The DMD Check-Up: "I Did Not Shoot Myself On Purpose"

An Ohio man accidentally shot himself after he grabbed his pistol instead of his phone at a dentist appointment. That tops this week’s news in the world of dentistry. Also making the list: Hillary Clinton’s health, the unnecessary pain of switching over to electronic health records, and more.

• Man Accidentally Shoots Himself at Dentist Appointment (News 2 ABC)

This week’s dumb dental patient story: “An Ohio man is recovering after accidentally shooting himself during a dentist’s appointment. James White was under nitrous oxide when he thought he heard his phone ring, went to grab it, but accidentally grabbed his pistol and fired the weapon.”

• Dentists Using Horribly Insecure Patient Software (ZD Net)

“Advisories have been issued over three sets of software commonly used by dentists, after a security researcher found hard-coded credentials that could give an attacker full access to patient data.” According to the Carnegie Mellon University public vulnerability database, “the scale of the problem could be huge, given how many dentists' offices use the named software.”

• Most Doctors Say Clinton's Health Concerns Serious (PR Newswire)

No appointment necessary: “Concerns about Hillary Clinton's health are "serious—could be disqualifying for the position of US President,” say nearly 71% of doctors in an informal internet survey by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons.

• The New Definition of Oral Health (DrBicuspid.com)

The FDI World Dental Federation, speaking for a million dentists worldwide, has launched a new designation of oral health as an integral part of general health and well-being. The new label: “oral health will include the ability to speak, smile, smell, taste, touch, chew, and swallow, while also being able to express emotions through facial expressions with confidence and without pain.”

• Making Dental Care a Part of ACOs (Health Affairs)

Somewhat technical, but a worthwhile report about the future of dental care in America. “Dental and medical care have almost always been delivered separately and disjointedly. That division of care could now change. Provisions in the Affordable Care Act offer new opportunities to bring medical and dental care delivery closer to one another in two ways.”

• EHRs “Inflict Enormous Pain” on Doctors (STAT)

“With limited authority and the best of intentions to oversee EHR certification and adoption, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology continues to inflict enormous pain on our nation’s providers and care teams, turning caregivers into box-checkers and inadvertently limiting the private sector from innovating,” so says the CEO of athenahealth, a health care technology company.

• Michigan’s Looming Dentist Shortage (Mackinac Center)

“Michigan’s dentist population skews older than average and it may be facing a dentist shortage in the near future,” according to this report from a state think tank. One solution: “Hiring dental therapists might make it easier and less costly for dentists to expand their practices and fill shortages.”

• Fearing the Uber of Dentistry (Washington Times)

President Ronald Reagan’s favorite economist offers a spirted defense of “dental support organizations” in general and, Kool Smiles, in particular. “Let’s not permit improper interpretation of the data, fear of change and competition, and scare tactics to get in the way of effective care.

• Important Changes to British Dentistry Guidelines (Medicalxpress)

“Pressure from UK academics has helped bring about a change in advice to dentists about giving antibiotics to heart patients undergoing dental treatment. Patients at risk now have a choice and, after talking to their dentist, can make an informed decision about their treatment.”

• Tooth Enamel Fully Revealed in 3D Mapping (Medical News Today)

“Using nanoscale technology, Australian researchers have, for the first time, produced detailed 3-D maps of the composition and structure of mature human tooth enamel. The maps show the position of atoms critical to the process of tooth decay.”

• First New Texas Dental School in 50 Years (EurekAlert!)

“Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso is set to house Texas' fourth dental school, thanks to a $25 million gift from the Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Foundation. The new dental school will be the first to open in Texas in nearly 50 years, and the first-ever in West Texas, and on the USA-Mexico border.”