Dentists

Dentists can expect Medi-Cal program changes over the next few years as a result of a new Department of Health Care Services initiative, according to the California Dental Association.

Two Kent, Wash.-based dentists were sentenced to seven days in prison and 400 hours of community service for filing false tax returns, according to Nov. 22 Department of Justice news release.

The average salary for dentists varies widely state, with a national annual average salary of $175,840 in 2018, according to Forbes. 

A Rhode Island dentist was ordered to home confinement after pleading not guilty Nov. 21 to four counts of first-degree child molestation, according to local NBC affiliate WJAR. 

Plummeting Medicaid reimbursement rates are contributing to the shortage of dental providers accepting new Medicaid patients in Iowa counties, according to ABC affiliate We Are Iowa.

The state is investigating a Spokane, Wash.-based dentist's credentials after he allegedly prescribed opioids to his sister 21 times and then took them for himself, according to The Spokesman-Review. 

Walmart Health has selected Roshan Parikh, DDS, to serve as the retail giant's head of dentistry, according to a Nov. 20 news release.

Here's the latest roundup of dental companies that have been in the headlines, including Smile Brands and SmileDirectClub.

The Delta Dental of Illinois Foundation and The Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation are donating $1.1 million to12 health clinics throughout the state to integrate medical and dental care, according to a Nov. 20 news release. 

The U.S. government approved two forensic dentistry guidelines developed by the American Dental Association Standards Committee on Dental Informatics, one of which was created in response to the 9/11 attack.