Dentists

Dentists made headlines in the media this week because of various alleged scandals, including illegally prescribing drugs, insurance fraud and fake credentials.

Delta Dental of Wisconsin proposed on May 8 building a $25 million corporate headquarters in Stevens Point, Wis., according to the Stevens Point Journal.

Dental hygienists in Maine and Colorado can operate independently from dentists, according to local NBC affiliate News Center Maine.

A potential like between P. gingivalis, the bacteria associated with gum disease, and Alzheimer's has periodontists on alert, according to a study published in Science Advances and cited by the American Academy of Periodontology.

Whaley Children's Center and Mott Children's Health Center, both in Flint, Mich., teamed up to open a private dental and medical center, according to local NBC affiliate WEYI.

Henry Schein reported a slight dip year over year — 0.1 percent — in dental sales, totaling $1.5 billion for the first quarter for 2019.

Five dental companies and organizations making headlines:

A pediatric dentist in Greenville, S.C., has been accused of handing out opioids and other drugs without prescriptions, according to local NBC affiliate WYFF.

A federal judge on May 2 ordered a Murfreesboro, Ten., dentist to forfeit nearly $1 million, which he collected by committing insurance fraud, according to the Daily News Journal.

A federal judge on May 2 sentenced former MetroHealth dentist Yazan Al-Madani, DDS, to 10 years and one month in prison for his role in a fraud scheme at the Cleveland-based hospital, according to clevaland.com.