Is water fluoridation safe? The ADA’s FAQ page on community water fluoridation helps separate fact vs. fiction on the safety and efficacy of fluoride. Click here to view the ADA page.

Today marks the midpoint of the 2019 Indiana legislative session. It is also the final day that bills can cross from one chamber to the other, making it the day that most bills are done for the year. Below is IDA’s assessment of where we stand on issues affecting dentistry:

Electronic Prescribing – SB312 This bill, opposed by IDA, would have mandated electronic prescribing. It appears to be dead for the year.

Tobacco Regulation – Two IDA-supported tobacco bills also appear to be dead. HB 1565 would have raised the tax on cigarettes; SB 425 would have raised the age for purchasing e-cigarettes and vaping tobacco products to age 21.

Loan Repayment – HB1218 The IDA supported student loan repayment bill died without a committee hearing.

Licensing Issues – HB 1569 The bill that corrects an error in last year Hygiene Access Bill, and gives the IUSD Dean requested revisions to dental faculty license limitations, passed out of the House unanimously and is awaiting Senate consideration.

Medicaid Issues – Three important bills related to Medicaid have passed the House and are awaiting a hearing in the Senate:

• Medicaid Audits – HB 1308 calls for additional guidelines for Medicaid provider audits. While significant language that we liked was amended out of the bill (increased regulation for repayment demands via extrapolation) it still contains important provisions that would place limits on the audit “look back period,” and requires the auditing entity to offer annual provider education on the most common claims errors.
• Medicaid Preauthorization – HB 1546 applies private insurance regulations regarding pre-authorization of benefits to Medicaid.
• Medicaid Oversight – HB 1548 originally called for a legislative Joint Commission on Medicaid Oversight to monitor Medicaid managed care programs, but was amended to instead add additional legislators to the existing Medicaid Advisory Committee (MAC). The bill also specifies a number of provider-related issues and concerns to be reviewed and studied by the MAC, including prompt payment, credentialing, and claims denials.

Dental Day at the Capitol – As a number of bills fall to the wayside, it appears Medicaid-related bills will be front and center at Dental Day, now less than two weeks away. If you have not yet done so, please click here to register. This year’s event will again be held at the Indiana State Teacher Association at 150 W. Market Street, directly across Capitol Avenue from the Indiana State House. Public parking is available at 130 W. Market Street. Registration and a continental breakfast begins at 8:45 a.m., with the program starting at 9:30 a.m.

IDA congratulates Dr. Carol Anne Murdoch-Kinch, who has been named dean of the Indiana University School of Dentistry.

Dr. Murdoch-Kinch will begin her tenure at IUSD on July 1 and will be the first female dean in IUSD’s history. She will be the school’s tenth dean and succeeds the retiring Dr. John N. Williams. Dr. Murdoch-Kinch previously served as associate dean for academic affairs and Dr. Walter H. Swartz Professor of Integrated Special Care Dentistry at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.

IDA looks forward to a long and productive relationship with Dr. Murdoch-Kinch, and we congratulate her again for her great accomplishment!

A government survey suggests some children are using more toothpaste than the recommended amount when brushing their teeth. Health officials recommend brushing teeth with fluoride toothpaste, and “children under 3 are only supposed to use a smear of toothpaste the size of a grain of rice,” while “kids 3 to 6 are supposed to keep it to a pea-sized amount.” ADA spokesperson and pediatric dentist Dr. Mary Hayes said, “Fluoride is a wonderful benefit but it needs to be used carefully.” To ensure children use the correct amount of toothpaste, Dr. Hayes advises, “We want the parent to be in charge of the toothbrush and the toothpaste.”

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month! IDA is committed to improving oral health in the state of Indiana, especially our children. Visit the For the Public section of our website to find IDA materials and information for improving the dental health of Indiana’s children.