Dentists

A Fort Collins, Colo.-based dental office is grieving the loss of a 29-year-old dental hygienist who was buried beneath a heavy snow avalanche Dec. 8, Fox affiliate KDVR reports.

The American Dental Association Foundation granted $375,000 to a Chicago dental anesthesiology residency program that works to deliver oral care to patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The Charleston-based Medical University of South Carolina's College of Dental Medicine will be added Jan. 1 to the Blue Cross Blue Shield of SC network for South Carolina residents, The Post and Courier reports.

More than 100 dental practices have experienced disruptions in operations due to a ransomware attack at third-party vendor Complete Technology Solutions, according to KrebsOnSecurity.

An investigation by the Fresno Bee revealed some dentists are inflating bills and pressuring patients to take out high-interest credit cards to pay for care, CalMatters reports. 

The dental industry welcomed another clear aligner competitor in November, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Two industry leaders partnered to launch Clear Blue Smiles.

Indiana police have arrested a former Pawlak Orthodontics employee for allegedly stealing nearly $300,000 from the practice, according to local news station WDRB.

Mankato-based Southeastern Minnesota Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Associates is notifying 80,000 patients of a data breach that may have exposed their protected health information.

An Albuquerque, N.M., dentist facing felony charges has to turn in his license by next month, according to CBS and Fox affiliate KRQE. 

A former patient of an Anchorage, Alaska-based dentist testified Dec. 4 that the dentist extracted her tooth while on a hoverboard without her consent, according to CNN.