U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) logo (PRNewsfoto/FDA)

• On Monday, the FDA informed consumers in Treating and Dealing with ADHD about FDA-approved treatments to help reduce the symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, also known as ADHD, and improve functioning in children as young as age 6 years old.

• On Friday, the American Dental Association Science and Research Institute, the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, and the Center for Integrative Global Oral Health at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine issued a new clinical practice guideline detailing dental pain management strategies for children. The development of this guideline was funded by an FDA-provided grant. An FDA-commissioned report by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine recommended that the guideline be developed.

• On Friday, the Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration (IFSAC)—a collaboration between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)—published its upcoming priorities for calendar years 2024-2028.

About the FDA

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

As a platform with access to symposiums, networking, mentorship, and real-time collaboration for impact in various healthcare subsectors, GLDS eagerly anticipates connecting its ambassadors, corporate partners, institutional partners, academic partners, and healthcare sector members to the ADA. This collaboration will expand current standards and further their applications to the dental and healthcare sector.

About Global Leadership Dentistry & Sciences (GLDS)

The GLDS platform is designed for experts in the healthcare sector who are interested in leading and learning from other systems by intersecting with healthcare participants in geo-specific and global positions. Our members have access to symposiums, networking, mentorship, and collaboration for impact in the following healthcare sectors: interdisciplinary dental, medical, sciences, public health, private practice, academia, R&D, legislative policy, regulatory industry standards, media, consumer sector, business, and industry.

For more information, please visit https://dclaserdentist.wixsite.com/globalleadership.

For more information about Claudia C. Cotca DDS, MPH, please visit https://claudiaccotca.com.

About the American Dental Association (ADA)

“The ADA’s mission is to help dentists succeed and support the advancement of public health. We are guided by our core values, which include integrity, excellence, and a dedication to providing evidence-based insights that empower you to deliver quality oral care to all patients.

We advocate for public health by focusing on crucial issues such as access to care, the rules and regulations surrounding the practice of dentistry, and much more.”

For more information, please visit https://www.ada.org/about.

The ADA serves as your source for the latest research on oral health, along with helpful practice guidelines, data on industry trends, and a variety of practical programs that support your personal health and success.

FEATURED IMAGE CREDIT: Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.

The fiery debate lasted nearly two hours and covered the ADA’s role in advocating for MLRs, the recent article co-authored by Vujicic on value-based dentistry (VBD) in the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) (June 2023), as well as a myriad of subjects concerning the dental insurance industry. The discussion also included Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs). Dentists and viewers witnessed a welcome change from the standard fare of a panel discussion, with all voices mostly speaking in lockstep.

In fact, at times the discourse became so rousing that the moderator, Dee, injected his perspectives into the dialogue. Although on all occasions, the arguments presented remained within professional decorum, the ADA leadership was clearly unprepared for the level of fervency and frustration generated by alleged abuses by the insurance industry.

Rizkallah and Leader advocated that the ADA’s first priority should be to counter the exploitation of the public by insurance companies and MCOs. They also made a strong case that VBD is actually capitation masquerading under a new title.

Cohlmia countered that he must juggle multiple interests for different dental groups. Dental insurance matters are but a single issue. Vujicic held that VBD was the inevitable payment model for providers, either in the short term or long term. He believed that he had a responsibility to present reality.

Rizkallah came to the online symposium well-prepared with multiple graphic illustrations to help make his claims.

The American Alliance on Dental Insurance Quality presents five critical elements that dental Medicaid requires for children under 21 in all states.

1. Payments to providers must be sufficient to enlist adequate providers, such that care is equal to the general population.
2. Minimal care must include relief of pain and infection, restoration of teeth, and maintenance of dental health.
3. Render other necessary care, diagnostic services, and treatments to ameliorate or correct physical and mental illnesses, whether or not covered by a particular state’s plan.
4. Reasonable promptness of dental care is delivered.
5. Discrimination by diagnosis is not allowed. Medical (dental) assistance shall not be less in amount, duration, or scope, than any other individual served.

Obviously, most states (all?), including Rizkallah’s state of Massachusetts, are failing to meet the required federal Medicaid rules. Rizkallah tacitly but forcibly implied that the states’ failure to comply with federal Medicaid mandates was a driving force towards VBD, or capitation as he sees it. More insight on Rizkallah’s views is available in this interview conducted by Dentistry Today’s editor-in-chief, Dr. Paul Feuerstein.

Vujicic stated that there were significant differences between VBD and capitation. However, that was disputed by other panelists.

The discussion reached a particular apex of tension when Rizkallah highlighted the ADA’s participation in the April 2023 Dental Quality Alliance Conference (DQAC). Invited speakers not only included the ADA’s chief economist, Vujicic, lecturing on VBD, but also Mike Adelberg, the executive director of the National Association of Dental Plans; Mary Lee Concicella, DMD, the chief dental officer for Aetna Insurance; Julie Frantsve-Hawley, executive director for the TAG (The Aspen Group- Aspen Dental) Oral Center of Excellence; Betty Gilbert, RDH, vice president of Value-Based Care Programs at Liberty Dental; Cyrus J. Lee, DMD, executive director and CEO of Permanente Dental Associates; Daniel J. Pihlstrom, DDS, chief dental officer of Permanente Dental Associates; and Cherag Sarkari, DDS, the California dental director for Liberty Dental Plan, among others.

Meeting sponsors included Delta Dental, DentaQuest and its nonprofit affiliate CareQuest, Permanente Dentistry, Smiles to Go, LLC (an alleged faith-based dental Medicaid provider based in Mississippi and primarily focused on school programs), and the American Dental Education Association, a nonprofit.

Several presenters at the DQAC specifically focused on advocating for VBD. Representation from the insurance industry, Medicaid MCO companies, and the dental support organization (DSO) industry was well-represented in attendance.

Conspicuously absent as lecturers at the DQAC were clinical dentist speakers or small business dentists from the ADA, Academy of General Dentistry, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, Alliance of Independent Dentists, the American Association of Orthodontists, or other similar small business clinical stakeholders.

One would be hard-pressed not to respect Cohlmia and Vujicic for walking into a virtual lion’s den of wet-gloved clinicians who hold the US insurance industry in utter contempt for their perceived abuses. In historical context, earlier ADA leaders were allegedly “joined at the hip” with the insurance industry. Former ADA leaders never attended such an event as held by DIG.

In past years, ADA leadership too often admonished member dentists and their component societies that desired to bring reform to the insurance industry. Too often, apparent conflicts of interest were in play with ADA senior executives and directors. These organizational heads continually cited problematic violations of US Federal Trade Commission rules related to antitrust, which were, in fact, talking points of the insurance industry.

Today, a modernized ADA says it is willing and able to take on corporate behemoths. A revised edition of “The Antitrust Laws in Dentistry” offers “dos and don’ts.”

“We recognize that due to marketplace realities, the examples of sound ADA advocacy mentioned in this book have not yet produced all of the desired outcomes. At the very least, therefore, it is important that dentists know enough about the antitrust laws to avoid needlessly getting into harm’s way while trying to achieve their legitimate goals. Playing on an unlevel field is hard enough; trying to do so without knowing the rules of the game can make it orders of magnitude worse. So, let’s get started. The antitrust laws are sometimes called the rules of the game of competition. Let’s learn how to play!”

A common theme resonated throughout the DIG debate. All participants continually advocated for the value of ADA membership and the merit in the organization.

Consensus was repeatedly reached on the significance of open discussions to help counter declining ADA membership.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Michael W. Davis practices general dentistry in Santa Fe, NM. He also provides attorney clients with legal expert witness work and consultation.

Davis also currently chairs the Santa Fe District Dental Society Peer Review Committee.

He can be reached at MWDavisDDS@Comcast.net.

FEATURED IMAGE CREDIT: Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock.com.

Through the partnership, ADA Members will be provided with a simplified OSHA compliance management and tracking solution at a special members-only rate.

Certain hazard exposures and standards are of particular concern in the dental space. That’s why Compliancy Group created an OSHA program specifically for dental practices.

While OSHA has hundreds of standards, Compliancy Group’s OSHA product covers those for dentist offices, including:

• Bloodborne Pathogen
• Ionizing Radiation
• Respirable Crystalline Silica and Beryllium

“We worked closely with the ADA when developing our OSHA dental product to ensure the material covers hazards specific to dental. With OSHA having hundreds of standards, it can be difficult to determine which apply to your practice,” said Kelly Anne Koch, director of dental relations, Compliancy Group. “This is why we prioritized making our product as simple and easy to understand as possible.”

“We are really pleased to offer this new solution from Compliancy Group. We believe that it addresses a pain point for the ADA’s member dentists as managing the technical aspects of OSHA compliance is time-consuming and can be confusing,” stated Bill Bulman, chair of the ADA Member Advantage board of directors. “Compliancy Group has been a great company to work with, and we have received a lot of positive member feedback regarding their responsiveness and customer service.”

As an established ADA Member Advantage-endorsed solution for HIPAA, dentists have the benefit of using a single service to manage their compliance needs.

Benefits of Compliancy Group HIPAA and OSHA

Compliancy Group’s clients can manage their HIPAA and OSHA compliance and train employees from one centralized location.

• Simplified — Instructions, recommended processes, and templates.
• Automated — Training and audits that fulfill your compliance requirements.
• Guided — Get guidance and instructions on how to use the software and templated material.

Compliancy Group Dental Resources:

OSHA Tips for Dental Offices

HIPAA and OSHA Explained

About Compliancy Group

OSHA can be overwhelming when you don’t know where to start. The company provides an OSHA project plan with the materials you need to fulfill your OSHA requirements.

Get a structured plan to simplify your compliance today! 

While HIPAA and OSHA packages can be purchased separately, dentists receive additional savings when they bundle services.

Currently, Massachusetts has established an 88% MLR for medical insurance plans, but there is no MLR for dental insurance plans.

Numbers of public interest groups in a variety of states have attempted reforms to the dental insurance industry.

Most often, bills have been killed or tabled in legislative committee because of the powerful dental insurance lobby.

This particular effort initiated in Massachusetts, by the Committee on Dental Insurance Quality (CDIQ), seeks to expand patient benefits and lower costs, by going directly to voters.

Voters will decide whether or not to establish the medical loss ratio (MLR) for dental plans at 83% and require the insurer to refund any excess premium to its individuals and covered groups.

A director for CDIQ, Mouhab Z. Rizkallah, DDS, MSD in an exclusive interview for Dentistry Today emphasized the importance of circumventing the legislative process, which is too often compromised by special interest groups. He espouses taking matters directly to citizens via a ballot initiative.

“We (CDIQ) expected Massachusetts Dental Society (MDS) and American Dental Association (ADA) support. In their endorsement, they wrote “we’re also realistic that November’s ballot measure is finally a chance to achieve the necessary change.”  Their use of the word ‘finally’ is correct, because legislative MLR bills always fail, in all states, because of the powerful dental insurance lobby. Our dental MLR ballot is the first of its kind, and it bypasses the insurance lobby. We expect to win with this novel approach.”

Rizkallah added, “To understand the tangible impact of our Ballot’s 83% MLR requirement, simply look at Delta Dental of Massachusetts most recent Form 990. In just the State of Massachusetts, Delta Dental’s reporting shows they gave $383 Million in payments to corporate officers, commissions, payments to affiliates, and gifts to their mother company in a single year. We have compiled this into a table for all to see.”

***Table reprinted with permission of Committee on Dental Insurance Quality.***

“It shows Delta Dental of Massachusetts only spent only 60% on patient care, while medical insurers in this state are required to have an 88% MLR.”

“Patients should not have to fight to be healthy, and so the corporate waste will stop with our dental ballot initiative.,” added Rizkallah.

Rizkallah opined the important of this referendum will not only impact citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, but dental patients nationally.

“This November, we will advocate for patients across the state, and we will install a dental insurance MLR for first time in the entire nation. And since our ballot also requires robust revenue/ expense reporting by insurance companies, our new law will feed the other 49 states with critical insurance data, so that each state can adopt a dental MLR, and can similarly shift 23% more funds into patient care, instead of funding greedy ‘not for profit’ companies. Our Ballot will impact hundreds of millions of patients.”

Robert E. Chavez, DDS (also a member of CDIQ) offered in support of the efforts of Rizkallah, “As a past president of the Massachusetts Association of Orthodontists, I feel I can speak for dentists and specialists across the state of Massachusetts. Dr. Mouhab Rizkallah is a leader like no other I have ever seen. Despite being brutally attacked by the insurance industry for the past decade, Dr. Rizkallah has been a tireless advocate and hero to tens of thousands of needy children.”

“His work with the dental ballot now makes him a bona-fide national hero in dental patient advocacy. No one is his match.,” concluded Chavez.

MASSACHUSETTS DENTISTS ALLIANCE

In long-term support of this dental insurance reform referendum, Jill A. Tanzi, DDS a director with the Massachusetts Dentists Alliance (MDA), has an extensive history of patient advocacy. The MDA confronted proposed fee decreases by Delta Dental of Massachusetts in meetings with the Commonwealth’s Division of Insurance.

The MDA championed patient rights for securing services of out-of-network insurance dental providers. The MDA also generated a framework to help alleviate a workplace shortage of dental assistants brought on by the COVID pandemic.

Tanzi stated related to the current voter initiative, “MDA is pleased that the MDS and the ADA will be supporting the dental ballot question in Massachusetts. We need all dentists and dental organizations to support this initiative that will mandate dental plans to do more for patients.”

MASSACHUSETTS DENTAL SOCIETY 

The Massachusetts Dental Society (MDS) issued a strongly supportive statement for the November dental insurance reform referendum.

“As an advocate for both regular and affordable dental care for all Massachusetts residents, the MDS endorses the Massachusetts Medical Loss Ratios for Dental Insurance Plans Initiative and encourages Massachusetts residents to pass it in November,” said Dr. Meredith Bailey, President of the Massachusetts Dental Society. “Patient dollars should be required to be spent in support of their oral health, and patients deserve visibility into how much of their dental insurance premiums are paying for care as opposed to administrative costs.”

The MDS also expressed frustration about past efforts with dental insurance reforms. “Several other states have already enacted laws to requiring dental insurers to file annual MLR reports. California is one such state. Using data from these reports, the California Dental Association found that the state’s dental plans average an MLR of 76%, significantly below medical plan rates.”

“For years, the MDS has worked to reform MLRs legislatively. While we continue to work with legislators and dental insurance providers to find common ground, we’re also realistic that November’s ballot measure is finally a chance to achieve the necessary change. Like medical patients, dental patients deserve to have their premium dollars spent on patient care.”

Kevin Monteiro, executive director of the MDS recently issued this statement (6/15/2022):

“We’re pleased that the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has approved the November referendum to reform dental insurance Medical Loss Ratios (MLRs). The Massachusetts Dental Society endorses this measure to ensure that, just like medical patients, dental patients’ premium dollars are spent on their care, with critical components guaranteeing transparency and accountability. This ballot measure continues to gain momentum and support, and we’re confident voters will approve it in November.”

AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION

The American Dental Association (ADA) has also extended its endorsement for the Massachusetts dental insurance reform ballot initiative.

Michael A. Graham, ADA Senior Vice President for Government and Public Affairs was asked directly about the value in approaching voters directly through a referendum, versus the legislative process.

“Both avenues are viable. Regardless of which route this type of reform takes, more needs to be done to protect patients from dental insurance premium abuse and waste. This initiative is a step in the right direction to give more power to where it belongs, with patients.”

“It is very encouraging that we have seen increasing interest in applying a loss ratio to dental plans in legislatures around the country, with a new MLR reporting law enacted in Maine in 2022. We look forward to working with the Massachusetts Dental Society and other dental associations around the country on this patient-centered reform using whatever avenue works best in the state.”

Graham was also asked about the likelihood of federal legislation, if the voter referendum passes in Massachusetts and possibly becomes a national template.

“Absolutely. For too long, dental plans have avoided patient protections like medical loss ratio (MLR) that are consistently applied to major medical health coverage. Again, whether through the legislature or through a ballot measure, the ADA supports dental benefits that pay a high percentage of the premium collected to patient care.”

(Note: Delta Dental of Massachusetts was contacted for comment. No response has been received as of time of publication.)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Davis practices general dentistry in Santa Fe, NM. He assists as an expert witness in dental fraud and malpractice legal cases. He currently chairs the Santa Fe District Dental Society Peer-Review Committee and serves as a state dental association member to its house of delegates. He extensively writes and lectures on related matters.

He may be reached at mwdavisdds@comcast.net or smilesofsantafe.com.

FEATURED IMAGE CREDIT: Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay.

Prosperident has been in the business of investigating embezzlement committed against dentists since 1989. Over that time, we have seen many changes in both dentistry and the environment in which it operates.

If you need help with the word embezzlement, it refers to someone in a position of trust (often a staff member, but also potentially someone external like a bookkeeper) abusing that position and trust to steal.

The administration of practices has evolved greatly in the last 30 years. From the company’s initial pegboard investigations when few practices were computerized, to the rudimentary first- and second-generation practice management software, to the entry of the internet and connectivity into practices, the dental office of 2021 functions differently from its 1989 counterpart. 

And while these changes were unfolding, the world wasn’t exactly standing still. Interspersed among some economic booms were a couple of recessions; the occasional war; and, oh yes, the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 to 2021. The people labeled by Tom Brokaw as “the Greatest Generation” viewed World War II as the defining moment in their lives. The pandemic and the disruption it caused to people’s lives are probably the global events that we will tell our children or grandchildren about in 30 years. 

As senior members of the world’s largest company specializing in investigating and protecting dentists against embezzlement, the authors have had front row seats observing the battle between dentists and those who wish to steal from them, and we have seen discernable changes concurrent with the pandemic. This article will discuss how embezzlement has been evolving and what practice owners should do to protect themselves.

First, the prevalence of embezzlement in dentistry is increasing. This increase is a long-term trend that was occurring well before we heard the word coronavirus. Similar studies done by the ADA 12 years apart showed a marked increase in surveyed dentists reporting that they had been victimized (35% reported having been embezzled in 2007 vs 47% in 2019.) Thus, in just over a decade, the reported incidence of embezzlement increased by more than a third.  

The 2019 study also asked victims how many times they had been embezzled. Results showed 5% reported never, 26% said once, 11% said twice,  2% said three times, and 8% said more than three times. 

While it is too soon to quantify the impact of the pandemic on the prevalence of embezzlement, we know from watching business cycles over many years that booms and busts each pressure a different kind of embezzler.

People normally steal for 2 reasons. Some embezzle because of perceived need. For whatever reason, these people are unable to meet their monthly financial obligations, and they fall further behind over time until their basic existence is threatened. They steal to avoid losing their house or car, for example. As you might expect, a sputtering economy puts more people in this situation.

In contrast, others steal because they feel that society is not rewarding them properly. This feeling intensifies when these greedy people perceive that others are getting ahead more quickly than they are. Behavioral studies suggest that these people often suffer from narcissistic personality disorder and may also display some elements of sociopathy. Greedy thieves believe they deserve the money they steal.

The COVID-19 era may be unprecedented in that it pressured both groups simultaneously. There was, and continues to be, massive displacement in the economy. Many industries, such as travel and hospitality, endured significant downsizing. Concurrently, the stock market, partially fueled by massive government spending and the pandemic-enhanced shift toward technology-driven businesses like Amazon and Uber, has galloped ahead. Therefore, we have created needier thieves while simultaneously increasing the dissonance that pressures covetous people to steal.

Needy people embezzle to fill a financial hole. The shortfall in their finances is finite, and they are simply trying to keep themselves housed and fed. The amounts needy thieves steal monthly tend to be modest, although the cumulative amount can be considerable over time. Because their financial objective from stealing has an upper limit, needy thieves get away with stealing that would be quite conspicuous if done in larger amounts. Theft by the needy may involve payroll tampering, borrowing the practice’s Amazon account for personal purchases, and similar activities. We often refer to theft that causes a practice to pay out more money than it should as expense-side stealing.

In contrast, thieves motivated by greed can be voracious. Their insatiable appetites often steer them away from expense-side activities, which generally have low thresholds for becoming conspicuous and are therefore self-limiting. For example, suppose that someone wanting to steal 4% of your revenue does so by padding their payroll. This theft will have the effect of increasing your staff expense ratio (ie, payroll costs divided by revenue) by that same 4%. With many practices having staff expense ratios in the 25% range, a 4% increase is sufficient to draw attention. On the other hand, if the same amount is stolen through diverting some of a practice’s revenue (commonly called skimming), the impact on the staff expense ratio is about 1%, which is well within the normal range of variability and, therefore, less likely to be flagged as anomalous.

In the same way that prudent investors lessen their risk by diversifying their portfolios, most thieves realize that they can reduce the probability of detection by not relying on a single embezzlement method. Virtually every thief we encounter uses 3 methods of stealing concurrently. Long-term thieves may develop and discard methods over time, but they tend to keep 3 methods active.

ACTION STEPS

Given the current climate, how should a busy practice owner protect his or her finances? Contrary to popular belief, you have powerful weapons, and using them will not make excessive demands on your time.

1. Hire carefully. More than 20% of our investigations involve serial embezzlers who have stolen elsewhere before. The irony is that usually information that would have disqualified these people from being hired was readily available if their victims only bothered to access it. The most critical background check is to speak with all former employers for the last 5 years. The second most important step is a criminal records check. Before you do either of these steps, you must definitively identify the applicant. The best practice is, when interviewing them, to check a picture ID, plus at least 2 secondary pieces of identification. Extensive background checks are meaningless if the applicant has borrowed someone else’s identity.

2. Monitor and review. Say this every morning before breakfast: Every staff member with financial responsibilities requires oversight. This supervision is particularly important for your office manager, who has the most opportunity to embezzle by virtue of position and authority. This supervision must be performed either by you, your spouse, or someone with no access to incoming funds or your checkbook, such as an external bookkeeper. Oversight includes the following:

a. Ensuring that collections, according to your practice management software, exactly match deposits made to your bank. Differences in the timing of recognition between the bank and your software for certain types of deposits complicate this activity. Still, every deposit should be able to be matched perfectly to practice management software. 

b. Reviewing every financial transaction made in your practice management software to look for deceptive or anomalous transactions.

3. Trust, but verify. Your oversight should be based on source information and not a document that someone has handed you. For example, the confirmation that the correct amount was deposited to your bank should be done by reviewing your online banking account, not by looking at a deposit slip that a staff member hands you, which could have been altered. Similarly, any review made of your practice management software should be done from reports you generated yourself. Allowing a staff member to print a report for you opens the door to selective reporting, in which information can be concealed from you.

CONCLUSION

While the events of the past year have changed the profiles of the embezzlers that we see, the basic business practices that a dentist can follow have not changed. Now is a good time to review and tighten yours. If the process of identifying and correcting areas of weakness in your practice’s control systems seems daunting, consider hiring professionals to do it for you. 

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Ms. Webber is a senior fraud examiner for Prosperident, a company specializing in the investigation and control of embezzlement committed against dental practices. Mr. Harris, is CEO of Prosperident and Ms. Askins is a supervising examiner at Prosperident and heads its orthodontic investigation department. Harris resides in Halifax, NS, Canada and both Askins and Weber live in Texas. The authors can be reached at prosperident.com. 

Disclosure: Mr. Harris is CEO and a stockholder of Prosperident. Ms. Webber and Ms. Askins provide compensated services to the company.

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“Careful planning and a strict budget can help you to save money in dentistry school and graduate with less debt.”

Like anyone pursuing a medical career, dentistry students know there is more than just a lot of time, energy, and focus needed to get through your education. There’s a lot of money involved, as well. Dentists have one of the highest student loan debt totals of any profession, so you will want to cut that down whenever possible.

The average dentist leaves school with nearly $300,000 in debt, according to the ADA. That can take over a decade to pay off. So how can you get out of dentistry school with a less daunting amount to pay off? How can you save money while you study so that you’re in a better place when you graduate? 

Careful planning and a strict budget can help you to save money in dentistry school and graduate with less debt. Everything from where you go to school to how you handle everyday bills makes a difference when it comes to saving money as a dental student.

Choose Your Dentistry School Wisely

Even if you are accepted to a big-name dental school, you might want to consider other options. A private school will cost you thousands more each year in tuition than a public school, but that’s not the only reason to look around the country at schools where you can get a great education for less.

Cost of living in some cities is considerably higher than in others. For example, attending the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)’s highly ranked dental school will have you paying some of the highest cost of living in the nation to make your home in the Bay Area while you study.

Meanwhile, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill not only offers lower tuition, but also a much more reasonable cost of living (and it’s also a top-ranked dental school). That means you can still choose from the best dental schools and save.

That’s not all to keep in mind. Non-resident tuition is higher than what’s charged to residents of that state at every college. That means considering the dental school options that are within your home state can save you a lot on tuition. It may also give you the option to live at home while you’re in school and avoid costs of moving.

Minimize Your Student Loans

Regardless of which school you choose to attend, tuition for dental school is still going to add up. While it’s likely you’ll need some loans, it’s always a good idea to look at other options that are available to offset how much you need to borrow.

Looking for money that you don’t have to save up or pay back is the clear first step. Apply for as many grants and scholarships as you can find. Even small grants of a few hundred dollars can help. Don’t limit yourself to grants specific to dentistry students; there are a lot of grants out there for which you might qualify.

If possible, ask around for loans from parents, guardians, and other family members. They might be willing to lend you some money at a lower interest rate or even with no interest at all.

You can also look for an assistantship program that will provide lower tuition costs in return for part-time work. You’ll learn valuable skills on the job and also amass less debt. Everything you do to reduce tuition costs will also reduce your loans.

Avoid Additional Debt While in School

Student loans might be avoidable, but other forms of debt are easier to stay away from. While you’re in dental school you may be tempted to use credit cards in order to put off paying for the things you want or need, but it will only put you in a position of needing to pay off that debt before you’ve even started your first job as a dentist.

The same goes for any other major purchases. While you’re in school it isn’t a good time to buy a new car or take on a mortgage. If you already own a house, you will probably need to put off expensive renovations until you have a steady post-graduation income.

Dentists make a great living even at entry level, so your day to buy the car and house of your dreams will likely come; avoiding a pile of debt during school so that you can finish with fewer student loans and a better financial situation will be worth the wait.

Check Your Cost of Living

Tuition isn’t the only thing that you need to spend money on during your years in dental school. You’ll need a place to live, you’ll need to eat, and odds are good you will need some form of transportation. There are a lot of ways to save money on everyday expenses while you’re in dental school.

The ideal situation is to skip the cost of a place to live entirely while you’re at school by continuing to live at home with your parents or guardians. Of course, that’s not desirable or even possible for everyone, so you may need to look at other ways to lower the most basic and expensive costs of living.

Living on campus in a dorm is a cheap option, and if you sign up to be a residential advisor or similar role, you may get to live on campus for free. If not, look for a roommate to help bring the cost of living down.

Outside of where you live, you can look to cut other costs as well. Keep to a strict budget for groceries and make eating out a treat rather than the norm. Even cutting back on your Starbucks habit can make a big difference. And when you do spend, consider using a cash back app or coupon app.

Using public transportation is the cheapest way to get around, but there are a lot of reasons you may need or want a car. Make sure to shop around for low car insurance rates; the best car insurance for new college graduates and for dental school students can be found by comparing your options.

The same goes for any other insurance you need. The ADA offers specially priced plans for health insurance in each state, but you should still compare and shop around to make sure you are getting the best price on the coverage you need.

Keeping to a strict budget and avoiding the impulse to spend on instant-gratification items requires some discipline, but then so does making your way through dentistry school. When you do both, you’ll come out of school in a solid position and ready to start your career and move towards your financial goals.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Leslie Kasperowicz is an insurance and finance expert who is the managing editor of AutoInsurance.org. She is a former Farmers Insurance and Financial Services CSR and has been helping people understand insurance and finances through education for more than 10 years.

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The end of summer can be a stressful time for families, when vacations and easygoing routines give way to busier schedules and sports seasons. It can be even more stressful during these uncertain times, and that stress is taking a toll on our teeth.

According to the American Association of Endodontists (AAE), the Chicago-based organization that represents more than 8,000 specialized dentists known as endodontists who save natural teeth and relieve tooth pain, our natural teeth are meant to last a lifetime. But cases of cracked teeth and dental related injuries have surged throughout the pandemic – and it may be due at least in part to pandemic-related stress wreaking havoc on our oral health. In fact, instances of bruxism – or tooth grinding – are up as well.

Here are the top six things patients need to know about cracked teeth:

How does one crack a tooth? A crack can occur from injury or general wear and tear caused by grinding or clenching ones’ teeth – a symptom of stress. While cracked teeth are not completely preventable, you can take some steps to make your teeth less susceptible to cracks by not chewing on hard objects such as ice, unpopped popcorn kernels or pens. Protective mouth wear, such as a mouthguard, can also be worn to mitigate the damage teeth grinding can cause.

How will I know if my tooth is cracked? Cracked teeth show a variety of symptoms, including unpredictable severe pain when chewing, or pain when your tooth is exposed to hot and cold food and beverages. In many cases, the pain may come and go, but it’s vitally important to seek care right away.

What if my tooth is chipped? Chipped teeth account for the majority of dental injuries. Most chipped teeth can be repaired either by reattaching the broken piece of tooth enamel or by bonding a tooth-colored filling or crown in place, but treatment should be sought as quickly as possible. Find an endodontist as soon as possible after the injury to treat your chipped tooth and to keep it from worsening.

Is it safe to seek dental care during the pandemic? Seeing a dentist for routine, oral healthcare or a specialist, such as an endodontist, for dental emergencies or complex treatments is safe. According to a study from the American Dental Association Science & Research Institute and Health Policy Institute, the COVID-19 infection rate among dentists remains lower than other health professionals Endodontists and other dentists are following all CDC, American Dental Association (ADA) and AAE guidelines to ensure patient safety, health and well-being.

Should I go to the hospital if I experience a cracked tooth or other dental emergency? If you’re experiencing a dental emergency, it’s best to avoid the emergency room or an urgent care facility and to seek care from a dental specialist right away. Avoiding the hospitals helps free them up to treat patients with COVID-19 and prevents over-burdening local health systems. If you are experiencing severe dental pain or dental infection symptoms (e.g., bleeding, swelling) contact an endodontist immediately or go to findmyendodontist.com to find a local endodontist.

Where can I go to learn more about cracked teeth and other oral health related matters? To learn more about safe and effective treatment options and concerns about oral health, visit aae.org/patients.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ENDODONTISTS

The American Association of Endodontists, headquartered in Chicago, represents more than 8,000 members worldwide. Endodontics is one of 12 dental specialties formally recognized by the American Dental Association. The AAE, founded in 1943, is dedicated to excellence in the art and science of endodontics and to the highest standard of patient care. The Association inspires its members to pursue professional advancement and personal fulfillment through education, research, advocacy, leadership, communication and service. For more information about the AAE, visit the Association’s website at aae.org.

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