DrBicuspid.com Practice Management Insider

Dear Practice Management Insider,

In our latest Practice Management Insider Exclusive, we talked to Michael Fitterling, DDS, whose office in Joplin, MO, was destroyed by the tornado that devastated the city last spring.

After friends and his own patients turned out to dig through the rubble to help get his office up and running again, Dr. Fitterling wanted to do something to support the community. Click here to read what famous singer responded to a simple email from the doctor's wife, and how his generous donation has touched the entire community.

In other Practice Management Community news, controversy continues over the concept of midlevel providers (aka dental therapists) and whether they would increase access to care for underserved populations. More Americans are delaying dental care due to cost, and many would accept new types of dental care providers if it would make more services available to those who cannot afford them, according to a survey by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

But the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) criticized the report, saying the questions were misleading. Click here to see what it objected to and why.

In a related story, the AGD asked a federal panel to oppose funding of a demonstration project to train "alternative dental healthcare providers." Likewise, the ADA urged lawmakers and its members to oppose funding for such programs that were created as part of the healthcare reform law. Click here to read more.

Some believe another potential solution to the access-to-care issue is more dental schools. Three Florida universities want to open new schools or expand an existing one to help ease the state's dental care crisis. Read what insiders claim is the real reason for adding more schools.

Meanwhile, Idaho has become the second U.S. state this year to be hit with reductions in reimbursement fees by Delta Dental. More than 600 dentists there will see 4% to 16% fee cuts starting this month. And the cuts will likely have much larger ramifications, according to the state dental association. here.

Dentists and their employees should take note of new tax implications and reporting requirements set to take effect in the next two years as part of the healthcare reform. Click here to find read about the new law's pros and cons, which were discussed at the recent meeting of the California Dental Association.

And if you haven't invested in digital technologies yet, you may be undervaluing your dental practice by tens of thousands of dollars, according to a session at the ADA's recent annual meeting. Read more.

Finally, scandals, lawsuits, a growing focus on commercialization and self-promotion, and dentists who prescribe excessive treatments are tarnishing the profession's image, according to an ethics presentation at the ADA's annual meeting. Click here to read what Dr. Gordon Christensen says is contributing to the decline of dentists' credibility and the growing prevalence of cheating among dental students.