Dental Home program in jeopardy? And, teen Botox use on the rise

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

To hear the U.S. Office of Head Start tell it, the Dental Home Initiative is nothing short of a resounding success as the program prepares to enter its fourth year. Why, then, did the agency choose not to continue its contract with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, which has managed the program since its inception? Click here to read what those close to the situation say happened in this latest Practice Management Community story.

Meanwhile, the New Jersey Dental Association is pursuing a lawsuit against a chain of tanning salons that it says is illegally offering patrons onsite teeth-whitening services. Will the Federal Trade Commission end up getting involved, as it did earlier this year in North Carolina? Read more.

In other Cosmetics Community news, Botox is increasingly being embraced by dentists seeking to help younger patients overcome gummy smiles and debilitating jaw pain and to improve orthodontic outcomes. In fact, there appear to be more pros than cons to using this neurotoxin on teens, according to some experts. Read more.

Finally, a recent broadcast on National Public Radio stirred the wrath of hundreds of dentists and prompted an angry letter from the ADA to the show's host. But does so much righteous indignation achieve the desired effect? Read Dr. Mark Bornfeld's thoughts on the topic in his Second Opinion column.