CareCredit named in Fla. lawsuit; what prompted propofol shortage?

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

It's been just three months after New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo began investigating 10 New York dental and medical practices for alleged predatory lending practices involving CareCredit and other health credit card providers. Now a federal lawsuit has been filed on behalf of 20 patients in Florida who say they were overcharged for procedures by a dental clinic there and that CareCredit refused to investigate their complaints. Read more.

In other news, this past year has been a challenging one for dental practitioners who regularly administer propofol. A series of factors -- including recalls, shutdowns, and a multimillion dollar lawsuit -- rendered one of the most widely used anesthetics in medicine virtually unobtainable. And there is no clear end in sight. Click here to read why in our latest Restoratives Community feature.

And an Arizona dentist will soon make his way to Washington, DC, after winning his first-ever bid for a Congressional seat. Healthcare reform will be one of his top priorities once he gets there, he said in an interview with DrBicuspid.com last week. Read more.

Finally, over on the Second Opinion page, Dr. Helaine Smith says she has grown weary of the amalgam versus composites debate and that it is time to embrace adhesive dentistry, while Dr. Sheri Doniger highlights some favorite restorative products seen at the recent ADA annual session in her latest Sheri Suggests column.