FTC delays Red Flag Rule again; is amalgam debate finally over?

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

In breaking news today, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission is once again delaying enforcement of the Red Flags Rule, this time until November 1, 2009, to give small businesses more time to come up to speed on how to comply with the new identity theft rules and determine if they even need to. Read more.

In other regulatory news, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration decided this week to classify dental amalgam as a class II device. In nearly the same breath, however, the agency is insisting that the amount of mercury in amalgam poses no health risks for any patient population -- including pregnant women, fetuses, and young children -- a reversal of its stated position just a year ago.

Where do you stand on the issue of mercury-based restorations? Join the dental amalgam discussion in our Forums by clicking here.

Also, a pair of Ohio dentists indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice on charges of tax evasion, tax fraud, and conspiracy could face up to 75 years in jail and millions of dollars in fines. Read their story here.

And over in our Imaging Community, is ultrasound superior to conventional x-rays for finding mandible defects as part of a periodontal disease diagnosis? A team of West Virginia University researchers that is developing a 3D ultrasound system for dentistry thinks so. Read more.