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The Silver Bulletin®

Vol. 10, August 14, 2020

New Primary Prevention CDT Code for 2021 - D1355 Caries Preventive Medicament Application - Per Tooth

In 2021 a new CDT code will be available for use in the dental profession. Studies have shown that application of Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) to healthy teeth can help prevent caries. This new code will allow proper documentation of this growing use of SDF. Proper documentation of this preventive procedure can help facilitate reimbursement from third-party payers. Look for "D1355 caries preventive medicament application - per tooth" in the coming CDT codebook with the descriptor "For primary prevention or remineralization. Medicaments applied do not include topical fluoride."


ADASRI manuscript wins 2020 William J. Gies Award

The American Dental Association Science and Research Institute and Council on Scientific Affairs awarded the 2020 William Gies Award to Dr. Alonso Carrasco-Labra, Ph.D., Olivia Urquhart, Malavika Tampi and Lauren Pilcher for their manuscript, "Nonrestorative Treatment for Caries: Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis." First published in 2018 in The Journal of Dental Research and then again in 2019, the manuscript provided substantial information on new treatments for caries. You can review the award here, and find the manuscript here.


Non-Aerosol Producing Procedure

Dr. Jeanette MacLean recorded an instructional video about how SDF can be applied to teeth without producing aerosols. In this time of COVID-19 containment and reducing the transmission, these types of procedures have become significantly more important and common. You can view the video by clicking here or just watching below. Follow her on-screen links to other helpful video's she's created.


Massachusetts Medicaid Now Covers SDF Application

Massachusetts joins over 30 states now providing coverage for SDF application for Medicaid patients. Details required for reimbursement are:

  • $29/tooth
  • 2x/year
  • All members eligible (~1.9 million members)
  • Must provide documentation
  • Must have written consent with color photographs

CAMBRA Coalition Goes Virtual for 2020

The board of directors and conference planning committee for CAMBRA have announced that they are going virtual for the 2020 meeting. While we'll miss the spirited in-person discussions, this virtual format will still allow for open discussion around each session and the opportunity to engage with the speakers. The conference will be held over five sessions from 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM, Pacific time, offer 7.5 hours of Continuing Education for a fee of $100. The program includes a new SDF Consensus Statement and presentations on the expansion of Teledentistry and much more.

  1. Tuesday, August 18th, 2020
  2. Tuesday, August 25th, 2020
  3. Tuesday, September 1st, 2020
  4. Tuesday, September 15th, 2020
  5. Tuesday, September 22nd, 2020

Click here to register!


Chairside Laminate for SDF with Images Now Available in Spanish

We've had requests to translate our Chairside patient laminate with images of SDF-treated teeth into Spanish. We're pleased to announce we now have these available on our download page and available for shipment with orders of Advantage Arrest. Just ask your Preventive Care Consultant or Customer Service Representative to include them in your next order.


Dr. Steve Duffin discussing the Use of SDF

Dr. Steve Duffin discusses how SDF reduces the use of the papoose board in the office and reduces the use of GA sedation dentistry. A good ten-minute discussion on how to change your practice.


Thinking About a Humanitarian Program? We Can Help!

We have always supported outreach and mission programs with reduced-cost product. However, we can now provide additional support. If you have an interest in documenting your program in the form of case studies or research, we can assist with documentation and even provide free product. Please contact us to learn more about this program.


Prescribing At-Home Products? Consider This...

Compendium recently published an article by Dr. Kevin Donly and Dr. Jayakumar Jayaraman discussing the price and availability of prescription fluoride toothpaste at pharmacies. The article discusses how we often, and without our knowledge, set patients up for treatment failure by writing prescriptions. The survey found that some pharmacies did not stock prescription toothpastes, others provide brands with only enough product for five weeks of therapy, others offered only gels, with no abrasives, requiring a second brushing with regular toothpaste. With very few prescription drug plans covering these therapies, the survey found patient costs can exceed $100 for six months of treatment. The article concludes that dispensing at-home products is one of the best ways to ensure patients get the products you trust and they need.

Dispensing can also eliminate multiple trips to a pharmacy, which is always an issue with prescription compliance, and especially important during a pandemic.


If You'd Like to Learn More...


Previous Volumes of the Silver Bulletin

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