Here are 32 dentistry updates in California, Florida and Texas that have taken place so far this year:
California
1. Children’s Choice Dental Care is relocating and expanding two dental practices in California.
2. The Hands Off Kids Health coalition delivered more than 6,000 petitions urging California Governor Gavin Newsom to protect Medi-Cal dental funding.
3. Tieu Dental Corporation suffered a cybersecurity incident potentially involving patient information.
4. Phoenix-based Salt Dental Partners partnered with Berkeley & Orinda Orthodontics, which has three locations in California.
5. Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Imagen Dental Partners added Smiles on Clark in Orcutt, Calif.
6. The California Dental Association sponsored two bills aimed at dental insurance reform.
7. Houston-based Specialty1 Partners entered a new joint venture partnership with Advanced Periodontics Implant Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
8. The Dental Board of California paused its consideration of changes to orthodontic assistant training after opposition from several organizations.
9. A California retail property featuring an orthodontics office was sold to a private investor for $6.1 million.
10. Irving, Texas-based U.S. Oral Surgery Management partnered with Hidemi Oka, DMD, in Union City, Calif.
Florida
1. A Florida woman is facing several charges after allegedly operating an illegal dental clinic outside of her home.
2. Dallas-based Beacon Oral Specialists partnered with North Florida Oral & Facial Surgery, a five-location practice.
3. A bill that would authorize the creation of dental therapists in Florida was postponed by the Florida Senate.
4. A newly constructed dental office building in Ocala, Fla., was sold for more than $3 million.
5. Standard Dental Labs, a Florida-based dental laboratory consolidator, acquired BRLIT Dental Laboratory in Sarasota, Fla.
6. Chicago-based The Sonrisa Group expanded its network into Florida with an acquisition and multiple location openings.
7. A Florida woman pleaded no contest to orchestrating a $11 million dental insurance fraud scheme.
8. Effingham, Ill.-based Heartland Dental opened Lake Toho Dental Care, Dental Care at Winchester Center, Cypress Bay Dental Care, Marsh View Dental Care and Dental Care at Race Track.
Texas
1. Hulme Orthodontics merged one of its offices with Beitchman Orthodontics.
2. Ketan Sukkawala, DDS, a pediatric dentist in College Station, Texas, filed a CON application for a dental ambulatory surgery center in Hartford, Conn.
3. Dental supply company Henry Schein opened a training facility for dental-medical integration in Southlake, Texas.
4. El Paso-based Texas Tech Hunt School of Dental Medicine is launching an oral and maxillofacial surgery residency program.
5. Bridge City (Texas) Family Dentistry closed temporarily after a fire severely damaged its office.
6. A Texas man was arrested for allegedly practicing dentistry without a license.
7. Oral Surgery Associates of North Texas opened two offices in McKinney and Prosper.
8. Sacramento, Calif.-based Straine Dental Management partnered with 4405 Dental Studio in Georgetown, Texas.
9. Henderson, Nev.-based PDS Health opened Ownsby Modern Dentistry in Celina, Texas.
10. The American Association of Orthodontists recognized Larry Tadlock, DDS, with the James E. Brophy Distinguished Service Award. Dr. Tadlock is head of the Orthodontic Department and a clinical professor at the Texas A&M School of Dentistry in Dallas.
11. Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Imagen Dental Partners added Cedar Park, Texas-based Campbell Dental.
12. Grand Prairie, Texas-based Pecan Tree Dental experienced a data breach affecting 13,300 individuals.
13. Effingham, Ill.-based Heartland Dental opened Dental Care at Tehama Ridge, Dental Care at Lake Lavon, Boswell Dental Care and Dental Care of North Manor.
14. Dental benefits provider DentaQuest appointed Ronke Ogunbameru, DDS, as dental director for Texas.
