Dentists

A former dental office receptionist in Harrisburg, Penn., received a year and one-day prison sentence Oct. 28 for forging 164 opioid prescriptions, according to local news sourceThe Patriot-News. 

Nationally, southern states have the fewest dentists per population, while Mid-Atlantic and Pacific states have the most, according to new data from the 2018 U.S. Health report published by the CDC and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics.

A South Holland, Ill.-based dental practice received a $183,000 phone bill from AT&T for hundreds of international calls the practice claims it didn't make, according to local CBS affiliate WBBM.

A dentist in Savannah, Ga., has donated 419 custom mouthguards –– a total value of $35,615 –– to local youth sports teams, according to a post from the American Dental Association. 

In 2018, Delta Dental member companies contributed $79 million to community programs across the U.S. to improve access to oral healthcare, according to an Oct. 29 news release. 

Beginning in 2020, all dental schools will be required to teach students how to care for patients with disabilities, an initiative University of Texas Health San Antonio School of Dentistry has already started integrating into training, according to ABC affiliate…

After a dentist sued a former patient for millions of dollars in damages for defamation, the defendant said the lawsuit is an attempt to silence her constitutionally protected speech, according to legal journal Cook County Record. 

Dentists throughout Wisconsin have formed a coalition to protest a proposed rule that would require them to obtain a permit to provide moderate oral sedation.

Several bills currently sitting before the House of Representatives would allow Medicare beneficiaries to receive dental, vision and hearing coverage, according to CNBC.

A Lompoc, Calif.-based dentist’s office was broken into and set on fire in the early morning of Oct. 28, according to the Santa Maria Times.