Davis on scams, part 3; OIG points finger at Texas agency; triple threat to young teeth

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

In the final part of his series, Dr. Michael W. Davis details some of the ways dentists and dental offices are vulnerable to scams. This part discusses the insurance industry. Read more of his insights here.

In the latest development in the ongoing Texas Medicaid scandal, a federal report by the U.S. Office of Inspector General (OIG) has laid the responsibility for hundreds of millions of dollars spent on dental and orthodontic procedures that may have been medically unnecessary squarely on the Texas state agency that oversaw the program. Read Features Editor Donna Domino's article here.

Australian researchers are warning parents of the dangers of soft drinks, fruit juice, sports drinks, and other drinks high in acidity, which form part of a "triple threat" of permanent damage to young people's teeth, based on the findings of a tooth enamel erosion study in the Journal of Dentistry. Find out more here.

A new study has evaluated how effective surface electromyography is in diagnosing temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) with differing pathology, finding that it can help produce an accurate diagnosis that doesn't require a costly MRI exam. Read Associate Editor Rob Goszkowski's article here.

Our latest Hygiene Insider newsletter comes out tomorrow, as we feature an article about an innovative oral health program and app. Next Thursday, our Imaging and CAD/CAM Insider is released. Each newsletter contains exclusive content and insight. You can sign up for these newsletters here.