Dear DrBicuspid Member,
As the debate over whether midlevel providers (aka dental therapists) are an appropriate solution to the access-to-care issue in the U.S. makes its way into a growing number of state legislatures, it also remains a hot topic within the dental community.
Take the American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA) advanced dental health practitioner model, for example. While the ADHA deserves much credit for stimulating interest in dental therapists, some question whether the ADHA model is the best solution to the dental workforce shortage.
Click here to read why in this Second Opinion piece by Jay W. Friedman, DDS, MPH.
Meanwhile, treating periodontal disease in diabetic patients significantly reduced hospitalization rates and saved a major healthcare system an average of $1,814 per patient in a single year, according to a large-scale study presented at the recent American Association for Dental Research (AADR) meeting.
And while researchers have long speculated that there may be an association between edentulism and obstructive sleep apnea, a study conducted by researchers from the University of California Los Angeles and presented at the AADR meeting did not find such a link. Read more.
