Dear DrBicuspid Member,
On May 5, U.S. President Barack Obama took the first step toward making dental benefits available to all 23 million U.S. veterans and their dependents and survivors when he signed the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act.
The bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to undertake a feasibility study on selling dental insurance to these groups, which will pave the way for a three-year pilot program that will provide diagnostic, preventive, surgical, and emergency dental services to veterans and their families. Read more.
In other news, Small Smiles, which in January settled a U.S. government lawsuit for $24 million, now faces a class-action suit on behalf of children treated at the firm's 50 clinics. The plaintiffs claim children were allegedly strapped to chairs and given pulpotomies they didn't need.
In addition, the company just lost a case in which it sought more than $150 million from former owners whom it blamed for its current problems. Click here to read what some think the future holds for this troubled dental care provider.
Over in the Cosmetics Community, good shade matching is tricky enough with porcelain, but a good shade match with composite materials can be an even bigger challenge. Now a new study has found that composite shades do not match well to the Vita shade guide tabs. Read more.
And in his latest Second Opinion column, dentist/comic Jimmy Earll offers another round of dental humor from the pages of history.
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