New Windsor Dentist-Dr. Philip Uffer

09/28/2025

It has been a bit since I have posted anything. I thought I would update a pleasant surprise about most Cigna Plans(goverment and board of ed in particular). As of 2025 (and hopefully moving forward), they seem to be covering services at a very high level!
Patients are coming in for the preventive care and the full amount is covered even though we are out of network.
Even other procedures like fillings are being covered at very high levels (deductibles and percentages similar to in network status)
If you have Cigna and would like to see us, we can give you more details about covereage

03/24/2025

I have mixed feelings about this situation.
On the one hand, my son was able to pull a car up on some rhino ramps without any effort (not something that should be easy for a new driver)..on the other hand, he wasn't interested in learning how to change the oil (he figures it is easier to pay someone else to do it.....which will likely be his sister!!
My daughter changed the oil (ok...she needed a bit of help breaking the oil pan nut loose.... l admit that I struggled a bit to get it loose too)...but she did everything else---including replacing the filter!

11/29/2024

It's been a while since I posted something. I will ramble about AI a bit. I believe there may be a positive benefit in communication. When a person talks to a chatbot, they need to be very specific about what they are looking for. (You wouldn't just tell it to write a document....you would tell it how many words, the key words, and many more details)
Maybe this will also carry over to human interactions. Imagine being able to communicate *exactly* what you are looking for (rather than causing the other person or business to make assumptions that may be inaccurate)
I also hope that AI doesn't "dumb us down" by thinking for us (how many of your contacts in your phone can you actually dial the number---probably only a handful?)

07/22/2024

Please realize that I may not respond to friend requests too quickly as I am not on social media as often as others may be. It doesn't mean I don't want new friends 😃
And yes, I know that picture is older since my kids are now teenagers....but I like it and I think it will stay here a bit longer

07/14/2024

It has been so hot that I think I saw the devil booking a flight for a cooler climate ;) I am grateful to work in the AC and have great respect and sympathy for those that have to work out in these elements!

08/15/2023

It was recommended that maybe I actually speak of things dental on my dental page 😃
Not a bad idea....so the topic today will be ......water flossers
Water flossers are like little pressure washers for your mouth. A popular brand is Waterpik (which is what lots of people call them...and I am guilty of that too)
Water flossers are very good at cleaning between your teeth (ADA had an article that says they are even better than flossing)
The main things to look for:
1) Ability to regulate the pressure of the water (Not just off and on setting). (The more control you have, the better)
2) Size of the reservoir
3) Number of tips (and types of tips)

I will follow up with recommendations on how to use them

02/28/2023

call me crazy....I actually like the fact that mother-nature seems to be going through "the change"---in this case(winter to spring)
one day is cold, the next day is warm, one day sun, the next freezing rain...If you don't like the weather, wait a day 😀
Or....maybe she needs something to stabilize her mood swings

02/23/2023

With all this talk about AI (artificial intelligence), it got me thinking(yep...duck for cover ;)
If you consider what the word "artificial" means....fake or not genuine....then this would be a good discriptor of this technology. It is in it's infancy because it uses existing content to piece together something "new". Very impressive, but very primitive.
The next phase will likely be something I would call "enhanced intelligence" EI. This would be a "true" intelligence in that it doesn't rely on pre-existing content and comes up with it 's own (machine learning beyond current abilities)
EI is a bit concerning because we will be much more reliant on this than our own intellect (AI is still not a substitute for our own intellect)...we still need to come up with novel solutions to a problem....EI would do that for us.
Then you get to the last stage.....SI (superior intelligence)----this would mean we can't compete with the machine learning at any level and ....well....lets hope it doesn't get to that point.
I think we are at a cross roads here.....we can use AI (and eventually EI) to help makes us better...or we will use it to think for us (and that could lead to SI).
If you don't think this is a realistic concern...how many of you can call a particular contact in your phone by actually dialing the phone number (and how many contacts can you do that for?).
I would bet most people rely on the contact list in their phones to dial the number for you.....hmmmmmmmm
Ok....have a nice day/night ;)
(this was NOT written by AI......lol)

01/24/2023

Am I getting older or has facebook changed to the point that it is not recognizable from what it was? (maybe a little of both)
Alas, the analogy of me being a toddler with a pair of scissors running down a hallway still holds true with facebook and me🙃

12/04/2022

I finally did it.....I set up a place on soundcloud for my music (my handle is "stuck in your head"
here is one example..once I learn what the heck I am doing I might be able to get a bit more sophisticated with things (sometimes I feel like a toddler running down the hall with a pair of scissors)

I did create words to this song. If there is any interest I would be happy to post them.

10/03/2022

It is amazing how some of these specialists (and even general dentists) are still booked out for 1-3 months or more. I am thankful to be busy, but we can still get most patients in within a week or two (we try to get emergencies in within 1-2 days...same day is ideal ;)
One of the benefits of being a small town dentist

07/07/2022

It's a funny thing....the most random of things can make you proud of your kids. My teenage daughter helped me change the oil on our vehicles....she even managed to loosen the oil pan nut by herself ;)
She even thought it was fun. 😄