Western Dental debuts clear aligners

Western Dental has launched its own brand of clear orthodontic aligners. ClearArc, which is only available at Western Dental, will be available in 233 offices in California in January 2020. They will be available at offices in Texas, Arizona, and Nevada in February 2020. The virtually invisible, stain-resistant aligner is reportedly available for 40% less than leading brands. Also, each patient is personally evaluated and treated by Western Dental orthodontists,

Week in Review: War of words in Wash. state | When is ideal care inappropriate? | Medicare fraud in Mass.

Dear DrBicuspid Member, Wow, did social media ever take center stage this week with some of our biggest stories. First, a dental practice in Washington state is under siege on Yelp and Facebook. Former patients and employees of a Washington dentist have lit up online review sites and social media with scathing reviews and allegations of unprofessionalism, misconduct, discrimination, questionable ethics, and mental abuse. The dentist is fighting back against

Pa. mom arrested for allowing kids’ teeth to blacken

A mother in Pennsylvania was arraigned on January 14 on felony child endangerment charges for not getting dental treatment for her two 4-year-old sons. She allegedly knew her sons needed dental surgery but didn’t take them for treatment, allowing their teeth to decay and blacken, according to news reports. Alexis Desiray Mong, 25, remains free on $5,000 unsecured bail. The York County Children, Youth & Families welfare agency is actively

Former LSU quarterback turned dentist back in the spotlight

When Louisiana State University (LSU) earned its fourth-ever NCAA Division I football national championship on Monday night with a 42-25 win over Clemson, a Colorado dentist found himself not only smiling but back in the news again. LSU’s title was the first since quarterback Matt Mauck, led the Tigers to a national championship in 2003. Mauck went on to be drafted by the Denver Broncos in the seventh round of

Elevate Oral Care, SelenBio enter distribution agreement

Elevate Oral Care and dental sealant company SelenBio have announced a distribution agreement in North America. Under the terms of the exclusive agreement, Elevate Oral Care will carry SelenBio’s DenteShield primer, surface sealant, and pit-and-fissure antimicrobial sealant products. Elevate Oral Care specializes in developing, manufacturing, and marketing preventive dental products.

Voco launches temp cement with calcium hydroxide

Voco has released its Provicol QM Plus noneugenol temporary cement with calcium hydroxide. Provicol QM Plus offers strong retention and secure adhesion for temporary restorations, according to the company. The temporary cement is formulated with calcium hydroxide and can reduce postoperative sensitivity and also has antimicrobial properties to help prevent caries. Its low film thickness helps increase ease of use and accuracy of fit for placing temporary crowns, bridges, inlays,

Dental employee accused of swapping fentanyl for saline

A dental office employee in Ohio pleaded not guilty on January 10 to felony charges of stealing and tampering with drugs. She is accused of stealing fentanyl from the oral surgery center where she worked and refilling the vials with saline, according to news reports. Brittany Roehm, who also is known as Brittany Byland, was indicted on the felony charges of theft of drugs and tampering with drugs. She is

When is ideal care inappropriate?

Yes, I did just ask that. And yes, I know, you’re either cheering because you’ve thought it and needed someone to say it, or you’re steaming mad and wondering why in the world yours truly is the clinical director of HuangshanDental.com. Either way, with 25 years of patient experiences behind me, I truly believe this is one of the more important clinical questions we can ask ourselves. Please don’t misunderstand

SmileDirectClub wins in courtroom, dental offices

SmileDirectClub is having yet another news-filled week, announcing it will begin selling its teeth-straightening products to dentists and orthodontists. Also, the company scored a legal victory with a New Jersey court finding it does not engage in the “corporate practice of dentistry.” The Nashville-based clear-aligner company will sell its products to clinicians in 2020 to put itself in direct competition with its ex-partner, Align Techology’s Invisalign. Its supply pact with

Calif. dental worker arrested for forging prescriptions

A dental employee in California was arrested for allegedly forging prescriptions for muscle relaxants for personal use, according to news reports. Kristina Vargas was arrested on December 31 for allegedly prescribing herself a muscle relaxant on 11 different occasions, starting in 2018. She was charged with obtaining a controlled substance by fraud, forgery, and commercial burglary. Police began investigating Vargas after it received a report of fraudulent prescription activity. Vargas

Week in Review: Dental assistant sues | Issues with opioid mishandling | The importance of training

Dear DrBicuspid Member, Having lectured to dental assistants for the last 15 years, I have heard plenty of horror stories when it comes to the relationship between the dentist and assistant. Once again this week, I was reminded just how quickly that relationship can sour. An Illinois dental assistant is suing her former boss and his dental practice, claiming she was subjected to racial jokes and was fired after refusing

Want to improve sleep apnea? Trimming tongue fat may help

Reducing fat tongue may help improve obstructive sleep apnea symptoms, according to a new study published January 10 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure the effect of weight loss on the upper airway in obese patients, showing that a reduction in tongue fat lessened the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) symptoms. “Tongue fat is decreased with weight