Week in Review: Renewed call for Medicare dental benefits | Nanoparticle biofilm disruption | Caries detection methods

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

Multiple health advocacy organizations and the American Dental Hygienists' Association are calling for the U.S. government to add dental benefits to Medicare. The latest movement started after Oral Health America published a white paper in support of adding dental healthcare to the $700 billion program. Read more about the potential benefits and costs here.

In other news, researchers found that an iron-containing nanoparticle successfully disrupted pathogenic biofilms and prevented tooth decay without harming surrounding oral tissues or biofilms. The research may open the door for developing a precise therapeutic approach for caries. Learn more here.

Speaking of caries, what's the best way to detect and measure them? Researchers put the decayed, missing, and filled (DMF) index, International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS), and Caries Assessment Spectrum and Treatment (CAST) methods to the test. They learned that caries detection methods aren't one-size-fits-all. Read more here.

When it comes to marketing, digital and social media opportunities may be flashy, but don't forget about good, old-fashioned direct mail. Practice management consultant Sally McKenzie has five reasons why direct mail marketing might be the right strategy for your practice and why you should consider adding it to your marketing mix. Learn more here.

Finally, China has proposed imposing tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. products, including several dental products, if the U.S. government follows through on a threat to double tariffs on Chinese goods. Everything from toothpaste to dental drills are on China's current tariff list. See the dental products here.