Week in Review: Restorations & lasers | Kids' tooth decay | New law adds oral health funding

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

If you've added a laser to your practice's armamentarium, you may be looking for new ways to incorporate it into patient treatment. Dr. Joshua Weintraub offers one such treatment example in his case report of a 67-year-old man found to have recurrent subgingival decay under an old composite restoration. Dr. Weintraub describes performing a gingivectomy and restoring the tooth using a laser for treatment.

It's a question dentists and hygienists hear every day whether they are in the office or not: Why do our kids have so much tooth decay? Periodontist Dr. Alvin Danenberg writes that the roots of the issue are nutrition and activity.

The Action for Dental Health Act became law on December 11, 2018, after stalling for more than 18 months in the U.S. Congress. The law funds oral health promotion and disease prevention program and also aims to increase access to care in underserved communities. It is cited by both the ADA and Oral Health America as a victory for dentistry and public health.

Let's not let the perfect become the enemy of the good when it comes to this new law, which might help increase access to oral healthcare in the U.S. There are issues with the law, starting with the funding levels, but, in this age of rancor, the fact that a divided U.S. political system came together to support oral healthcare is a step in the right direction.

Finally, this week, if your practice is at or near the point where you are considering adding an associate, Cindy Bickers of Henry Schein Nationwide Dental Opportunities has some practical advice. She details the thought process and details to review before taking this step.