DrBicuspid.com Practice Management Insider

Dear Practice Management Insider,

Despite significant lobbying efforts by organized dentistry, a new 2.3% medical device excise tax set to take effect January 1 continues to loom over the U.S. dental industry.

Last week the Internal Revenue Service issued its final regulations regarding the tax, ignoring numerous requests during the public comment period to exempt dental products and devices from the tax. While most products made by U.S. dental labs will not be subject to the new tax, sleep apnea devices, snore guards, and the materials and components used to make many items will be. In addition, labs and dentists will likely be forced to pass on the increased cost to their customers.

Read more about the tax and the dental products it will likely affect in this latest Practice Management Insider Exclusive.

In other Practice Management Community news, the Texas Coalition of Dental Support Organizations -- which includes several large dental service organizations, including Aspen Dental, Heartland Dental Care, Pacific Dental Services, and Smile Brands -- says legislative discussions about increased oversight of their businesses could produce regulations that are unnecessary and anticompetitive. Read more.

In a related story, a new report from the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality that examined patterns in dental-related emergency room visits found that patients are more likely to be young, uninsured, and living in rural areas, confirming ongoing concerns in the profession about access to care.

Meanwhile, debate over proposed cutbacks at the ADA Library continues, with supporters calling on the dental community to voice their concerns to ADA leadership. Even ADA Executive Director Dr. Kathleen O'Loughlin has chimed in, prompting a flurry of heated comments in our Forums.

And with the proliferation of electronic health records and a growing emphasis on accountability in healthcare, a standardized system of diagnostic coding for dentistry is becoming increasingly important. Now an international work group has developed a new system they say simplifies the process and moves it one step closer to clinical reality. Read more.

But does dentistry really need two diagnostic coding schemes? Dental informatics specialist Dr. Titus Schleyer compares the pros and cons of ADA's SNODENT system with the new EZCodes system and worries that neither will produce a satisfactory result in the long term.

In other technology news, the new DEXIS go iPad app, which will officially debut next month, combines many features of the DEXIS Imaging Suite with the imaging elegance of the iPad to enhance patient communication and chairside case presentation. Read more.

Finally, don't miss Dr. Don Deems' series on the art of interviewing and hiring team members, with detailed recommendations on how to structure interviews and ask the right questions. In part I, he explored common mistakes, the importance of preinterview planning, and how to market for new applicants. In part II, he focuses on how to select the best applicant to join your team.