Dentists' incomes hold mostly steady; fentanyl blamed in patient's death

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

The effects of the current recession aside, a new report from the ADA suggests that U.S. dentists enjoyed a remarkably steady uptick in income throughout much of this decade. And some experts believe this trend will return once the economy bounces back. To see which specialties have been leading the charge, click here.

In other news, the pain medication fentanyl has been under scrutiny by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration since 2005 due to the growing number of deaths related to incorrect prescriptions and patient misuse in patch form. Now, the mother of a 15-year-old autistic boy who died from wearing a fentanyl patch after routine dental surgery is suing the dentists who prescribed it and the hospital that administered it. Read more.

And selecting a dental implant platform in a tough economy can make it tempting to go with the company offering the best deal. But it can actually be more cost-effective and productive to invest in a higher-end product, contends Robert Margeas, D.D.S., an adjunct professor at the University of Iowa who has been restoring implants since 1988. Read more.

Finally, over in the Coaches Corner, Dr. Allan Stafford wonders: What does "having it all" really mean, and how can we get it?