Dear DrBicuspid Member,
Perhaps it's a sign of the times, but there were more than the usual number of stories involving dentists and the law this week:
The attorney general of Massachusetts has filed a lawsuit against more than a dozen defendants -- including three dentists and their business managers -- alleging they lured hundreds of low-income and underinsured individuals into a "bait and switch" scheme at three dental clinics that left patients thousands of dollars in debt and with incomplete or shoddy treatment. Read more.
A jury sided against an Oklahoma dentist whose diabetic patient died after he extracted her abscessed tooth without prescribing antibiotics. The jury awarded the woman's husband $2.6 million but also found him partially liable. Read more.
Upset over an overdue bill, a German dentist burst into his patient's home, tied her hands, and forcibly extracted the two bridges she hadn't finished paying for. The dentist is now under investigation. Read more.
Oral cancer detection devices questioned
On the technology front, a recent Journal of the American Dental Association study concluded that clinicians should rely on oral exams and tissue biopsies because there isn't enough data to prove that adjunctive cancer detection devices are effective. But in a DrBicuspid exclusive, the manufacturers of these devices contend that the JADA study was too limited in scope.
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) can probe more deeply into tissue than x-rays and thus help pinpoint where a suspected caries lesion is taking root, but it cannot provide the biochemical information that would further enhance diagnostic specificity. Some researchers are now combining OCT with spectroscopy to overcome the limitations of OCT and other caries-detection products. Read more.
In clinical news, crown lengthening can bring a new smile to many patients' faces, according to James Kohner, D.D.S., a Scottsdale, AZ, periodontist who specializes in the procedure. But it can be tricky, too. Read Dr. Kohner's recommendations here.
Finally, don't forget to check out the News in Brief and our ever-popular Case of the Week. More news and information you can sink your teeth into!
