Denti-Cal cutbacks could hurt Calif. kids; a solution for nighttime xerostomia?

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

In 2009, some 3 million adults in California lost their Medicaid dental benefits as the state struggled to close a severe budget gap.

Now many of the state's poorest children are facing potential cutbacks in Medicaid dental services as well, after the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved a proposal to reduce Medi-Cal provider reimbursements by 10% -- which could force some dentists to stop taking Medi-Cal patients. Read more.

In other Practice Management Community news, discussing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues with dental students prepares them to deal more effectively with sexual minorities as patients or employees and provide care that is sensitive to diversity, according to a study in the Journal of Dental Education.

And in Hygiene Community news, the symptoms of xerostomia are often worst while sleeping, when saliva flow is at its lowest. Not only can dry mouth disturb sleep, it can prompt an increase in bacteria that cause caries, periodontal disease, and halitosis. A new study finds that a commercial xylitol-based lozenge can help. Read more.

Finally, picture archiving and communications systems (PACS) are not as common in dentistry as they are in other medical disciplines. But a number of dental schools and academic teaching hospitals are implementing PACS as part of their efforts to go digital.

Click here to read how one school spent the last year planning, testing, and installing an enterprise-wide dental PACS and how the system is already enhancing dental research, patient care, and student training.