Judge upholds Small Smiles lawsuits; Iowa hygienists, assistants may get to do more

Dear DrBicuspid Member,

The dental chain Small Smiles and more than a dozen of its dentists have failed in their attempt to get a New York court to dismiss two lawsuits filed against them last year by parents of children who allegedly were mistreated at the company's clinics.

A judge denied the defendants' requests for dismissal, writing in a decision issued August 23 that Small Smiles allegedly created "a culture that put revenue generation as a top priority at the expense of quality dental treatment." Read more.

Meanwhile, in Hygiene Community news, dental assistants and hygienists in Iowa may be allowed to perform five additional functions under a proposal from the Iowa Dental Association (IDA) being considered by the state dental board. Click here to read what prompted the IDA to develop the proposal, and what new functions would be allowed if the dental board votes in favor of it.

And nearly a year after awarding 20 state organizations hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding and resources to help reverse oral health disparities in the U.S., the DentaQuest Foundation is gearing up to fund the next phase of state-based projects as part of its Oral Health 2014 Initiative. Read more in this latest Practice Management Community feature.