After 7 long years of persistence, it’s finally happened! Small Smiles Dental Centers are excluded from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and all Federal Health Care Programs!
On March 6, 2013 Dr. Paul Casamassimo published an article on Dr. Bicuspid - “Second Opinion: Gorillas in the dental operatory”
I know thousands of children who have seen dentists in clinics of which he was closely associated who would damn well agree! Big Ole Gorillas! Big – Mean – Nasty - Cruel - Gorillas!
The whole article was a lot of mumbo jumbo BS. Leaving the mind wondering exactly what “state” his was in. But mostly it was about “more”, as usual. “More” is always the theme.
“Medicaid expansion without reimbursement increases may simply just put more people in cars and on the phone searching for dental care.”
Well, that’s where we’ve been the last umpteen times it’s expanded, right? It should give you more PPP – Production Per Patient opportunities!
“The proposed increase in dental schools and new workforce models carry with them the specter of educational debt and the likelihood that these providers will be reluctant to serve the poor.”
More schools, more student debt, more dentists, …I can only see more whining, crying, boo hoo’ing and bellowing There aren’t enough mouths to keep dentists financially secure now, to hear many tell it. On the other hand others live quite nicely…
As it is, dentists are fighting over who can get the reimbursement for a tooth first; Medicaid or private. A virgin tooth is on the endangered species list and worth a small fortune.
That term he used, “new workforce models” was scary! Wished he had elaborated more other than just using such a catchy term.
“The dental profession may be ill-prepared to take on additional newly insured children under the ACA, not only because of the financial inadequacies in reimbursement, but because of social factors that tend to permeate many health-related behaviors, not just oral health. Repeated surveys of dentists caring for Medicaid clients include "patient characteristics" in the top three reasons provided for lack of their participation. Despite that, reimbursement for care-management costs related to oral health to agencies or providers remains spotty at best.”
Huh?
I take it when the day comes every American is on government funded healthcare we will all be seen as misfits, we will all be “the poor”. Hell, 99% are, right? We will all have those much despised “patient characteristic” he speaks about, right? Whether we actually are or not seems to not matter, as long as someone like Dr. C says it’s so, it must be true.
Does everyone hate the poor? We hear it a lot from the dental community.
“The poor are this… and the poor are that… and they break appointments… and they don’t smell good…despite hating every fiber of your being we want you guys as patients in a bad way, so come on in…new patients welcome”
Is care of the patient the real desire or the tax dollars those nasty poor people can make available?
A big ole “ATTITUDE AJUSTMENT” on the part those with DDS slapped on their last name is what I say is needed!
I guarantee you there are more teeth destroyed in this nation every day from misfit, greedy, unethical dentists, than are damaged by diet, lack of hygiene or fist fights.
I’m so sick of people like Paul Casamassimo, DDS spewing his bullshit. He has a vested monetary incentive to mouth off this crap and people just keep right on publishing it. Amazing! I’m sick of him and the elites like him saying people on public assistance are no show losers. And I’m sick of him trying to say the American taxpayer should pick up the bill for doctors who have missed appointments, or empty chairs as he puts it. Empty chairs may be a problem. Shit, don’t have 14 chairs you need to fill, Dr. Cass-ass! Think about it, you fool! BTW, are you still on the “advisory board” of that child abusing, scumbag company Small Smiles Dental?? If Cassamassimo would stop helping corporations steal Medicaid dollars to line their pockets there might be more money for us to pay for empty chairs and those missed appointments. Of course, that’s just how I see it… and I’m an idiot…so who cares what I think, right?
You're at a job interview, so smile. But if you're missing teeth, you're less likely to get hired.
Ohio's Medicaid-eligible population largely ignores dental health, dental professionals say. This means minor problems turn into big problems, which frequently end up with the dentist yanking out the problematic tooth.
For some kids a trip to the dentist can be a traumatic experience. But just imagine what it might be like strapped into a cocoon-like restraining device called a papoose board that is sometimes used to immobilize children at the dentist's office.
They're smiling today, but eight children say they were strapped into a papoose board while visiting the same dentist for routine work.
They're all patients of Dr. Edward Dove. Dr. Dove has a huge pediatric dentistry practice in Southern California and his commercials are specifically targeted to kids like a friendly Saturday cartoon show. But these kids' parents say their experience was nothing to smile about.
"He hit me on the head and said, ‘You better shut your mouth,' four-year-old Abigail Webb told INSIDE EDITION's Chief Investigative Correspondent Lisa Guerrero.
"He strapped me down on a papoose board and I started crying and he kept slapping my cheeks," said six-year-old Tyler Catalfamo, another patient of Dr. Dove.
Dr. Dove says he uses the papoose board properly, after sedating the youngsters.
When there is news about dentistry in the media, the American Dental Association issues a Red Alert.Here is the ADA Red Alert issued after the “Inside Edition” story about the use of papoose boards aired April 26,2012. And the ABC Chris Como report about Florida’s children access to dental care; It’s in a “crisis”. Link to ADA Red Alert
Inside Edition and ABC World News Media Stories
"Inside Edition" airs segment on the use of papoose boards
"Inside Edition," a nationally-syndicated newsmagazine show aired a story April 26 about dentists' use of papoose boards during dental treatment. As a result of this rather sensational segment, parents of young children under your care may ask if you use a papoose board in your practice.
I don’t know a thing about it, but thought this should be kept around for those “eat your words” moments that usually come up at a later date. lol
Yesterday the Kellogg Foundation issued a report about using mid-level providers for dental treatment and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry responded. Both are below. I’m not exactly sure what the issue is with “mid-level” providers. A whole heck of a lot of the Medicaid dentists are barely “mid-level” in training, so that can’t be the issue. (sorry, I couldn’t help myself)
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. – An extensive review of the literature documenting care provided by dental therapists and clinical outcomes worldwide indicates that they offer safe, effective dental care to children. Released today by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the study reviews more than 1,100 reports regarding dental therapists and their work in various countries. The report documents evidence that dental therapists can effectively expand access to dental care, especially for children, and that the care they provide is technically competent, safe and effective. In addition, the review also showed that the public values the role of dental therapists and there is strong patient and parental support for their work.
I’m highly suspicious about articles like the one below or the latest sedation dentistry media blitz. I have to wonder if these are meant to drive home the request the ADA and the AAPD made to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid dated July 12, 2011 where they were crying and whining about the audits being “too aggressive”. Evidently they made a home run in NY since it was recently announced NY relaxing it’s audit.
(NEW YORK) -- “It’s time for your annual X-rays.” This is what millions of Americans are told when they visit the dentist. But new research out of Yale finds dental X-rays may be linked to increased rates of brain tumors.
Meningioma is the most common type of brain tumors that originate in the brain and spinal cord, making up one third of these. People who were diagnosed with meningioma were compared with healthy individuals. They were asked how often they had the most common type of dental X-ray, called a bitewing, which involves placing an X-ray film between the teeth and shooting the film from outside of your cheek. In those who reported having this type of X-ray once a year or more the risk for meningioma was 1.4-1.9 times increased depending on their age.
Another type of dental X-ray, called the Panorex, that rotates around your head taking a picture of all of your teeth from outside your mouth was associated with an almost five-fold increase in rates of meningioma when the X-ray was performed before age 10. For those older than 10 there was a 2.7 to 3 fold increased risk when this X-ray was performed once a year or more.
Current recommendations by the American Dental Association do admit that there is little use for dental X-rays in healthy people without any symptoms, but still recommends X-rays of healthy children be taken every 1-2 years and every 2-3 years for healthy adults. The authors think these guidelines may need to be reevaluated in the wake of their findings.
Reactions to the study have been mixed. For critics, the design of the study has some serious flaws. The main weakness is the failure of the researchers to obtain any of the patient’s dental records to verify that the number of X-rays they reported having was true, says Dr. Richard Besser, ABC News' chief health and medical editor.
“People with cancer are more likely to remember having dental X-rays,” explains Besser. “They are searching for some cause of their cancer and may incorrectly attribute it to any number of factors.” Dr. Besser also points out that the study failed to find any connection between having braces and risk for meningioma. “When you have braces you remember that clearly, and people who have braces on average undergo more x-rays than people without braces,” says Besser.
Dr. Alan G. Lurie, a Ph.D. radiation biologist who specializes in cancer induction and is president of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, agrees with Dr. Besser that the study has a serious flaw.
“They’re asking people to remember (in some cases) a couple of radiographs they had 30 years earlier when they were kids. They’re not going to be able to tell you what kind of X-ray machine was used…what kind of film, were there any retakes?" Lurie says.
Other doctors see this as a strong study and think that it raises valid concerns. “The current study is well-done and confirms that even in the ‘modern era’ radiation exposure from repeated dental X-rays conveys an increased risk of these tumors,” says Dr. David Schiff of the Neuro-Oncology Center at the University of Virginia.
Overall, doctors are not surprised that dental X-rays could cause this type of tumor because the type of radiation that X-rays give off is known to be associated with brain tumors. “Ionizing radiation is the only well-accepted environmental risk factor for development of meningiomas," says Dr. Schiff.
However they warn that this study cannot prove that dental X-rays cause brain tumors. It can only reveal a possible association between dental X-rays and tumors.
Still, there are some important things people can do to minimize their exposure to dental X-rays. For example, patients can ask their doctors whether X-rays are completely necessary, or how much radiation will be delivered by the various options available.
“All health professionals should be thinking that for our patients, each exposure must be beneficial and we should be of a mindset to do the fewest exposures possible to obtain needed diagnostic information," explains Paul Casamassimo DDS, professor and chair of pediatric dentistry at the Ohio State University College of Dentistry and chief of dentistry at Nationwide Children's.
Overall, experts hope that as a result of this study the public gains new awareness of a potential risk and will take their concerns to their dentist.
Dr. Paul Casamassimo is on the Advisory board of one of the nations worst offenders- Small Smiles Dental Centers, owned and operated by the bankrupt Church Street Health Management. Dr. Casamassimo should heed his own warnings!
He should be asking his colleague, Dr. Steven Adair about the unnecessary x-rays taken at the Small Smiles Dental centers, and the fraud involved in said unnecessary x-rays, especially at the Denver dental centers with Dr. Minh Tia and his office manager! I believe that amounted to some $200k between June 2010 and June 2011! Just saying….
In an article about “Dental Therapist” dated April 10, 2012, it mentions Dr. Paul Casamassimo is the AAPD Pediatric Oral Health Research and Policy Center Director.
Academy of General Dentistry Responds to Dental X-Ray Warning: Thursday April 12, 2012
CHICAGO, April 12, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Tuesday, April 10, 2012, in the journal Cancer, the American Cancer Society published an article entitled "Dental X-Rays and Risk of Meningioma," which summarized a study that sought to develop a correlation between dental radiographs and brain cancer.
According to the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), a professional association of more than 37,000 general dentists dedicated to providing quality dental care and oral health information to the public, the study's findings are not applicable to modern dentistry because the study was based upon an examination of outdated radiographic techniques, which produced considerably more radiation than patients would be exposed to today.
"Modern radiographic techniques and equipment provide the narrowest beam and shortest exposure, thereby limiting the area and time of exposure and reducing any possible risks while providing the highest level of diagnostic benefits," said AGD President Howard Gamble, DMD, FAGD. "Today, patient safety is always maintained with the recommended use of thyroid collars and aprons."
The article from the American Cancer Society, which received attention from many reputable news outlets, could cause the public to decide to limit or even refuse X-rays in an effort to keep their families safe.
"It is regrettable to think that an article based on outdated technology could scare the public and cause them to avoid needed treatment," said Dr. Gamble. "With the radiography techniques in use today, the amount of radiation exposure is reduced and more controlled than it was in years past."
The AGD supports radiographic guidelines provided by the American Dental Association (ADA) and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, and concurs with the ADA that dentists should order dental radiographs for patients only when necessary for diagnosis and treatment.
The AGD encourages patients to discuss their concerns with their dentists in order to determine what's best for them. The AGD also encourages dentists to communicate with their patients and address any unexpressed concerns of radiographic risks in order to reduce fear and promote a better understanding of the benefits and the risks associated with the specific needs of each patient.
"Neglecting one's oral health has serious oral and systemic risks," said Dr. Gamble. "Radiographs play an important role in improving the oral health of the public, and patients should not be deterred from seeking oral health care due to misperceptions from this study."
The Cancer study contained many inconsistencies and possibilities for error, including the fact that its findings were based upon a population-based case-control study. This means that it relied upon the patients themselves to recall and self-report past events, many of which were from decades earlier.
The AGD supports ongoing scientific research on any correlations between dental radiographs and incidents of disease in an effort to provide the most accurate information to the public and to correct any misperceptions created by the Cancer study.
About the Academy of General Dentistry The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) is a professional association of more than 37,000 general dentists dedicated to providing quality dental care and oral health education to the public. AGD members stay up-to-date in their profession through a commitment to continuing education. Founded in 1952, the AGD is the second largest dental association in the United States, and it is the only association that exclusively represents the needs and interests of general dentists. A general dentist is the primary care provider for patients of all ages and is responsible for the diagnosis, treatment, management, and overall coordination of services related to patients' oral health needs. For more information about the AGD, visit www.agd.org.
SOURCE Academy of General Dentistry
All I have to say here is that the AGD or any other of the D’s are not to quick to come out against reports that are loaded to the brim with “old” and “outdated” studies if it could possibly generate revenue.
We hear a lot about the “revolving” door in Washington, but seldom does anyone talk about the revolving door within agencies and professional organizations. The same organizations that write the rules, regulations, tests, and guidelines that effect each of us in a more personal way. The same organizations that states and lawmakers trust to protect the public from harm. Chances of corruption are 100% when there are no checks and balances.
Their Publications and Studies
Looking are various websites including the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), you find publication after publication, study after study, dating as far back as the early 1990’s to the present. Just about all of them are, rewritten and republished studies that are merely mashups of their own previous written articles and studies.
Referenced: Casamassimo PS. The great educational experiment: has it worked? Spec Care Dentist 1983;3:103-6.
Seale NS, Casamassimo PS. Access to dental care for children: profiling the general practitioner who treats young and low-income children. J Am Dent Assoc 2003;134:1630-40.
If you get to looking at all the professional opinions, publications, studies, and continuing education courses concerning pediatric dentistry, the same names are there over and over.
For some kids a trip to the dentist can be a traumatic experience. But just imagine what it might be like strapped into a cocoon-like restraining device called a papoose board that is sometimes used to immobilize children at the dentist's office.
Dove.
Current recommendations by the American Dental Association do admit that there is little use for dental X-rays in healthy people without any symptoms, but still recommends X-rays of healthy children be taken every 1-2 years and every 2-3 years for healthy adults. The authors think these guidelines may need to be reevaluated in the wake of their findings.