Dear DrBicuspid Member,
This just in from Washington, DC: In their first draft of legislation to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system, Democrats in the House of Representatives propose extending dental coverage to all children, similar to a bill proposed last week by the Senate. But the House bill leaves out the Senate's proposal for midlevel providers. Read more.
In other news, Align Technology has come under fire from some in the dental community since announcing a new policy requiring that Invisalign-certified dentists must start at least 10 Invisalign cases and complete at least 10 Invisalign continuing education courses annually. But the company says the policy is necessary to maintain brand integrity and ensure treatment outcomes. Read more.
In other news, Oregon and Ohio are the latest states to consider reducing or eliminating dental insurance for the poor; the U.S. Army is increasing its dental school benefits; and researchers have discovered a new probiotic that suppresses a periodontitis bacterium. Read these stories and more in News in Brief.
On a lighter note -- sort of -- one of the summer's hottest movies, "The Hangover," perpetuates a long tradition of cinematic dentist-bashing, presenting the profession as not quite equal to medicine. And yet, in the end, there is redemption, says Senior Editor Laird Harrison in his review.
