use one of the dentists on Alpha’s list. There are nearly 500 dentists in the network, and there’s a decent chance that your dentist is among them and never mentioned it. Any dentist who isn’t might want to join, and new members are urged to ask their dentists to consider it.
If you’re still stumped, remember, this is a local business. Call the office and ask for guidance. The guy I spoke to was very helpful.
Now, on to the sales
Little Feet children’s shoe store, 201 University Blvd., 303-388-9535, www.littlefeetandmore.com, begins its much-anticipated semi-annual clearance Saturday, Jan. 2, and the sale runs through Jan. 30. Every pair of shoes, boots and slippers in the store is either reduced by 15 percent or priced at $25. Labels in the 15 percent category include Nike, Reebok, Adidas, New Balance, Timberland, Merrell, Sorel, Kamik and Keen. The $25 clearance tables include dress shoes, fashion boots, slippers and selected athletic shoes.
Gallery NRC, 4424 Tennyson St., 303-478-7411, www.gallerynrc.com. Any purchase made during the Tennyson Street First Friday Art Walk, from 1 to 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 1, is reduced by 10 percent. NRC offers framed and mounted work, matted prints, note cards and a cross-section of urban, landscape and abstract photography from the gallery’s represented artists and the 2009 Community Show. The NRC’s annual clearance continues through January with discounts of as much as 50 percent on selected framed and matted pieces.
Birdsall & Co., 1540 S. Broadway, 303-722-2535, birdsallgarden.com. Go to the Best Colorado Deals Website, BestColoradoDeals.com, to download a coupon for 25 percent off all purchases through Thursday, Dec. 31. Ample parking behind the store.
Headlines: The Washington Park Salon, 284 S. Downing St., 303-777-9251, headlinessalon.net. Through Jan. 30, a haircut, worth $35 or more, is free to new customers who also get any color service at Headlines: The Washington Park Salon,
Old South Frame & Gallery Custom, 1588 S. Pearl St., 303-715-3828, www.oldartgallery.com. Through Jan. 15, bring a printed copy of the coupon on the BestColoradoDeals.com Web site to the gallery to purchase any custom wood frame and receive a second frame of equal or lesser value free. Mats, glass, mounting, fit and finish provided at the gallery’s standard, reasonable price.
Pome, 1071 S. Gaylord St., 303-722-2900, www.pomedenver.com, is offering a 25 percent discount on pajama sets through Dec. 31, and all holiday merchandise has been marked down.
Printed Page Bookstore, 1416 South Broadway, 303-777-7653, has extended its books for food drive through January because “the need was just too great to stop,” according to bookshop co-owner Dan Danbom. The shop will give one book for each non-perishable food item brought to the store. The more food you bring in, the more books you can take home. Printed Page will give all food donations to East Denver FISH, a small, non-profit emergency food pantry that has operated continuously in the Washington Park area since 1974.
Puttin’ on the Ritz consignment, 1446 S. Colorado Blvd., 303-759-4398, has such a deal on furs, including two Black Gama floor length coats, several mink jackets and pieces in opossum, fox, lynx , beaver and coyote, most of which are selling at about 10 percent of appraised price.
Repeat Boutique consignment, 2725 S Colorado Blvd., 303-757-0086, www.arepeatboutique.com. Owner Mary Simms has a full-to-overflowing Bargain Basement Back Room, featuring shoes, boots, purses, jeans, furs and casual and dressy clothing, including “a really excellent selection of high-end designer clothes at approximately 90 percent off original retail.”
Salon Tobie Urban Spa, 200 Quebec St., 303-366-4247, salontobie.com, is offering the following specials through Dec. 31: mini-massages, mini-manicures or mini-pedicures, two for the price of one; microdermabrasion treatment mask, usually $100, $65; deep conditioning or gloss treatment, half price with haircut or color; product purchases, 25 percent off.
Sous Le Lit Shoes and Accessories, 2340 Main St., Littleton, 303-798-0432; 6879 S. Vine St. unit 710, Streets of Southglenn, Centennial, 303-730-2741; and 1550 Platte St., Denver, 303-455-1622; has marked down selected holiday gifts by as much as 40 percent.
Twice as Haute consignment, 600 Downing St., 303-753-6003, www.twiceashaute.com. Through Friday, Jan. 1, virtually everything in the store is marked down by an additional 20 percent, including designer pieces and clearance merchandise.
Urban Roots, 1000 Acoma St., 303-893-4064, www.urbanrootsdenver.com. Through January, fresh cut and living trees, indoor foliage, bulbs, planters, plants, tools, fountains, garden decor, perennials, books, iron garden decor and many more items are reduced by as much as 40 percent.
|
|
