Billy Tarpley – Page 2 – Arkansas State Dental Association

Can AI be used to detect periapical radiolucencies?

Billy Tarpley on June 27, 2024

Reprinted from ADA Morning Huddle, June 27, 2024:

Investigators have examined whether artificial intelligence may help dentists detect periapical radiolucencies on imaging, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Journal of Dentistry.

Previous research has found inconsistencies in the accuracy of diagnosing periapical radiolucencies.

In the study, the investigators used the PubMed/MEDLINE, ScienceDirect and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Xplore databases to analyze the data of 24 articles focused on periapical radiolucency detection. They noted that 23 of the studies utilized a convolutional neural network to assist in diagnosing the radiolucencies.

Among the four articles included in the meta-analysis, AI demonstrated a pooled sensitivity of 0.94 and specificity of 0.96 — representing the potential to support dentists in periapical radiolucency detection.

However, the investigators emphasized that more diverse studies, such as prospective, real-life randomized controlled trials, may be needed to further understand the benefit of using AI for this application.

ADA Files Amicus Brief for Insurance Reform in US Supreme Court

Billy Tarpley on June 20, 2024

Reprinted from ADA What’s Up Wednesday newsletter, June 20, 2024:

The ADA is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review a decision from a lower appeals court on the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 that limits states’ traditional authority to regulate health care and insurance, and is at odds with a previous Supreme Court decision on the issue.

Dental plans have often claimed that a federal law called ERISA allows them to avoid complying with state laws impacting dental coverage if the plans are operating as administrators for an employer self-funded plan. In its amicus brief to the Supreme Court, the ADA continues to advocate that most state laws, particularly those that protect patients and dentists from abuse by dental insurers, can be applied to all carriers, including those administering self-funded dental plans for employers.

Read more in ADA News and get more information on ERISA at ADA.org/ERISA.

2024 ASDA Fall Seminar: See you in Hot Springs!

Billy Tarpley on June 7, 2024

REGISTRATION IS OPEN! The 2024 ASDA Fall Seminar will return to the Spa City on September 6-7 for the outstanding program, “The Missing Link: Orofacial Pain and Sleep.”

Our featured clinician, Dr. Amy Hartsfield, will present three courses on Friday, September 6 :
Course 1: Dental Sleep: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatments of Sleep Breathing Disorders.
Course 2: The Brainteasers of a Dental Practice: Orofacial Pain
Course 3: COVID and the Future of My Practice

Dr. Hartsfield is the only Alabama dentist dual boarded by the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine and the American Board of Orofacial Pain. As of March 31, 2020, Orofacial Pain was recognized as the 123th specialty in dentistry. In addition, Dr. Hartsfield has received recognition by the National Headache Foundation with the Added Qualification in Headache. She as also elected to serve as 1 of 7 Board members for the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine. She served until 2022 when she decided to spend more time devoted to her family and patients.

The line-up on Saturday includes crowd favorite Dr. Daron Praetzel of Arkansas Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons in Hot Springs and Dr. Drew Johnson of OmniSmiles in Northwest Arkansas to provide high quality continuing education that is sure to entertain and educate.

The Fall Seminar will also include the bi-annual ARDPAC Luncheon featuring the new Dean at University of Tennessee College of Dentistry, Dr. Ken Tilashalski.

Registration is now open online, and the Seminar Registration Book will be mailed soon!

ADA Chicago Headquarters Sold

Billy Tarpley on June 7, 2024

Reprinted from ADA email, June 5, 2024:

Dear Fellow Leaders:

The American Dental Association has closed on the sale of its headquarters at 211 East Chicago Avenue to Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, our largest tenant in recent years. I’m pleased that the ADA will be passing the torch of 211’s storied history and health care legacy to Lurie Children’s who, like the ADA, is dedicated to the wellbeing of our communities.

The sale represents a convergence of opportunity for the two mission-driven organizations. Lurie Children’s, which was founded in 1882 and moved next door to the ADA in June 2012, aims to move its administrative offices out of the main hospital and expand its clinical capacity. Acquiring 211 East Chicago aligns with the hospital’s mission to provide accessible, high-quality health care to every child who needs it.

The ADA, as you know, is in a season of transformation. And while we’re financially strong and growing towards better serving our members and professional community, we are also embracing what it means to be a future-forward workplace. With most of our professional team working in a hybrid modality and our science and research operations moving to the ADA Forsyth Institute’s facilities in Massachusetts, we simply do not need as much space as we once did.

The ADA’s operations will remain at 211 East Chicago Avenue until our early-2025 relocation to 401 North Michigan Avenue. Work begins this summer on a from-scratch renovation to portions of the four floors we’re leasing on this property. We have engaged an architectural firm who will design a hybrid-work-friendly, tech-enhanced environment for our staff and volunteers.

The state-of-the-art offices, tailored to our needs, are an investment in the exceptional work you do to support fellow members and elevate our profession. Less than one mile south of 211, the new property boasts panoramic views of Lake Michigan, the Chicago River, and Michigan Avenue’s skyscape. In addition to convenient access to restaurants and retail, there are ample meeting and conference facilities for volunteers.

More than half a century after the ADA broke ground on what would become 211 East Chicago Avenue, our Association is primed for growth and fresh possibilities once again, and the ADA’s leadership believes our next big move is a step in the right direction for all of our members.

As we prepare for the next phase in the ADA’s journey, let’s look ahead to the opportunities that await us. The true heart of the ADA lies not in an address, but in all of us — and our belief that the best is yet to come.

We will provide updates as this journey continues. If you have any questions, share them with us at edgarl@ada.org or cohlmiar@ada.org.

Sincerely,

Linda J. Edgar, DDS, M.Ed.
President, ADA

Raymond A. Cohlmia, DDS
Executive Director, ADA

Arkansas Dental Medicaid Program Sets Its Sights on a Return to Fee for Service

Billy Tarpley on June 4, 2024

In a move that was not altogether surprising, the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) announced on Monday that it would discontinue the Healthy Smiles Dental Managed Care program and return to the previous Fee for Service system beginning on November 1, 2024.

The managed care system was implemented in 2018 following a report from the Medicaid Task Force that presented a comprehensive view of the state’s $9 Billion Medicaid program, of which dentistry was a small part. After reviewing proposals from four separate companies who bid to become the administrators, DHS settled on two: Delta Dental of Arkansas (Delta Smiles) and Managed Care of North America (MCNA Smiles.) As the first contract came to a close, DHS announced a new request for proposal (RFP) for the second contract. Both Delta Dental and MCNA bid for the contract as did DentaQuest and Liberty Dental, As a result, the DHS Office of Procurement selected all four vendors even though the RFP language stated that the state preferred “two but not more than three” vendors to manage the program. Following a significant level of pushback from a variety of entities, including ASDA, the state made the decision to eliminate the managed care program and return to fee-for-service.

It should be noted that not all details of the FFS system have been decided. It should also be noted that DHS has announced no plans to increase fees for Medicaid dental, which are 16 years old, instead stating that they will take the request under review. The fee increase remains the top priority for ASDA. The association misses no opportunity to state that a 2022 survey of Medicaid dentists revealed that 80 percent indicated they would discontinue participation in 3 years if the fee disparity was not addressed.

DHS released a statement yesterday stating that the agency forwarded a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to notify the federal government of its plan to “sunset the (managed care) program and switch back to Medicaid fee-for-service for dental services instead.”

The leadership of ASDA continues to monitor the situation and will work closely with all parties to make sure that the position of practicing dentists remains a strong consideration.

Download a copy of the DHS Press Release here.

Lyon College School of Dental Medicine set for new Little Rock location

Billy Tarpley on May 8, 2024

After its plan to open a dental school on the Heifer International campus fell through in November 2023, Lyon College announced the Lyon College School of Dental Medicine will be located in Little Rock’s Riverdale neighborhood, in the former Blue Cross and Blue Shield space at 5 Allied Drive.

Reprinted from Arkansasonline.com:

In the announcement Tuesday, Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. expressed excitement that the college would keep its dental school in the capital city, “where it will be an excellent addition to a world-renowned medical ecosystem that serves the entire region.”

“It has taken a total team effort among city officials, business and community leaders, and developers to bring the state’s first dental school to Little Rock,” the mayor added. “I appreciate Lyon College for its partnership and commitment and look forward to the arrival of the first class of students in fall 2025.”

Lyon is collaborating with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences on the dental school, joining forces where practicable and identifying opportunities for joint teaching, research, graduate education and professional development that benefit students and faculty, under a memorandum of understanding announced in 2022.

The college is also partnering with the Arkansas Department of Health and Arkansas Oral Health Coalition to increase awareness of oral health in Arkansas.

In March, Republican U.S. Sen. John Boozman championed a $15 million federal appropriation for Lyon’s dental school, according to the college. Additional educational support has been secured by the college from the state’s dental community.

Arkansas is one of only 14 states that do not have a dental school or college, according to listings from the Commission on Dental Accreditation. Arkansas fares poorly in dental health, ranking near the bottom for U.S. states, according to the national Library of Medicine.

“We remain committed to addressing the oral health needs of the underserved across Arkansas, and I am excited about the new possibilities that this location offers us to positively impact the community, improve oral health literacy, and increase access to quality oral health care,” Soffe said in the news release. “Lyon College’s new school will feature cutting-edge facilities equipped with advanced technology, fostering innovation and collaboration among students and faculty.”

Issues Alert from ADA!

Billy Tarpley on May 8, 2024

Image: Cybersecurity The American Dental Association (ADA) urges all dental practices to remain vigilant after it was contacted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) with information regarding a credible threat to the practices of oral and maxillofacial surgeons.

Current Threat Information from the FBI
On Tuesday, May 6, 2024, the FBI informed the ADA and the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) of a credible cybersecurity threat to the practices of oral and maxillofacial surgeons. The FBI said that as of that date there were no known cyberattack victims, but the agency is working proactively to raise awareness to help prevent victimization. The FBI suspects the group behind the cyberattacks may be shifting tactics to oral and maxillofacial surgery practices after targeting plastic surgeons last year.

While this current threat is focused on oral and maxillofacial surgeons, the FBI is concerned that the practices of general dentists and other specialists could also eventually be targeted.

Cybercriminals often use social engineering scams — such as phishing (email), SMSishing (through text or instant messaging apps) and vishing (using phone calls and voicemail) — to gain access to sensitive personal data such as electronic protected health information. Spear phishing refers to a phishing email appearing to be from a trusted contact. For example, a threat actor may use phishing to impersonate a credentialing agency. Through these scams, threat actors try to convince people to reveal sensitive information, or to click on a link, open an attachment or visit a website that causes malware to be deployed. This malware can lead to ransomware, which blocks system and/or file access until money is paid.

The FBI provided an example in which the threat actor poses as a new patient or says they want to become a patient at the practice to obtain new patient forms online. Once the forms are received, the threat actor will then contact the practice to report they are having trouble submitting them online and ask if they can scan the forms and email them instead. The threat actor then emails the “forms” as an attachment. When the attachment is opened malware is deployed in a phishing scheme.

The FBI requests dental practices that experience any fraudulent or suspicious activities to report them to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.

Precautions Practices Can Take
The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recommends four vital ways to protect your practice from cyberthreats:
Teach your team to recognize and avoid phishing
Require strong passwords
Require multifactor authentication
Update all business software

The following resources are also available to support healthcare professionals:
– A CISA.gov toolkit aids healthcare practices in building cybersecurity foundations and implementing more advanced, complex tools to stay secure and ahead of current threats.
– The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Knowledge on Demand resource offers five free cybersecurity trainings that align with the top five threats named in HHS’ Health Industry Cybersecurity Practices. HHS also offers information on how the HIPAA security rule can help defend against cyberattacks.
– The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology’s Security Risk Assessment Tool, a resource designed to help medium and small providers conduct a security risk assessment as required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
– The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Information Security and Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center’s “Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and the Health Sector” guide shares how health care entities help protect against AI-enhanced cyberthreats.
– Additional resources can be found at ADA.org/riskmanagement

As the nation’s largest organization of dentists, the ADA is advocating on behalf of all dentists at the federal level to recommend several measures to protect and ensure the resilience of health care infrastructure against cyber threats. The ADA will continue to lead this charge and provide cybersecurity updates as they become available, all in service to you and your patients. Please visit ADA.org to see the many ways the ADA advocates on behalf of dentists nationwide.

DHS terminates negotiations with Delta, MCNA, two other bidders for Medicaid contract

Billy Tarpley on May 7, 2024

Officials at the Arkansas Department of Human Services have ceased their Arkansas Medicaid Dental Managed Care vendor procurement process and are currently “reviewing options to either rebid the procurement or to move beneficiaries back to Fee for Service,” DHS spokesman Gavin Lesnick tells the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Lesnick cites an impasse in the negotiation process, saying that “during active negotiations with vendors who bid on the Dental Managed Care contract, it became apparent we [would] not reach agreement.”

Current contract holders Delta Dental and MCNA ranked highest in DHS’ proposal scoring, at 774.01 and 766.90, followed by DentaQuest at 759.97 and Liberty Dental at 759.20.

In December 2023, after learning DHS anticipated awarding contracts to all four vendors—not the “two or three” cited in the DHS’ request for proposal—Delta Dental attorney Mark Hodge wrote a letter of protest to DHS Secretary Kristi Putnam, contending Delta is “an aggrieved party due to the impacts of a four-vendor award decision which fails to adhere to the procurement rules set forth in the RFP and the results of the evaluation conducted by the DHS.”

The Office of State Procurement dismissed the protest, citing that the “two or three” language in the RFP was “aspirational” and “more akin to a statement of intent or recitals in a contract rather than a statement prescribing required conduct or action for either the offerors or the DHS”

More from Michael R. Wickline at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Exploring the Microbiome of Dental Plaque, Periodontal Disease

Billy Tarpley on April 10, 2024

Reprinted from ADA Morning Huddle, April 10, 2024:

A study explored the microbiome of dental plaque in people with varying periodontal statuses. The cross-sectional analysis in periodontal health and disease identified microbial markers associated with different clinical conditions, explored variations in microbial diversity and investigated potential correlations between the oral microbiome and clinical parameters.
Read more

New Dentists’ Guide to Understanding Dental Benefits

Billy Tarpley on April 8, 2024

Reprinted from ADA Finance & Operations Huddle, April 8, 2024:

The ADA has an online hub for ready-to-use dental insurance information that can help dentists address and resolve even their most frustrating questions. Some resources cover the basics of dental insurance, including what a PPO plan is and how deductibles and co-insurance work.
Read more