This means that a lot of the times dentists end up on the losing side of the peer review equation.

Said one dentist, “Review boards are not impartial and fair, just interested in giving money back to patients.”

One endodontist professed, “It’s far better that getting involved in the judicial system!”

These are just two of the comments dentists offered The Wealthy Dentist when surveyed about the dental peer-review process.

Click on Play to hear more from dentists on how they answered the survey question: Have you been disappointed by dental peer-review?

Uninsured Americans are turning to emergency rooms nationwide to manage the pain from dental problems, according to a 2010 Health Resources and Services Administration report.

The same report reveals that dental emergencies make up between 1.3 percent and 2.7 percent of all ER visits.

USAToday reports the reason is a lack of dental coverage for under-insured and uninsured patients as emergency rooms are treating toothaches, tooth abscesses and other dental care emergencies.

Although that number might seem like only a small percentage, Alan Sorkey, a Louisiana emergency physician, pointed out to USAToday that he treated 226 of the 6,336 patients for toothaches last year.

These dental care-related ER visits create higher costs for taxpayers because many of these dental patients return to the ER two or more times per dental problem to manage their symptoms, according to the ADA. And, while the Affordable Care Act addresses dental care for children on Medicaid, the requirement doesn’t exist for adults, ADA spokesman Robert Raible told USAToday.

The ADA is currently working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to devise an approach to get “broader and deeper numbers and look at key indicators for solutions,” ADA President William Calnon said.

What are your thoughts on this growing dental insurance issue?

For more: Lack of dental coverage sends patients to ER for pain

These new recommendations are posted on the ADA’s Web site, and a summary appears in the November 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association.

The new recommendations guide dentists and dental professionals away from the perception that intravenous bisphosphonates could cause osteonecrosis of the jaw.

As reported in Medscape News, the new guidelines won praise from Jeffrey Fellows, PhD, an investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research and lead author of a recent study on osteonecrosis of the jaw published in Clinical Medicine and Research.

“I think that they are all good recommendations,” Dr. Fellows, who did not serve on the ADA committee, told Medscape Medical News.

For more on this story and the recommendations see: American Dental Association Updates Osteonecrosis Guidelines

The next round of “mercury talks” is scheduled for Monday in Kenya and State Department officials reportedly said they hope to garner support for a legally-binding treaty to reduce worldwide mercury emissions.

Dr. David Simone, a dental surgeon from Northbrook, Ill., who attended the State Department meeting, told FoxNews.com that State Department officials reiterated that amalgam fillings will likely remain on the U.N.’s designated list of products to eventually be phased down with passage of the so-called global mercury treaty.

There is a controversial ongoing argument among dental health professionals about the possible health risks associated with mercury exposure from amalgam fillings, and competing sides disagree on whether the amount of mercury in fillings causes risks.

The ADA supports the position that dental amalgam is safe and posts the following statement on its website -

Dental amalgam is considered a safe, affordable and durable material that has been used to restore the teeth of more than 100 million Americans. It contains a mixture of metals such as silver, copper and tin, in addition to mercury, which binds these components into a hard, stable and safe substance. Dental amalgam has been studied and reviewed extensively, and has established a record of safety and effectiveness.

The FDI World Dental Federation and the World Health Organization concluded in a 1997 consensus statement: “No controlled studies have been published demonstrating systemic adverse effects from amalgam restorations.” Another conclusion of the report stated that, aside from rare instances of local side effects of allergic reactions, “the small amount of mercury released from amalgam restorations, especially during placement and removal, has not been shown to cause any … adverse health effects.”

In 1998 the ADA’s Council on Scientific Affairs published its first major review of the scientific literature on dental amalgam which concluded that “based on available scientific information, amalgam continues to be a safe and effective restorative material.” The Council’s report also stated, “There currently appears to be no justification for discontinuing the use of dental amalgam.”

In an article published in the February 1999 issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association, researchers report finding “no significant association of Alzheimer’s Disease with the number, surface area or history of having dental amalgam restorations” and “no statistically significant differences in brain mercury levels between subjects with Alzheimer’s Disease and control subjects.”

A 2003 paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine states, “Patients who have questions about the potential relation between mercury and degenerative diseases can be assured that the available evidence shows no connection.” [Read more ...]

Robert Ferguson, founder and president of the Science and Public Policy Institute (SPPI), told Foxnews.com that he sees the controversy surrounding dental amalgam as little more than the latest scare to drive more regulation.

What are your thoughts on the use of silver amalgam in dental treatments?

For more on this story see U.S. Weighs Support for U.N. Treaty That Could Force Dentists to Change Materials Used in Fillings.

Watch for more on this subject in the November issue of Academy of General Dentistry in a feature article by Eric K. Curtis, DDS, MA, MAGD titled, Black and White with Shades of Gray Ruminations on Amalgams in a World of Composites.

The Wealthy Dentist asked dentists if they feel that state dental boards unfairly restrict dental practice marketing. Two out of three dentists said no – dental boards are just protecting the public’s best interest. But one out of three dentists was frustrated by the limitations dental boards put on advertising and other dental marketing efforts.

Watch the Video to hear more of what dentists have to say -

What are your thoughts on state dental boards and dental marketing?

One Missouri dentist declared, “The ADA has actually become the enemy of the general dentist!”

The Wealthy Dentist conducted a survey asking dentists if the ADA is dominated by specialists who are trying to promote their own agenda over the welfare of the general dentist.

Almost two thirds of the respondents felt specialists are using the ADA so that they can make money at the expense of  general dentists.

Watch the video below to hear more of what both dentists and specialists have to say about the ADA -

General dentists were eight times more likely to criticize the ADA over specialists.

How do you feel about the ADA?

No longer do patients fear having a “mouth full of metal.”

We conducted a survey that asked dentists what type of orthodontic options they now offer at their practice.

This was their response -

• Conventional braces — 22%
• Ceramic braces — 19%
• Lingual braces — 6%
• Invisalign® — 22%
• Inspice ICE® — 4%
• ClearCorrect® — 10%
• Simpli 5® — 6%
• Smart Moves® — 4%
• RW II® — 3%
• Red White & Blue® — 4%

“I have done orthodontics as a GP for 24 years.” (General dentist)

“Patients value the option of avoiding bands and brackets.” (Urban dentist)

“I prefer fixed orthodontia, as it is easier to keep the patient compliant.” (North Carolina dentist)

“Pre-treating arch discrepancies including posterior cross bites with removable orthopedic appliances allow you to finalize many cases with Invisalign®.” (California dentist)

In this survey, 48% of dentist respondents said the ADA is an accurate representation of dentists, while 52% feel the ADA is a tool for specialists to maintain the status quo.

“Apparently, from this sedation dentistry debacle the ADA has no problem limiting ‘Access to Care,’ which I actually thought they cared about. I say we have fools for representatives,” scoffed one dentist. Agreed another, “They are trying to limit our ability to perform oral conscious sedation, and I think that is a tragedy for our patients!”

One dentist offered this straightforward advice: “ADA should be marketing dentistry like the Milk Foundation does the ‘Got Milk’ campaign. Couldn’t tell you a thing that they do that is positive for dentists.” 

Read more: Dentists Uncertain about American Dental Association

On the other hand, half think we still need more research. "The ADA must respond only to true science," one dentist declared.

BPA, an ingredient in some dental sealants and dental composites, has been getting a lot of bad press… this could be a serious dental management issue for cosmetic dentistry in the not-too-distant future.

When asked if the ADA should take a stand against dental bisphenol A, here’s what dentists had to say:

• "The ADA should conduct a thorough Scientific Study so we do not have another 'amalgam controversy.'" (Kentucky dentist)
• "Whatever the studies show, the ADA needs to get that PR out to the public… If we say nothing, then the only voice the public hears will be other voices." (General dentist)
• "Look into this more fairly before alarming everyone, perhaps unnecessarily." (New York dentist)
• "I think that we need all appropriate in vivo experimental and clinical studies in order for the proper authorities to rule one way or the other."
• "BPA is linked to female issues. We need to be preemptive, even if there is a doubt. What are they waiting for, a return to amalgams?" (Michigan dentist)
• "I have a one year old and we make sure never to have him use bottles or other items made of BPA. Most companies that produce products placed in babies mouths are removing BPA from them (bottles, pacifiers, etc). Therefore, why should dentists continue to use dental sealants with BPA? It doesn't make a whole lot of sense." (Ohio prosthodontist)
• "It is my understanding that BPA itself is not an ingredient in composite materials, but bis-GMA, which is made from BPA. The amount of unconverted BPA in dental materials is almost undetectable and has not been shown to be a health threat. There is also no better alternative material for long-term restoration of the dentition."

Read more: Dental BPA: ADA Stance on Bisphenol-A Divides Dentists

Feeling squeezed by dental insurance companies and abandoned by the American Dental Association, many dentists are ready for a union of dentists. (One dentist even volunteered to organize it!)

read more: Many Dentists Ready for a New Dental Union