Dear Cosmetic Dentistry Insider,
In the latest installment of our popular Leaders in Dentistry series, we spoke with James E. Metz, DDS, an expert in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who overcame his own battle with weight and OSA nearly a decade ago.
After losing 100 pounds in 2004 and alleviating his OSA, Dr. Metz vowed to help eradicate the sleep disorder on a global scale and has since authored numerous articles and given hundreds of presentations on OSA.
In this Cosmetics Dentistry Insider Exclusive, Dr. Metz discussed dentists' role in detecting OSA, the need to collaborate with physicians, as well as some of the key challenges of treating the condition.
In other Cosmetics Community news, as part of its ongoing probe into the state Medicaid dental system, the Texas Office of Inspector General is investigating the company that processes authorization forms submitted by dentists for dental Medicaid procedures, including orthodontic treatment. Click here.
In related news, Texas has created a Medicaid dental fraud task force, and the FBI raided a Texas-based dental chain that reportedly billed Medicaid $9.6 million. Click here and here to read more.
Meanwhile, a temporary restraining order filed by the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry against a nondentist vendor providing teeth-whitening services at the Tulsa State Fair was granted by the state after investigators discovered that those providing the whitening services were not licensed to practice dentistry. Read more.
In business news, a hands-free system that combines a blue light-emitting diode device with a proprietary mouthpiece and a specially formulated gel is one of the latest additions to the booming at-home teeth-whitening market. Click here.
In a related clinical study, tooth sensitivity is one of the chief complaints from patients undergoing teeth whitening. But using a nano-hydroxyapatite paste may significantly reduce the number of days a patient will experience tooth sensitivity during active bleaching.
Finally, a recent study in the Cleft Palate -- Craniofacial Journal found that while orthodontists have the motivation to treat patients with cleft lip and palate, training and experience may be lacking.
