Texas Medicaid scandal takes a toll; can DSOs ease access-to-care issues?

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

Three executives associated with Texas' Medicaid dental program have retired or quit in the wake of an ongoing scandal involving fraud and overbilling.

Now there are reports of similar abuses of the program related to hundreds of thousands of crowns placed in young children and allegations that some providers are using recruiters to illegally solicit new patients. Read more.

In a related feature, for most Americans access to quality dental care is a basic component of a thriving community. Unfortunately, that reality is a thing of the past for an increasing number of communities across the U.S. In this Second Opinion column, Dr. John Notarianni, managing clinical director at Aspen Dental in Knoxville, TN, contends that dental service organizations (DSOs) are part of the solution -- rather than, as some contend, part of the problem.

Meanwhile, patients with a history of periodontitis who develop head and neck squamous cell carcinoma are more likely to have human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive tumors, according to a new study in the Archives of Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery.

The findings could help reduce the prevalence of oral HPV infection, noted researchers from the University of New York at Buffalo.

In other clinical news, the Canary photothermal caries detection system fared well in two studies comparing it with the Diagnodent for detecting caries beneath sealants and around restorations, according to presentations last week at the International Association for Dental Research meeting in Brazil. Read more.

Finally, a company that makes flavored mouthguards for athletes of all ages has now introduced a line of flavored laminates specifically for dental offices to create custom mouthguards for their patients.