Week in Review: Dental costs to soar; veterans' dental insurance; and caries management

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

Dental care costs will soar 60% by 2025 in the U.S., according to a new report in Health Affairs. Dental experts say the cost of oral healthcare has risen sharply since 2000 and has increased at twice the rate of inflation for decades. Read Features Editor Donna Domino's report here.

A bill to provide dental insurance for U.S. military veterans has been sent to President Barack Obama for signing after being approved by Congress. It will allow veterans enrolled in a health insurance plan through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to buy dental insurance at reduced rates through MetLife or Delta Dental. Read more here.

Kids who are designated as high risk for caries according to the Caries Management by Risk Assessment (CAMBRA) approach often end up developing the disease, according to a new study. The finding shows that CAMBRA appears to be an accurate prediction model for at least some populations. Read Assistant Editor Theresa Pablos' article here.

A forensic dental report on a 14-month-old Texas toddler who died from complications of anesthesia during dental treatment questions the necessity of placing four stainless steel crowns on such a young child. Read our report here.

For all the well-meaning talk about pediatric sedation, there needs to be movement on the national and the individual level before any more children die from complications from anesthesia. Whether this is national or state legislation, or some kind of action from organized dentistry and medicine, the time for waiting has passed. What do you think? Let us know in our Forums.