Dear DrBicuspid Member,
Our top story of the week provided the details in a legal case involving a well-known orthodontist who pleaded guilty in connection with a public corruption scheme involving a former state senator from Arkansas.
Dr. Benjamin Burris pleaded guilty this week to conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Arkansas. The 49-year-old clinician admitted that he paid bribes to a former senator in exchange for legislation that benefited his dental clinics.
Creative surgical methods
Clinicians used a new surgical technique to remove a separated endodontic instrument stuck about 2 mm below the tip of a patient's tooth root. They performed an intentional tooth replantation along with root resection under local anesthesia to pull the broken instrument from a Japanese woman's tooth extraction socket.
Speaking of creative hacks, another team of clinicians used a piece of sterilized surgical glove to remove a damaged dental screw from a patient. The clinicians placed the glove fragment over an angled screwdriver, allowing them to remove a stripped dental screw that was used with a miniplate.
Continued conversation around Medicare
Last week, the ADA released an alert encouraging dentists to contact U.S. lawmakers and voice their opposition to adding a dental benefit to Medicare Part B. This week, in an opinion piece, Dr. Fred S. Ferguson continued the conversation regarding oral health in Medicare.
In his write-up, Ferguson argued that a value-based healthcare delivery model can actually benefit dentists, payers, and patients. The piece was drafted in response to another piece by Dr. Marc Cooper who argued that Medicare dental benefits are inevitable.
Dental Infection Control Awareness Month
Last but not least, September is Dental Infection Control Awareness Month, and the topic couldn't be more top of mind than during the COVID-19 pandemic. I sat down with Jessica Higginbotham, a board member of the Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention, who shared tips and resources for making every visit the safest dental visit.
