CODA to set dental therapist standards; oolong tea fights dental caries

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

In response to a request by the University of Minnesota -- the first U.S. dental school to implement a dental therapist education program -- the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) voted August 5 to set accreditation standards for dental therapy education in the U.S.

In an alert sent out August 9, ADA officials made it clear that this doesn't mean CODA -- an agency of the ADA -- has endorsed the concept of midlevel providers. Read more.

In related Practice Management Community news, academics and public health officials joined representatives from U.S. government programs and professional dental groups in San Francisco last week to discuss the Institute of Medicine's recent access-to-care report and its implications for underserved Californians. Click here to read what some oral care experts said California should do to address its access-to-care issues.

Meanwhile, A.T. Still University's Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health believes it has a solution to the access-to-care problem: Partner with public health centers and have its students rotate through them to hone their skills and gain an appreciation for community service. Read more.

In clinical news, oolong tea may help prevent caries in humans by inhibiting dental plaque, according to a presentation at the 58th Annual ORCA (European Organization for Caries Research) Congress in Lithuania last month. Click here to read more, or visit the Restoratives Community.

Finally, DrBicuspid.com is pleased to present a new product review series, Products in Practice. Once a month we will feature reviews of products written by dental professionals who have used them in their practice. First up: a one-step self-etch adhesive system from VOCO America.