Idaho reinstates Medicaid dentists; handpiece makers talk safety

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

Good news for Medicaid patients in Idaho and the dental practitioners who care for them: Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter announced yesterday that the 200 dentists recently cut from the Idaho Smiles Medicaid network will have their contracts renewed after all. Read more.

In other news, following last month's warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that dental patients continue to be burned by electric handpieces overheating during treatment, manufacturers of these products are working to reassure customers about the safety of their products and remind them that regular maintenance is key. Read more in our latest Restoratives Community feature.

And in Cosmetics Community news, a drug marketed to grow bone in osteoporosis patients also works to heal bone wounds in patients with periodontal disease, according to a University of Michigan study published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine. Click here to read the study findings.