The Morning Drill: August 1, 2012

Good Wednesday morning!

On to today's dentistry and health headlines:

Ariz. updates rules for dentists and Botox

Dentists in Arizona can administer Botox and dermal fillers as long as it is part of a dental treatment plan, according to a Substantive Policy Statement update issued in June by the Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners.

According to the updated statement, "a dentist may inject pharmacological agents such as Botulinum, Toxin Type A, or dermal fillers as supportive therapy in conjunction with a dental treatment plan consistent with the scope of practice."

The statement also makes it clear that such agents cannot not be administered outside a dental treatment plan.

"The bottom line is that Botox and dermal fillers are allowed within the scope of dental practice for use by general dentists for dental aesthetic and dental therapeutic uses with appropriate training," stated Louis Malcmacher, DDS, president of the American Academy of Facial Esthetics (AAFE), in a press release.

Fake Dentist to Be Arraigned for Practicing Without a License in California

A man in possession of a large cache of dental narcotics and controlled substances will be arraigned tomorrow for falsely representing himself and working as a dentist without a valid license. Esteban Campos, 46, Buena Park, is charged with two felony counts of the sale or transportation of a controlled substance, two felony counts of possession of a controlled substance, and one misdemeanor count each of furnishing dangerous drugs without a prescription, dispensing or furnishing a dangerous drug or device, and practicing dentistry without a valid license. If convicted, Campos faces a sentence ranging from probation up to eight years in state prison. He is expected to be arraigned tomorrow, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2012, at 8:30 a.m. in Department N-12, North Justice Center, Fullerton.

Campos is accused of previously being a Registered Dental Assistant in California, but his accreditation expired in 2007. The defendant is accused of operating Steven’s Dental Lab on Western Avenue in Buena Park and illegally representing himself as a dentist and practicing dentistry without a valid license.

In December 2011, the Department of Consumer Affairs Dental Board of California received a complaint regarding Campos and the unlicensed practice of dentistry.

On two occasions in February and March 2012, undercover investigators went to Steven’s Dental Lab under the pretense of being patients in need of dental work. Campos is accused of fraudulently representing himself as a dentist to the investigators. He is accused of performing dental exams, rendering diagnoses, recommending oral surgery and braces, and making a return dental appointment. He is accused of quoting prices ranging from $65 to $2,000, depending on the procedure.

Law enforcement conducted a subsequent search of the defendant’s fraudulent dental office. In the office, Campos is accused of being in possession of a large inventory of controlled substances and narcotics including Morphine Sulfer, Roxicet, Vicodin, and Soma, as well as boxes of dangerous drugs without prescriptions  including omeprazole, naproxen, theramine, glucotrol, warafin, napoxen, sertraline, cyclobenzaprine, tramadol, ketogel cream, and lodocaine. He is accused of possessing these drugs and administering them to patients without a license or a prescription in his illegal practice of dentistry.

ADHA responds to ADA MLP reports

The American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA) is questioning the methodology used in the ADA's midlevel provider (MLP) economic viability reports, contending that the reports excluded key information and do not accurately reflect the MLP models being proposed in some states.

After reviewing the six studies released by the ADA on July 25, the ADHA found that "the methodology utilized to conduct the study impacts the validity of the conclusions drawn by the research," according to an ADHA press release.

The research, conducted by ECG Management Consultants, views the access-to-care crisis "through the lens of economic viability and makes assumptions about midlevel providers that may not be accurate," the ADHA stated.

Appeals court upholds license suspension of dentist after child died in his care

A state appeals court today upheld a state board’s suspension of a dentist’s license after a 6-year-old girl with multiple disabilities died during a routine procedure in Perth Amboy eight years ago.

The pediatric dentist, Patrick Bamgboye, 64, has also been under investigation in connection with the death of a second child during similar circumstances in his care at an office in Irvington in February.

The girl who died in 2004, Kyneicha Pagan, suffered from cerebral palsy, a seizure disorder, liver disease and several other chronic conditions and could not speak, walk, or control her movements, according to the appeals court decision.

Kyneicha had five cavities and Bamgboye determined that three of the teeth required crowns and a procedure involving nerve removal, the court said. Bamgboye used a restraining papoose because the child had trouble remaining still. He gave her a local anesthetic but as he was preparing the crowns for insertion, the child’s lips turned blue and she stopped breathing. She died in a hospital later that evening, the court said.

Enjoy your morning!