FTC weighs in on Ky. denturists bill

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has commented on proposed legislation in Kentucky that would license and regulate denturists in the state. Denturists are trained to make and fit removable partial and full dentures. Currently, Kentuckians who need dentures must obtain them through a dentist. FTC staff submitted a comment on the competitive implications of the proposed bill (HB 77) and recommends that the Kentucky Legislature consider the “potential benefits of

OrthoAccel to offer free webinar on digital technologies

OrthoAccel Technologies is offering a complimentary webinar on how digital technologies are changing orthodontic treatment on Friday, April 15, presented by Edward Y. Lin, DDS. Titled “Racing into the future: How new technologies are changing the way we treat patients every day,” the webinar is open to orthodontists, treatment coordinators, clinical assistants, and practice staff, according to the company. “The goal of the webinar is to share information with orthodontists

AAE releases 2 new patient videos

The American Association of Endodontists (AAE) has released two new videos for patients to mark Root Canal Awareness Week, March 27 through April 2. The stated purpose of the videos is “to get patients up-to-speed on the realities of modern root canal treatment,” according to the AAE. “It’s time that patients realize the once-dreaded root canal has come a long way,” stated AAE President Terryl Propper, DDS, in a press

Week in Review: Laffer on DSOs; SCOTUS declines Conn. case; Burris on CE meetings

Dear DrBicuspid Member, One of the most decorated and thoughtful economists of the last 50 years, Arthur Laffer, PhD, writes about children’s dental health and dental service organizations (DSOs) offering economies of scale to create a free-market solution to address the pediatric dental care gap. A Connecticut law restricting nondentists from shining light-emitting diode teeth-whitening lights on customers’ teeth survived a challenge after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review

How to Plan Your Ideal Dental Vacation

Dental tourism isn’t only an opportunity to get a brand new smile, but the chance to have a wonderful time. Once you’ve decided to travel to get dental treatments, the least you can do is to enjoy your trip; to have a dental vacation. Anyway, if you are a Dental Tourist, there are things you need to know before hitting the road or boarding a plane. We want you to

Conn. teeth-whitening law survives Supreme Court challenge

A Connecticut law restricting nondentists from shining light-emitting diode (LED) teeth-whitening lights on customers’ teeth survived a challenge after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the case. The February 29 ruling leaves in place a 2015 appellate court decision that upheld the policy of the Connecticut State Dental Commission and threatens teeth-whitening entrepreneurs with fines and jail time if they position low-powered LED teeth-whitening lights in front of their

AADR 2016: Canary System can detect dental erosion

Quantum Dental Technologies’ Canary System can detect dental erosion, according to an independent study presented at the recent 2016 American Association of Dental Research (AADR) meeting in Los Angeles. There is a significant relationship between surface tooth loss and an increase in the system’s Canary number, according to researchers from the University of Colorado, Denver School of Dental Medicine. They studied whether the Canary System can be used to track

Liberty Dental launches fluoride varnish program for physicians

Liberty Dental Plan has launched a program with the goal of increasing the number of children who receive fluoride varnish. Working with the Center for Oral Health, the program will train physicians to apply the varnish, according to the company. The first training took place on March 22 in Sacramento, CA. The goal is to treat between 1,000 and 2,000 children the first year. “Oral health is a vital part

Case report: Matching the single central

One of the procedures that dentists dread the most is matching the single central with an indirect restoration such as a veneer or crown. There are several challenges in doing this. Not only do you have to nail the shape and form, but also the shade and characterization of the adjacent central. It only becomes more challenging if the dentist chooses to fabricate the restoration chairside with CAD/CAM. Case report

Chewing sugar-free gum could save NHS millions

A recent economic analysis found chewing sugar-free gum may be able to save the U.K.’s National Health Service (NHS) millions. The analysis showed that if 12-year-olds in England chewed more gum, the NHS could save up to 8.2 million pounds ($11.6 million) per year. Researchers from the York Health Economic Consortium and Plymouth University Peninsula School of Dentistry in the U.K. teamed up to study the economic benefits of adolescents chewing more

Henry Schein partners with J. Morita to expand in Japan

Henry Schein has entered into a “definitive transaction” with dental equipment and supply company J. Morita to expand the company’s presence in Japan. Henry Schein did not disclose the financial terms of the transaction, which will result in the company owning a 50% interest in One Piece, a subsidiary of J. Morita. One Piece serves approximately 6,000 dental clinics and had about $125 million in aggregate sales in 2015. Japan

The death of traditional orthodontic meetings

Traditionally, we orthodontists loved to go to an exotic location with an abundance of activities and spend several days or even a week enjoying ourselves while “attending” a meeting to fulfill our continuing education (CE) requirements and catch up with classmates. The combination of a fun trip and a business meeting allowed us to have our businesses help fund the cost of our family vacation; we have all been taught