Week in Review: Denti-Cal expansion woes; endless credentialing forms; no to yes

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

What will happen when about 175,000 additional children become eligible to enroll in California's troubled dental Medicaid program, Denti-Cal? Assistant Editor Theresa Pablos' series explores the origins of this enrollment expansion and a California oral health stakeholder's hopes and concerns for the evolving program. Read the first of her two-part series here.

Does it feel like the 1993 movie "Groundhog Day" when you're filling out seemingly endless payor credentialing forms? Unlike Bill Murray's character, who found a way to change his life, the repetition of filling out credentialing forms for a payor's network never seems to change. Skygen USA's Mike Lessila proposes a single solution for the issue. Read his column here.

Many initial case presentations now end with a soft "no" or a definite "maybe" from patients. This has more to do with money than anything else. Your success depends on getting to "yes" as often as possible, so realize that a single consult may be just the beginning of the presentation process, notes Dr. Roger P. Levin in his latest Practice Success tip.

One of our most popular series continues, with Dr. Anthony Ramirez sharing his expertise on implantology and imaging. He notes that while replacing a single posterior tooth with an implant may be becoming more common, it is still a procedure that needs comprehensive preoperative planning. In the latest installment of his series, he details two case reports in computer-assisted guided implantology. Read it here.

We take a moment on this Memorial Day weekend to remember that it's about more than sales at car dealerships and thank all the veterans for their service. It would also be appropriate if the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs would reconsider its stance on the need for dental care for these women and men.