Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1387940
10 BECKER'S DENTAL + DSO REVIEW - VOL. 2021 NO. 3 CLINICAL CARE How COVID-19 could change oral health, per NYT By Ariana Portalatin C hanges in dental health practices and increases in oral health concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic have led dentists nationwide to reconsider treatment meth- ods and strategies to improve oral health during a time when dental providers are seeing fewer patients, The New York Times reported May 19. Here are four key takeaways: 1. More research is showing how oral health affects the rest of the body. What was previously thought to be its own entity is now proving to be connected to the rest of bodily functions. For example, a research paper recently pub- lished in Nature Medicine showed how the coronavirus can infect cells in the mouth and salivary glands and be transmitted by saliva. This could explain some COVID-19 symptoms, such as dry mouth and loss of taste. 2. A shift to focus on preventive approaches via teledentistry can help providers reach a wider range of patients. The Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health created a program in which fluoride varnish is mailed to patients who are supervised virtually when applying the treatment. 3. Jane Weintraub, DDS, a professor of dental public health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, dis- cussed the need for low-cost treatment, but said a change must be made to insurance policies and the reimburse- ment process. Medicare does not cover routine dental visits and varies by state, which can prevent patients from visiting their dentists. 4. Mary Northridge, PhD, director of dental research at New York University Langone Health, said people will need to focus on their overall health more than appearance. Some dental treatments can affect the appearance of teeth but can also be a more cost effective option and more suitable for vulnerable patients such as children and the elderly. n Intelligence to offer clients online scheduling By Ariana Portalatin D ental software company Curve Dental will integrate online scheduling into its client offerings through a partnership with Dental Intelligence. Dental Intelligence offers practice management software, including online scheduling capabilities, through its Lo- calMed tool. Dental practices using Curve's software will now be able to offer flexible online scheduling for patients. Dental Intelligence is based in Pleasant Grove, Utah, and supports more than 8,000 dental practices. Curve Dental was founded in 2004 and is based in Provo, Utah. n Spark Aligners gets FDA clearance for kids with primary, secondary teeth By Ariana Portalatin O rthodontic solutions company Ormco has received FDA clearance for its Spark Clear Aligner System to treat children with primary and secondary teeth. The aligners are made with TruGEN material, which is meant to be clearer, more comfortable and more stain-re- sistant than other aligners. They can be used to treat a va- riety of issues, including overbite, crowding, semi-erupted teeth and extractions, among others. The Spark aligners were first introduced in the U.S. during the American Academy of Orthodontics annual meeting in 2019. n