Historical evidence, as recently as ten years ago, has shown that dentists have been among the leading prescribers of opioid analgesics in the United States, most often for surgical tooth extractions. However, withinthe last few years, leading dental organizations have…
Tobacco use and dependence is one of the most important public health issues in the United States. Last month, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on both positive and concerning results regarding tobacco use in the…
When hiring new unlicensed dental assistants (DAs) in California, employer must provide proper and effective occupational safety and health training to ensure employee and patient safety. The following Dental Board of California (DBC) and Cal/OSHA training courses must be provided…
On March 28, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced four new enforcement actions against healthcare providers for violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule. Three of…
On March 29, 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a Media Statement calling for certain immunocompromised individuals and people over the age of 50 who received an initial COVID-19 vaccine booster dose at least 4 months…
Note that following information about the updated CDPH requirement regarding face coverings does not apply to healthcare settings, including dental offices. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) updated its COVID-19 masking guidelines, effective March 1, 2022, which now allow…
In early February, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that it is updating its Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids (initially released in 2016 and covering only chronic pain). The draft update was published on February…
In the wake of the Russian attacks against Ukraine, the American Dental Association (ADA) published an article in ADA News advising dentists to be on alert for cyberattacks. This article follows a joint warning issued by the US Cybersecurity and…
Note that following information about the updated CDPH requirement regarding face coverings does not apply to healthcare settings, including dental offices. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced last week that the universal indoor masking requirement will expire after…
On February 9, 2022, California Governor Newsom signed legislation that requires employers with 26 or more employees to provide COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave (SPSL) for most of 2022. The law takes effect on February 19, 2022. Under the new…
