Indian-origin dentist to pay $250,000 in fraud case in New York

New York An Indian-origin dentist is to pay $250,000 to settle a fraud case involving treatment of children enrolled in a government insurance for the poor, according to a federal prosecutor in Texas.

Akhil Reddy agreed to pay the amount to resolve the governments’ claims in the case involving a dental practices in Texas that he party owned, John Parker the Northern Texas federal prosecutor announced on Monday.

A total of $8.45 million was recovered by the government from him, four other dentists and a manager of the practice, the prosecutor said.

Between 2009 and 2014, their dental practices submitted false claims to Texas Medicaid for single-surface fillings in children that were not done and allegedly kickbacks were paid to the patients, their families and marketers, according to the prosecution.

Vadodara dentist invents low-cost denture for tobacco addicts

VADODARA: A 50-year-old woman from Dahod's tribal village had been chewing tobacco for the last 30 years. Due to this habit, she could not open her entire mouth when she needed denture. Doctors told her that she needs to undergo laser treatment so that they could fit denture in her mouth, but she could not afford it. The case then came to a dentist from the city who invented new form of dentures for patients like her.

Dr Kinnar Desai, who hails from Dahod and is practising in the city for some years now, invented a push button denture that could fit in the mouth of those who had the habit of chewing tobacco. "When the lady came to me, I told her that I will try to treat her but it will take some months. One day when I saw my assistant wearing a shirt with push buttons, the idea suddenly struck me," said Desai, who completed his dental studies from Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya from Indore.

No more fillings: Alzheimer's drug may help naturally repair tooth decay

Dental fillings may soon become a thing of the past, as scientists have found a way to renew living stem cells in tooth pulp using an Alzheimer's drug which could help naturally repair decaying teeth. Following trauma or an infection, the inner, soft pulp of a tooth can become exposed and infected.

In order to protect the tooth from infection, a thin band of dentine is naturally produced which seals the tooth pulp, but it is insufficient to effectively repair large cavities. Currently dentists use man-made cements or fillings, such as calcium and silicon-based products, to treat these larger cavities and fill holes in teeth.This cement remains in the tooth and fails to disintegrate, meaning that the normal mineral level of the tooth is never completely restored.

Scientists from the Dental Institute at King's College London have proven a way to stimulate the stem cells contained in the pulp of the tooth and generate new dentine -the mineralised material that protects the tooth -in large cavities, potentially reducing the need for fillings or cements.

Did you know that scuba diving can harm your teeth?

If you are planning a scuba diving session at your next holiday destination, first see a dentist! Due to the constant jaw clenching and fluctuations in the atmospheric pressure underwater, divers may experience symptoms that range from tooth, jaw and gum pain to loosened crowns and broken dental fillings, says a study. 

Recreational divers should consider consulting with their dentist before diving if they recently received dental care, said lead author Vinisha Ranna from the University at Buffalo in New York.

“Divers are required to meet a standard of medical fitness before certification, but there are no dental health prerequisites,” Ranna, who is also a certified stress and rescue scuba diver, noted.

“Considering the air supply regulator is held in the mouth, any disorder in the oral cavity can potentially increase the diver’s risk of injury. A dentist can look and see if diving is affecting a patient’s oral health,” Ranna said.

Mobident: India's first portable dental clinic chain delivers its services at doorsteps.

An arthritic elderly woman has a decaying tooth which not only causes a toothache from time to time but could also lead to inflammation that worsens her arthritic pain. But she keeps putting off a visit to the dentist.

You know you need periodic deep cleaning of your teeth to remove plaque and tartar. Otherwise it can lead to tooth decay, gum disease, and worse. Oral bacteria have been linked to heart disease, diabetes, and dementia. And yet, something always crops up to put off that dentist visit.

Now a dentist and an entrepreneur in India have got together to solve this problem.

Dental drill removed from patient’s lungs

Doctors at a hospital in India removed a dental drill from the lungs of a patient.

The surgery was undertaken at the Getwell Hospital in Nagpur.

The drill had fallen into the windpipe of the patient during a root canal procedure. The position of the drill was such that it could puncture his lung and blood vessels even with a simple cough.

The drill was swallowed into the stomach of the patient even while it was being removed by the doctors using a bronchoscope. Finally, a gastroscope was used to safely maneuver the drill out of the body.