Dear DrBicuspid Member,
Just three weeks after the release of a favorable report regarding the impact of the dental health aide therapist (DHAT) program in Alaska, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation -- which helped fund that report -- announced that it will spend $16 million to support the development of similar programs in five U.S. states. What will be organized dentistry's response? Read more in our latest Practice Management Community exclusive.
In other practice management news, 10 years ago Vincent Monticciolo, DDS, was a dentist in Michigan who treated needy local families the day after Thanksgiving as a way to give back to the community. That simple concept has evolved into Dentistry From the Heart, a charity that helps dentists in 48 states and Canada host free clinics -- and bolster their business in the process. Read more.
And a federal court judge in California has ruled that credentials issued to dentists by the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) are bona fide and legitimate, and state laws that prohibit or restrict advertising them to the public are unconstitutional. Click here to read the AAID's response.
In clinical news, a new study in the Journal of the American Dental Association found that while many dentists say they are interested in helping patients with serious weight issues, they are also afraid of offending them and appearing judgmental. Should obesity counseling be added to the growing list of nondental-specific tasks dentists are being asked to take on?
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