A new report issued by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reveals that a third of all children covered by Medicaid receive no dental care, and approximately 6.5 million children in Medicaid have untreated tooth decay. The GAO report, commissioned in 2007 after two young boys died from complications resulting from untreated tooth decay, estimates that in 2005, 1.1 million children between the ages of 2 and 18 in Medicaid had
Johnson & Johnson has introduced the New Reach Ultraclean Toothbrush and Floss, which provide superior plaque removal, according to the company. New Reach Ultraclean Floss has microgrooves that flex to adapt to the contours between the teeth. The toothbrush features an angled neck designed like a dental instrument, multilevel bristles, a dense cleansing tip, and an ergonomic handle. The toothbrush and floss will be available at food, drug, and mass
It’s infuriating when patients don’t pay their bills. Sometimes it’s so infuriating that you might feel like going to their homes, tying them down, and ripping out their teeth. A German dentist did just that, according to reports in European newspapers. In the town of Neu-Ulm, the unidentified dentist is under investigation for assault and theft after bursting into his patient’s home, tying her hands, and extracting the two bridges
D4D Technologies has announced that Ivoclar Vivadent’s high-strength IPS e.max CAD LT ceramic blocks are now available to fabricate chairside restorations with the E4D Dentist system. The IPS e.max CAD LT material, already available for Cerec milling, is nearly three times the strength of other millable ceramics for chairside restorative systems, according to a D4D press release. It is available in 13 shades and two block sizes (C14 and I12).
Dentists can make many patients happy by lengthening their crowns, according to James Kohner, D.D.S., a Scottsdale, AZ, periodontist who specializes in the procedure. “We can make significant changes in the way people look at themselves,” he said. “I think it can be life-altering.” “We can make significant changes in the way people look at themselves. I think it can be life-altering.” He recounted the case of a shy patient
The Millennium Research Group’s (MRG) latest Crown and Bridge Marketrack report indicates that 37% of dental CAD/CAM production was outsourced in the second quarter of 2008 — a 15% increase over 2007, according to the company. Many dental laboratories outsource CAD/CAM crown and bridge production to keep up with demand for CAD/CAM restorations, MRG noted. Outsourcing greatly decreases the capital expenditure for the necessary equipment, requiring a dental laboratory to
NEW YORK (Reuters Health), Sep 24 – Women who binge drink in the first trimester of pregnancy have an increased risk of having infants with oral clefts, according to findings published in the September 15 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology. “Some evidence exists that women who drink alcohol during pregnancy are more likely than nondrinkers to have infants with facial clefts,” Dr. Lisa A. DeRoo and colleagues write,
What qualities do you look for in a restoration? Comfort and attractiveness, of course. Biocompatibility, absolutely. But first and foremost is wear and tear. You — and your patients — want those new and improved teeth to stand the test of time. For years, developers of amalgams, composites, and ionomers have been challenged by the dental community’s call for more durable materials that would last longer and be more attractive
Dentists are setting up temporary offices in schools serving disadvantaged kids around the country, according to news reports. St. Charles Parish public elementary schools in Louisiana this week reached an agreement with ReachOut Healthcare America through which dentists from the area will do examinations, cleanings, restorations, and nonsurgical extractions on school campuses, the Times-Picayune newspaper reported. Based in Arizona, ReachOut Healthcare America specializes in bringing mobile dental and healthcare to
WASHINGTON (Reuters), Sep 24 – An estimated 6.5 million U.S. children cared for through the Medicaid public health insurance program have untreated tooth decay, according to a report released on Wednesday. Only about a third of the 20 million children covered by Medicaid had any dental care at all in the past year, according to the report from the Government Accountability Office. “Children in Medicaid remain at higher risk of
About 30% of U.S. children and adolescents were covered by government-sponsored dental insurance in 2006, up from 18% in 1996, according to a new report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Much of the increase resulted from the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, which began in 1997, and extensions of Medicaid coverage for dental services. Private dental
In testimony September 23 before the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Domestic Policy, ADA Vice President Jane Grover, D.D.S., urged Congress to pass H.R. 2472, the Essential Oral Health Care Act of 2007, to help states improve their Medicaid programs and dental coverage for low-income children, according to an ADA press release. The bill is important, she said, because it would provide enhanced federal matching
