SmileDirectClub and Western Dental are among five dental companies making headlines.
Dentists
Phoenix-based Desert Valley Dental was the target in a data breach that may have affected more than 7,500 patients, according to Arizona's Family.
In most U.S. communities, there is one dentist for about every 2,000 residents, but in El Paso, that ratio falls to one in 5,482, Rene Rosas, DDS, wrote in the El Paso Times.
A former Maplewood, Minn.-based dentist and federal prosecutors have settled a lawsuit that claimed the dentist illegally prescribed opioids to his son and an employee, according to local ABC affiliate WDIO.
Environmental influences and social determinants of health have more of an effect on whether a patient will develop cavities than genetic factors, according to a study in Pediatrics.
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SmileDirectClub has partnered with UnitedHealthcare and Aetna Dental to offer members access to SmileDirectClub's clear aligners.
CVS Health in partnership with SmileDirectClub plans to open hundreds of clear aligner therapy clinics, known as SmileShops, at its pharmacy locations.
Henderson (Ky.) Community College plans to end its dental hygiene program at the end of the school year, according to TriStateHomepage.com.
Across the country, patients with special needs and their families struggle to find dental care, as many dentists do not have the training to treat patients with autism and other conditions, according to The Washington Post.
Seven dentists making headlines: