Sarah Handzel, BSN, RN

To receive funding, dentists must be a victim of any type of disaster. 

Hurricanes Harvey and Irma brought unprecedented levels of destruction to Texas, Florida, and the surrounding southeastern states. Unfortunately, people from all walks of life saw their homes, schools, businesses, and community centers flooded and destroyed.

Dentists in coastal communities were also affected by these natural disasters — and in a supportive effort, the American Dental Association (ADA) is helping dentists get back on their feet by providing much-needed financial assistance for essential items like food, clothing, shelter, and medicines.

 was created to help dentists affected by any natural disaster receive money that can be used to obtain necessary supplies, such as food and bottled water. Eligible dentists can use the funds for urgent and vital needs following any type of disaster, but the money granted cannot be used to offset any kind of damage to dental practice property, to replace dental equipment or supplies, or to fund staff salaries. The grant funds are also not intended to replace any lost income a dentist may incur as a result of a disaster.

Grants of up to $2,000 are awarded to eligible dentists from the 

 (ADAF). To receive funding, dentists must be a victim of any type of disaster.  Dentists can apply for a grant within 60 days of a disaster using the 

 or paper application, which can be downloaded 

. While the ADAF tries to serve as many dentists as possible, grants are limited by the amount of available funds.

In addition to the small grants provided to individuals, the ADAF is also providing grants of up to $10,000 to any 501(c)(3) organizations providing dental care after a disaster. These organizations must be based within the U.S., and grants are dependent on the amount of available funds. Anyone involved in such an organization who is interested in applying can use the 

 to begin the process of obtaining a grant. Paper applications can also be downloaded 

ADA member dentists who are interested in helping their colleagues in hurricane-affected areas are also welcome to donate funds directly to the ADAF. All the monies donated to the Foundation’s Disaster Assistance programs go toward supporting dentists affected by disasters. Dentists can 

, or can call or mail a check to the Foundation in support of other dentists.

The ADAF was established with the goal of providing charitable assistance for dentists nationwide. The Foundation also works to improve the oral health status of communities through increased access to care, research, and support for educational programs. Every year, the ADAF provides more than $800,000 in awards, scholarships, and grants to programs that adopt and further the Foundation’s mission.

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Across the United States, dentists affected by the recent hurricanes are struggling to get back on their feet. Luckily, the ADA is offering grants to those who qualify. Continue below to find out how you can apply or help your fellow practitioners. 

ADA Provides Assistance to Dentists After Hurricanes

Toothaches were the top complaint among patients visiting the 

Many emergency department visits involve dental problems and disorders, according to a new study, and the data demonstrates a clear need for increased access to affordable dental care.

While there is no standard definition for an “avoidable” ED visit, researchers estimate that between 4.8 percent and 90 percent of all ED visits are avoidable or unnecessary.

Currently, avoidable is defined using several factors, including discharge diagnoses, triage scores, hospital admission data, and patient self-reported data. However, it’s difficult to use this information to create significant health care policy changes that could help avoid unnecessary ED visits.

In an attempt to better characterize and understand the nature of avoidable ED visits, researchers examined patient records spanning six years as part of a new 

. More than 115,000 records were investigated, representing as many as 424 million ED visits involving patients 18 to 64 years old. Each patient in the study was evaluated in the ED and discharged home.

Toothache was the top complaint bringing patients to the ED, followed by back pain, headache, mental health issues, and sore throats. Dental disorders were also included among the top three ICD-9 discharge diagnoses, together with alcohol abuse and depressive disorders, and accounted for 3.9 percent of clinical classifications software (CCS) grouped discharge diagnoses.

Unfortunately for patients, many, if not most, EDs in the U.S. are unequipped to treat dental conditions or disorders. While a limited number of medical facilities and hospitals have dentists on staff in EDs, this is the exception rather than the rule. Most patients seeking dental care in EDs receive only pain medications or antibiotics and are referred back to dental providers in the community. But due to affordability concerns and 

, patients often return to the ED for the same problem, which, in many cases, becomes more advanced.

According to the American Dental Association

 (ADA), the number of patients seen in EDs for the treatment of dental pain has increased from 1.1 million in 2000 to 2.1 million in 2010. As many as 80 percent of these visits can be attributed to preventable dental conditions.

 that if $520 million that is reimbursed by Medicaid each year for ED dental visits is instead diverted to private dental practices, care could be provided for up to 1 million additional people annually.

The authors of the study suggest increasing access to dental care, including preventative coverage expansions under programs like Medicaid, as a possible solution to this issue.

Currently, 46 states offer dental insurance coverage for adult Medicaid enrollees, but only 28 of those states provide coverage for preventative services. Additionally, the ADA suggests hospitals and other health care facilities could help to reduce the number of ED visits for dental complaints by implementing urgent dental care clinics.

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Each year, thousands of patients are forced to visit the emergency department for tooth-related pain and disease. A new study identified it as one of the top causes of avoidable trips to the emergency room. Continue below to find out how health care policy plays a part in this phenomenon. 

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More than half of consumers look at online reviews before deciding on a dentist. 

A new survey completed by Ceatus Media Group shows just how important impressions are to drumming up more business.

The survey, which was completed by individuals who visited one of three Ceatus-owned elective health care educational sites, included seven questions related to Internet use and healthcare provider reviews. The questions were used to determine how consumers research specific health care providers, including cosmetic dentistry providers, plastic surgeons, and eye surgeons, and how they ultimately choose their dentists and doctors.

The survey results pertaining to cosmetic dentistry were obtained from Ceatus Media’s Consumer Guide to Dentistry educational 

, which features information on common cosmetic and general dentistry procedures, oral health conditions and diseases, dental insurance, and tips for choosing a dental provider. The survey was open to participants from May 1 to 31. While this was the only website used to look at trends in selecting cosmetic dentistry providers, Ceatus has a total of seven healthcare educational websites. Combined, these sites receive more than six million independent visitors each year.

 gave a surprising look into the minds of dental care consumers. As many as 63 percent of consumers who are considering any type of cosmetic dentistry procedure find online dentist reviews to be a vital part of their decision-making process. Another 33 percent believe that dental provider reviews are at least somewhat important when choosing a dentist. Only 4.4 percent of consumers responded that provider reviews are not important at all when seeking out cosmetic dentistry services.

“These first-of-their-kind findings are really eye-opening and will change the way plastic surgeons, dentists, and eye surgeons think about and execute their review strategies,” Dr. David Evans, CEO of Ceatus Media Group, 

. “Our data clearly demonstrates the importance of reviews to patients seeking elective healthcare procedures. We are excited to share this unique data specific to dentistry, plastic surgery and eye surgery."

According to the consumers polled, Google ranked as the most important review site, followed closely by Healthgrades and Facebook. Other directories, such as the Yellow Pages, were not considered important review sites among the consumers polled. However, some respondents indicated that sites like Google and Healthgrades were not important in their decision-making process, indicating a high amount of variability among people who chose to participate.

Young dentists know the importance of establishing a digital presence and positive online reviews. A new survey from Ceatus Media Group confirms that in this day and age, consumers consult the Internet before making appointments. Read on for more on the survey's findings. 

Survey Shows Dentists Reviews â€œExtremely Importantâ€ When Choosing Providers

While nicotine itself is not responsible for smoking-related illnesses, it keeps users hooked. 

In August, the head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) introduced a proposal to cut nicotine levels in cigarettes to non-addictive levels, 

The announcement fuels the debate around whether e-cigarettes are a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes. As Dentist’s Money Digest has 

, multiple studies have examined the links between e-cigarette use and gum and teeth damage. While companies that make these products tout them as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes, 

 have suggested that e-cigarette use was just as harmful, if not more so, than regular cigarettes.

While it is not possible to reduce nicotine levels to zero, or to ban cigarettes outright, the proposed regulation of nicotine levels could help remove the addictive component in cigarettes. The announcement comes as the FDA considers shifting its focus to regulations that will entice more smokers to switch to electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes).

“Nicotine itself is not responsible for the cancer, the lung disease and heart disease that kill hundreds of thousands of Americans each year,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said. “It's the other chemical compounds in tobacco and in the smoke created by setting tobacco on fire that directly cause illness and death.”

The FDA’s announcement is only the first step in the process of formally regulating nicotine levels in cigarettes. Before any measures can take effect, the public must be allowed to comment on the proposal. Input from industry stakeholders will also need to be considered.

 “While there's still much research to be done on these products and the risks that they may pose, they may also present benefits that we must consider,” Gottlieb added.

The manufacturers of cigarettes have already begun to move toward greater e-cigarette production alongside other alternative nicotine delivery systems. This could help mitigate the damages to big tobacco’s bottom line, since, soon after the regulatory announcement was made, the world’s major tobacco companies lost around $26 billion in market value.

While this action is currently only underway in the U.S., experts expect regulators in European nations to take a similar regulatory stance on nicotine-containing products. For now, companies making e-cigarettes have four years to comply with a 2016 ruling giving the FDA oversight over those types of products, allowing e-cigarette manufacturers to continue to saturate the market without any oversight or regulation.

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