Melissa Busch[email protected]Regulatory UpdatesDental assistants in the U.S. face new laws, regulatory shiftsIn 2021 and 2022, several states in the U.S. and the District of Columbia enacted legislative and regulatory changes affecting dental assistants, according to the Dental Assisting National Board's "State of the States" report.October 12, 2022Oral BacteriaOral superorganisms with unique mobility may threaten teethWhen oral bacteria join forces with fungi, they form cavity-causing "superorganisms." These oral health villains show unique resilience and mobility that make them more resistant to antimicrobials and lead to more tooth decay, according to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.October 11, 2022OpioidsOral surgeons change opioid-prescribing habitsThough U.S. oral and maxillofacial surgeons decreased overall opioid prescribing by 20% between 2016 and 2019, they wrote more prescriptions for codeine and tramadol, according to a brief communication published on October 9 in the Journal of Public Health Dentistry.October 10, 2022Restorations9-year-old sets world record for 3rd-molar extractionA boy in Virginia was 9 years and 327 days old when he had a wisdom tooth extracted, making him the youngest person in the world to undergo this procedure, according to a recent story in the Guinness World Records.October 10, 2022OrthodonticsDoes childhood diet cause impacted wisdom teeth?Could a soft-food diet during childhood coupled with low levels of vitamin D be why so many people have impacted wisdom teeth? A graduate student from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada is getting to the bottom of it, according to university news.October 9, 2022EndodonticsDentist settles case involving unneeded 'baby root canals' in kidsA pediatric dentist, his dental service organization, and 13 affiliated practices will pay $753,457 to resolve allegations that dentists performed unnecessary "baby root canals" on kids and billed Medicaid for them, according to New York and U.S. authorities.October 6, 2022Dental PracticeHPI: Dentistry's economic state remains stuckSince early 2022, dentists in the U.S. have been operating with schedules that are, on average, 86% full. Late appointment cancellations plus other factors are expected to keep things that way, according to data released on October 5 from the ADA's Health Policy Institute (HPI).October 6, 2022Dental EducationWomen lag behind men in dental school faculty and payThe number of full-time female faculty has increased at dental schools in the U.S., but men still outnumber -- and outearn -- women faculty at schools, according to an article published recently in the Journal of Dental Education.October 4, 2022HomeDentist who documented secret U.S. Army germ tests diesA dentist and political scientist who chronicled a secret U.S. Army germ test program that exposed unwitting U.S. residents to bacteria and chemical agents to test their vulnerability to attacks has died, according to a story published in the New York Times.October 4, 2022Dental PracticeHygienist, assistant shortage may be on verge of crisisDentistry is facing a harrowing workforce shortage that began before the COVID-19 pandemic, and it may get worse before it gets better, according to data released on October 3 during a webinar hosted by the ADA's Health Policy Institute.October 3, 2022Previous PagePage 43 of 122Next PageTop StoriesDental EducationDental school dean resigns over antisemitic images in course workA dean of dentistry resigned following an external investigation concerning the use of antisemitic imagery in course materials.TMJ/TMDTMDs may be ruining patients’ livesRegulatory UpdatesInside the Dental Trade Alliance’s strategy for Capitol HillLegal IssuesCharges to be dismissed against ex-dental employeeOffice ManagementDr. Tom Giacobbi on rethinking your dental practice's scheduling habits
