Dear DrBicuspid Member,
Should an orthodontist or other specialist be allowed to offer dental hygiene services at their practices?
No, according to the Arkansas State Board of Examiners. Dr. Ben Burris was called before the board last week for allegedly violating the state's Dental Practice Act by offering prophylaxes at one of his practices. But Dr. Burris contends that the service, which is performed by state-licensed hygienists on his staff, is helping to address access-to-care issues in areas where it is lacking.
Click here to read more in this latest Cosmetics Community exclusive.
Meanwhile, over in the Hygiene Community, a groundbreaking study of dental therapists in New Zealand has highlighted the crucial role they play in child protection, plus the barriers they face when seeking to report suspected cases of child abuse.
Registered dental therapists are often the most consistent healthcare practitioner New Zealand school-age children will see up to the age of 14 years, the study authors noted. Even so, the role of these practitioners in detecting child abuse and contributing to child protection has remained largely unexplored. Read more.
Finally, researchers involved in the development of the Identafi multispectral oral cancer screening device have now introduced another oral cancer screening product that uses fluorescence technology and costs less than $1,000. Read about the OralID, the company behind it, and how it works by clicking here.
