“As a coalition devoted to helping Texas dentists expand access to affordable, high-quality dental care, TCDSO applauds House Public Health Chairwoman Lois Kolkhorst and Senate Health and Human Services Chairwoman Jane Nelson for their leadership and joint efforts in passing the Texas Dental Board Reform Act (HB 3201).

“We also wish to thank the Texas Legislature for its continuing commitment to improving oral health care in our state.  According to Kaiser State Health Facts, Texas ranks near the bottom of the nation in the number of dentists per capita and the number of dentists needed to meet the oral care needs of its residents.  The Texas Department of State Health Services has reported that nearly five million Texans live in a Dental Health Professional Shortage Area, and 46 Texas counties have no dentists at all.  This “Dental Divide,” as the American Dental Association has properly termed it, is being experienced all across the nation and requires targeted action that expands access to and the delivery of dental care.

“For these reasons, we applaud the Texas Legislature for setting aside proposals that would have negatively impacted dentists who utilize administrative support services and for instead overwhelmingly approving legislation reforming the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners and reinforcing the rights of parents.

“For more than 30 years, many Texas dentists have benefitted from using the administrative support services of dental support organizations (DSOs) for tasks including facility maintenance, supply procurement, and scheduling support.  By contracting with DSOs for non-clinical administrative services, these dentists expand access to dental care by devoting more of their time to the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective care to patients and less time to administrative duties.

“TCDSO members look forward to working with legislative and community leaders to improve the oral health of residents in Texas and our nation.”

HB 1480, as currently written, is a Dental “Turf Battle” Bill that pulls the wrong tooth.

It would do nothing to protect our Texas Medicaid system or taxpayers against fraud because it exempts dentists who commit fraud. Instead, it would reduce patient access to care by expanding regulation on DSO support services that enable dentists to devote more time to dental care. Texans don’t need anti-competitive regulations – they need strong Medicaid fraud safeguards, full disclosure by all dentists, a real Dental Patient Bill of Rights, and active enforcement by the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners.

The vast majority of Texans favor DSO support services and oppose expanded costly government regulation. A Baselice & Associates poll found that 70% of Texans favor DSO-supported dentistry – a 5-to-1 margin. Dentists serving communities across Texas also oppose the increased regulations and costs that would result from passage of HB 1480.

According to Kaiser State Health Facts, Texas ranks near the bottom of the nation in the number of dentists per residents and the number of dentists needed. And according to the Texas Department of State Health Services, nearly 5 million Texans – or nearly one in five Texas – live in a ‘Dental Health Shortage Area’ while 46 Texas counties have no dentists whatsoever.

HB 1480 is an exercise in excessive regulation. The bill was first described as necessary to give the Dental Board authority that it currently lacks. But correspondence revealed that the Dental Board already has extensive authority and can compel production of detailed information. In addition, HB 1480 was reportedly introduced to resolve abuses in Medicaid. But those abuses have already been fixed by Texas State Legislature and Health and Human Services Commission. Just as troubling, HB 1480 impacts businesses that had no role in Medicaid or the fraud.

As a result, this bill represents a classic regulatory over-reach, which will impact innocent Texans and increase the cost of dental care in our state.

Texas dentists have contracted with Dental Support Organizations (DSOs)for more than 30 years to provide non-clinical administrative support services – including facility maintenance, supply procurement, scheduling, accounting, and marketing – that simplify the process of running a dentist office and enable dentists to spend more time caring for their patients.

It is critical that Texas takes action to expand Texans’ access to high-quality, affordable dental care, not to impose unnecessary burdens and fees that will make it more difficult for dentists to meet the oral healthcare needs of Texans in their communities.

Below is some additional information on DSO support services:

• The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has recognized the benefits of DSO support services and warns that laws like HB 1480 would have dire implications for dentists and patients.
  • According to the FTC, “When licensed dentists contract with DSOs to provide nonclinical services to their dental practices, DSOs appear to increase efficiency and support entry by new dental practices, which may lead to lower prices, expanded access to dental services, and greater choice for dental consumers.”
  • The FTC has written that DSO restrictions would deny “consumers of dental services the benefits of competition spurred by the efficiencies that DSOs can offer, including the potential for lower prices, improved access to care, and greater choice.”

• According to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the problem of fraud in the Medicaid dental benefit has been fixed.
  • HHSC has confirmed that the Medicaid problem is resolved and that no additional legislation is needed to prevent such a situation from occurring in the future.
  • Dental services are now in full risk capitation and dental HMOs are ensuring that appropriate utilization management controls are in place.
• DSO support services provide important benefits to providers, patients and taxpayers.
  • Dr. Arthur Laffer, a key economist for the Reagan Administration, says DSO-supported dentists reduce the cost of dental care services by charging lower rates than dentists who do not use DSO support services.
  • DSOs help dentists offer a better and safer patient experience by investing in modern technology, equipment, offices and resources.

• DSOs provide important benefits to Texas residents and the Texas economy.
  • Dentists supported by Texas DSOs had more than 1.3 million patient visits last year and served patients from every county in Texas.
  • TCDSO members have generated more than 2,700 direct jobs in Texas and $140 million in annual payroll.
  • TCDSO members have invested in over $120 million in Texas to enable dentists to provide the latest technologies in modern offices.

Texas Coalition of Dental Support Organizations mission is to support dentists in the efficient delivery of affordable, high-quality dental care to millions of Texans annually. Members include Affordable Care, Aspen Dental, DentalOne Partners, Dental Group Practice Association (DGPA), Great Expressions, Heartland Dental Care, Pacific Dental Services, Inc., Smile Brands Inc. (Castle Dental and Monarch Dental) and Western Dental.

The McKinneyDentist.com team treated individuals in need of care on a first-come, first-served basis. Community members started lining up outside the dental office Friday evening to receive care.

A team of 45 volunteers and 11 dentists treated patients around the clock. Dentists provided more than $100,000 in free dental services ranging from extractions and fillings to root canals.

Read the original article here.

Dr. Marvin Berlin toldTownSquareBuzz.com that every patient in line was seen, a total of 205 residents. The services amounted to over $100,000.

One of the patients, who will remain anonymous because of confidentiality, said,

“I appreciate what McKinney Dentist did for me on Saturday because I would not have been able to afford the treatment I needed otherwise. More importantly, I’m thankful that they treated me like one of their own, and I really believe they are concerned for my well-being. I made a great decision the day I decided to walk through their doors, and I know my life and health are better because of it.”

“As always, we volunteers got way more out of this day than the patients,” said Berlin.

The entire McKinneyDentist.com team volunteered at the event, including Dr. Marvin Berlin, Dr. Matthew Markham, Dr. Jeff Lynch, Dr. Aaron Wood, Dr. Rick Coker, Dr. David Roberts, Dr. Rob Williamson, Dr. Dale Burgdorf, Dr. Christine Coke, Dr. James Bienneman and Dr. Mazin Nakleh.

Community sponsors included Heartland Dental Care, Grimes Construction, Chick fil A, Chicken Express, Jims Pizza, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Sicily’s, Costco Pharmacy.

“We know that for many people going to the dentist doesn’t rate high on the fun meter, and at times it can even be scary, so we are setting out to simply share the joy of a whole-hearted smile,” says Nannette Richardson, Vice President of Marketing for Smile Brands Inc. “Through this campaign, we are trying to connect with patients in a way that goes beyond dental visits. Once our affiliated dentists have given someone a smile that’s non-treatment related we think they will be more receptive to listening to experts share oral health advice.”

The company launched a pilot program in late 2012 where they gave away 4,500 Amazon® gift cards on Facebook. The first “Reason to Smile” was launched in January of this year, offering a giveaway of nine $100 Starbucks gift cards, three per brand, in an effort to share an after-holiday pick-me-up and give the winners a reason to smile.

To highlight February as Children’s’ Dental Health Month and to continue the campaign, Smile Brands will post a cute or humorous video of a child each day starting February 11th along with a children’s dental health tip. Pairing the funny video with the serious dental tip will brighten up the day while still sharing important information.

The company will continue to announce their “Reasons to Smile” throughout the year including teeth whitening kit giveaways, free electric toothbrushes and more.

Read the original article here.

The Payment Consolidator has been used successfully in the medical field and has been tailored for the unique needs of the dental community, and this is the first time a tool like this is being used in the dental industry, according to the organizations.

Payment Consolidator is designed to increase accounts receivable efficiency, improve cash flow, and minimize operational costs, explained Ann Smith, senior vice president for U.S. Bank Global Treasury Management.

Read the full article here.

“As a parent, our role is to teach children to make good decisions and be involved in their overall care, including taking care of their teeth,” said Dr. Sindy Goodman, National Orthodontic Director for Great Expressions Dental Centers. “Healthy kids grow into healthy adults and good habits can be formed early in life. Educating children on the importance of proper oral hygiene at a young age will help develop good habits, leading to good oral health and preventing potentially painful and expensive problems down the road.”

Read the full article here.

The Texas Coalition of Dental Support Organizations (TCDSO) – whose members provide non-clinical business support services to Texas dentists – today announced the launch of its new “Healthy Mouths, Healthy Bodies” online oral health resource center in recognition of February as National Children’s Dental Health Month. The aim of Healthy Mouths, Healthy Bodies is to help educate children, parents, policymakers and the public at large about the essential importance of good oral healthcare to overall health and wellbeing.

“Good oral healthcare is about more than a great smile – it’s about better educating our citizens about the importance of good oral health habits,” said Dr. Randy Richardson, DDS, a TCDSO-affiliated dentist who practices at Monarch Dental in Lewisville, TX. “National Children’s Dental Health Month offers us all an important opportunity to carefully examine the barriers negatively impacting good oral health care in Texas, and what we can all do to overcome it.”

Through photos, infographics and other visuals, the TCDSO oral health center shares information on topics such as good dental hygiene, healthy habits for healthy mouths, the link between oral health and overall health, and the impact of poor oral health on individuals and communities throughout Texas and across the nation.

The resource center also contains links to other state and national resources, such as the Texas Oral Health Coalition, the Texas Department of State Health Services’ Oral Health Program, and the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation.

Studies show that poor dental care and untreated oral infections affect a child’s school attendance and performance, and worsen job and economic prospects in adulthood. Lack of appropriate dental care can also lead to more serious and costly – yet fully preventable – health problems.

Even with education and awareness, many Texas families still go without the dental care they need. Five million Texans live in a Dental Health Professional Shortage area, where the number of dental care professionals falls short of the number needed to provide care for that population.

“TCDSO members and the dentists who contract with them for non-clinical support services are committed to expanding access and improving education and awareness to underserved populations statewide. We simply cannot afford to overlook dental health care as essential health care,” Dr. Richardson continued. “Working together to better educate parents, we can fundamentally improve our children’s oral health today in order to help maximize their overall health tomorrow,” he concluded.

TCDSO website visitors are encouraged to share the Healthy Mouths, Healthy Bodies resource center with their online communities. For convenience, the resource center includes step-by-step instructions for embedding the Healthy Mouths badge and direct link onto websites and blogs.

The Healthy Mouths, Healthy Bodies resource center can be found at http://tcdso.org/healthymouths.

After completing years of prerequisite learning and four years of dental school, I was thrilled by the idea of putting my education into practice by helping children and families in Pflugerville, TX. However, I will never forget the feeling of panic that hit when I fully realized the scope of costs and nonclinical responsibilities involved with opening a dental practice. And I wasn’t alone — today’s generation of dental school graduates faces a wealth of financial and logistical challenges unmet by dentists who were starting out decades ago.

Among my concerns: I faced school debt of $250,000 and was looking at start-up costs of $400,000 to open a new practice. I was going to be on my own when it came to reaching out to the community and attracting new patients, marketing my services, and handling the administrative functions of staffing and procuring new office equipment. Not to mention that with our ever-changing federal and state healthcare regulations, I was not sure how the dentistry payment system might change once I even had my start-up funding in place.

Click here to read the rest of Dr. Benjamin Poest’s article on the Dr. Bicuspid website.

Benjamin Poest, DDS, is a practicing dentist at Pflugerville Modern Dentistry in Pflugerville, TX, which works in conjunction with Pacific Dental Services.