Week in Review: Dental giants sued; independent hygienists; and rubber dam use

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

Judge Brian M. Cogan probably isn't a name you would recognize, but Henry Schein, Benco, and Patterson Companies are names you do recognize.

Cogan is a U.S. judge who ruled this week that a class-action lawsuit against those three companies can proceed. While the companies defended their practices and said they would fight, and win, the lawsuit, the plaintiffs' lawyers said they looked forward to "vindicating the rights and interests of the thousands of dentists and dental labs" at trial. You can read our coverage here.

Also this week on DrBicuspid.com, an ongoing debate involves the readiness of dental hygienists to practice independently in underserved communities. As Assistant Editor Theresa Pablos reports, the authors of a new study suggest that enabling hygienists to practice preventive care without supervision from a dentist can help resolve oral health disparities. You can read more here.

During a restorative procedure, do you use a rubber dam or a cotton roll to isolate that area of the mouth you are working on? While using a rubber dam is recommended for many procedures, is there evidence to back up that recommendation? Find out here.

Finally, Mexico and the U.S. cities of Philadelphia and Berkeley, CA, have instituted a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. Maybe your area is debating such a tax? Researchers from Germany wanted to know if such a tax, at a high per beverage rate, would increase revenue and decrease caries incidence. Their results might surprise you. Learn more here.