FDA warns of handpiece burns; dental groups battle excise tax

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

Concerned about continuing reports of dental patients being seriously burned by handpieces that overheat, the FDA last week issued another safety alert to dental practitioners and handpiece manufacturers -- the second time in three years the agency has done so. Click here or visit the Restoratives Community to read what the agency recommends manufacturers and dental care providers do to reduce the risk of injury.

Over in the Practice Management Community, dental trade groups have joined forces with the Medical Device Manufacturers Association to fight a 2.3% federal excise tax being imposed on dental and medical devices starting in 2013. Click here to read what you can do to help.

Meanwhile, in Cosmetics Community news, demand for clear aligner products and services is on the rise at a time when many cosmetic procedures are experiencing a decline -- welcome news for dentists previously unable to offer orthodontic-related procedures. Read more.

And Australian researchers have a created a screening tool designed to help clinicians determine whether individuals contemplating elective cosmetic dental procedures will be satisfied with the outcomes. Read more.

Finally, did a U.S. dental school let its hygiene students and teachers perform treatments on patients they were not qualified to do and without proper supervision? Officials at the Indiana University School of Dentistry have launched an investigation to find out. Read more.