New online directory of dentists launched

New online directory of dentists launched

By DrBicuspid Staff

December 30, 2008 -- Prime Companies has launched what it claims to be the most comprehensive online directory to dentists: mychoicedentist.com.

The Web site will allow patients to search for dentists by location, dental specialty, insurance accepted, office hours, and other choices, though not all these options currently appear on the site, according to the company.

"We are especially proud that our service is the only site that allows you to locate the dentist that you want to find, rather than all other Web sites that provide you the dentist that they want you to use," said CEO P. Chris Theotocatos in a press release.

The company is currently telemarketing the site to dentists in Phoenix, AZ, its pilot city, according to the release.

Copyright © 2008 DrBicuspid.com

Dental office burglary captured on video

Dental office burglary captured on video

By DrBicuspid Staff

December 30, 2008 -- Do you lock your door before leaving the office? It's a good idea, but it didn't help Cala Hills Dental in Ocala, FL, on Christmas Day, when a burglar reportedly broke in by ramming the door with a car.

Here's the account, as reported by Ocala.com:

Police said a local man, Brian Gregory Walsh, 36, began his Christmas celebration by using a jack to pry open the window of a van and steal a satellite radio. Next, they said, the burglar drove his borrowed car into the glass front door of the dental office.

Unsuccessful, police said, Walsh returned 12 hours later and rammed the glass door once again, this time busting through. Once inside, the thief ripped a 27-inch flat-screen TV from the lobby wall and drove off with it. The caper was caught by surveillance cameras; you can watch it on firstcoastnews.com.

After leaving Cala Hills Dental, police said Walsh smashed the car into neighboring Ocala Eye, where he grabbed more loot, some of which he traded for drugs.

Police said they tracked Walsh down with a description of the car and found him hiding under the bed in a hotel room.

Dental workup can reverse atherosclerotic lesions

Dental workup can reverse atherosclerotic lesions

By DrBicuspid Staff

December 30, 2008 -- Researchers in Milan, Italy, have shown for the first time that treating mild to moderate gum disease in otherwise healthy volunteers improves endothelial dysfunction and significantly reduces carotid intima-media thickness (IMT).

The study, by Dr. Stefania Piconi and colleagues at Hospital Luigi Sacco, appears online in the FASEB Journal (December 12, 2008), the publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

The longitudinal study involved 35 otherwise healthy individuals (median age, 46 years) with mild to moderate periodontal disease who underwent treatment. The treatment involved basic dental hygiene, such as tartar removal and cleaning the gums.

Doppler echocardiography of the carotid artery was performed at baseline and various time points after periodontal treatment, as was evaluation of inflammatory markers involved in the atherogenic process and surrogate markers of cardiovascular risk and carotid IMT.

"Periodontal treatment resulted in a significant reduction of the total oral bacterial load that was associated with a significant amelioration of inflammation biomarkers and of adhesion and activation proteins," the researchers wrote.

"Intima-media thickness was significantly diminished after treatment," they noted. The reduction was detected in multiple sites along the carotid axis as early as six months after the patients received treatment and lasted throughout the study period.

NJ dentists lose licenses over fraud

NJ dentists lose licenses over fraud

By DrBicuspid Staff

December 30, 2008 -- The New Jersey State Board of Dentistry this month took disciplinary action against five dentists for insurance fraud and related illegal activities, according to state Attorney General Anne Milgram in a press release.

The dentists include:

• Gerald J. Whiteman, D.D.S., whose license was suspended for five years on one count of healthcare claims fraud. Dr. Whiteman was ordered to serve three years in state prison and pay $13,500 in fines and restitution to Medicaid.
• Gerald P. Hirsch, D.D.S., whose license was suspended for nine years on six counts of mail fraud (unrelated to his dental practice). Dr. Hirsch was sentenced to 97 months in prison and ordered to pay $30.9 million in restitution plus interest.
• Gary Reba, D.D.S., whose license was suspended for three years for insurance fraud.