Week in review: Assistant sues over autoclave accident | Delta Dental mistakes | FTC ruling fallout

Dear DrBicuspid Member, It’s been a news-filled week for dental insurance companies — and it hasn’t always been the most positive kind of news. Delta Dental of California experienced a system error that resulted in the insurer mistakenly processing and paying for patients’ crown procedures — and it’s causing headaches. Read about the problems, along with some thoughts on the impact of this error, from dental insurance expert Teresa Duncan.

P&G launches Tooth Fairy in a Box

Procter & Gamble (P&G) brands Oral-B and Crest have launched Tooth Fairy in a Box, which aims to help parents turn a visit from the fantasy sprite into better brushing habits for their children. Tooth Fairy in a Box. Image courtesy of P&G. The box contains the following products that aim to help parents engage with and educate their children: Oral-B kids electric rechargeable toothbrush Kid’s Crest Strawberry Rush toothpaste

Dentist must pay $86K for giving patient ill-suited braces

A court in Ireland ordered a dentist to pay 77,750 euros (approximately $86,000 U.S.) to a woman who experienced teeth movement and years of pain and discomfort due to poor dental work, stemming from a discounted set of braces, according to news reports. Riyadh Emara, MScD, of Canal View Dental Surgery in Dublin, must pay the damages to Sarah O’Gorman who visited him in 2013 to discuss straightening her teeth.

FDA: No evidence suggesting dental amalgam unsafe

Dental amalgam is safe for patients and clinicians, said scientists from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during a public meeting on November 13 that aimed to discuss the efforts being made to evaluate dental amalgam and metal-containing implants. No new published evidence would suggest considerable amalgam-related risks for the U.S. general population or dental professionals, said Lisa Torosyan, MD, PhD, a health scientist at the FDA, during the

Gold, ivory false teeth from 1800s valued at $9K for sale

False teeth crafted of hippo or walrus ivory, set in gold, and estimated to be from the early 1800s will be up for auction in November. The teeth are valued at about $9,000, according to Hansons Auctioneers and Valuers. False teeth of hippo or walrus ivory and set in gold found in Buckinghamshire, U.K. All images courtesy of Hansons Auctioneers and Valuers. Peter Cross and Diana Wild found the teeth

A tip to improve your rubber dam dentistry

As I travel around the U.S., I’m amazed at the marked difference in rubber dam usage in dental practices. Some dentists and team members love rubber dams, while others feel very uncomfortable using them. I will admit that it took some time for me to become accustomed to using rubber dams in my practice. However, today, I can’t imagine practicing dentistry without them. In fact, I now believe that great

Chip a Tooth? What to Do…

It’s never a good feeling. You bite down on a piece of hard food and suddenly realize there’s something in your mouth that’s not food at all. It feels like a rock, like a small pebble — and you know you’ve chipped a tooth. What do you do now? Simple. Call our Cleveland dentist office in Middleburg Heights immediately. We understand the need for emergency appointments — even

Delta Dental of Calif. mistakenly pays for patients’ crowns

Delta Dental of California experienced a system error that resulted in the insurer mistakenly processing and paying for patients’ crown procedures. The error affected about 350 self-funded employer groups, according to a report by the California Dental Association. The mistake affected claims filed between October 13, 2018, and January 10, 2019, and resulted in the insurer paying for patient crowns before it was required to cover them. Delta Dental has

Pediatric dentist allegedly overused restraints, nitrous oxide

A pediatric dentist in New Hampshire is facing disciplinary action for professional misconduct for allegedly overusing physical restraints and nitrous oxide, as well as performing too much dental work during single appointments, according to a news report in the Sentinel Source. The New Hampshire Board of Dental Examiners’ disciplinary hearing against Blake Wullbrandt, DDS, began on November 8 and is expected to continue until December 2. The board will determine

Sonic the Hedgehog gets a proper smile

Paramount Pictures has released its new trailer for its upcoming movie, “Sonic the Hedgehog,” and the anthropomorphic extraterrestrial blue hedgehog has gotten a much-deserved makeover, including fewer, creepy human teeth. The movie company went back to the drawing board to redesign Sonic after fans bemoaned the nightmarish look of one of their favorite video game characters after seeing the film’s initial trailer. Fans despised Sonic’s elongated body, mouthful of human-looking

Young Innovations buys PuraGraft

Dental supply manufacturer Young Innovations has purchased biomaterial products provider PuraGraft. PuraGraft supplies biomaterial products for bone and tissue regeneration, as well as pharmaceuticals and other supplies, for the oral surgery and dental implant markets, according to Young Innovations. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Calif. passes law abolishing dental co-pays for inmates

Inmates at city and county jails in California will no longer be required to pay for dental and medical visits thanks to a new bill recently signed into law. The law, AB 45, abolishes the current $5 co-pay prisoners must pay and goes into effect in 2020. In addition to not charging inmates to see a doctor or dentist, the law signed in October by Gov. Gavin Newsom bars jails