Jared Kaltwasser

American dentists may agonize over crafting the perfect wording for their advertisements and websites, but in one Canadian province dentists have another copy editor to worry about: An allegedly overzealous regulator.

 against the Alberta Dental Association and College, which regulates the industry, charging that the agency’s “overbroad” advertising guidelines and “capricious” enforcement make it impossible for dentists to fairly advertise their expertise and credentials.

For instance, the guidelines state that dentists may list university-conferred credentials, such as DDS or DMD degrees.  However, they can’t list awards, participation in other training or programs, or other bona fides.

They also can’t make subjective claims, such as saying that their work or their equipment is better than the work or equipment of other dentists.

“The overall implementation and enforcement strategy adopted by the ADAC, including an overbroad interpretation and unduly aggressive application of the advertising restrictions insofar as they relate to information on websites, has created a climate of intimidation and bullying,” the lawsuit alleges.

One of the dentists who filed the lawsuit, Lawrence Stanleigh, was told to remove several sections of content from his practice’s website, including references to his military service, before-and-after patient photos, and references to charitable work he’s performed.

Stanleigh also says ADAC made clear it wouldn’t dismiss unrelated malpractice allegations made against him until he made the website changes. He says the work needed to make the changes and deal with ADAC cost him about $10,000.

Another dentist, Dr. Michael Yar Zuk faced regulatory backlash for, among other things, offering coupons and writing a book that criticized the cosmetic dentistry industry. ADAC allegedly ordered him to cease publication of the book.

The dentists say they are guaranteed freedom of expression, and that freedom is being unfairly constricted by the advertising red tape.

, ADAC denied the allegations and said they will vigorously defend the charges in court.

The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified monetary damages.

Articles

A group of dentists in Alberta says the province's regulator has put forth such "overbroad" advertising restrictions that dentists cannot sufficiently promote their practices and services. 

Canadian Dentists Sue Over Advertising Limits

It’s no secret that the cost of healthcare can vary widely depending on a number of factors—whether a patient is insured, what kind of agreement a provider has with an insurer, and the location where the care is being provided.

The importance of the latter factor has become clear in recent years as the government and insurers have put more emphasis on value and cost effectiveness in healthcare. Part of the reason to publicize those costs is to help consumers understand how the healthcare choices they make can impact their own healthcare costs and the cost of the US healthcare system as a whole.

 has been shedding light on procedure costs by creating procedure-specific costs pages. For instance, the website shows that a breast biopsy costs $1,062 on average in the US. However, the prices charged by providers vary from $205 to $10,500.

Earlier this year, the website took things a step further, taking the charges for four common procedures and conditions and using them to find out which states have the highest healthcare costs on average. Though the ranking is based on just four conditions—diabetes care, bronchitis and asthma care, pacemaker implant procedures, and seizure costs—the site found states tend to have either high or low costs across the board. For instance, states with high diabetes care costs tended to also have high costs for pacemaker procedures.

What follows is their ranking of the eight highest-costs states. Included in each capsule are the average charges for inpatient diabetes care and pacemaker installations. Also listed is each state’s healthcare “cost index,” a statistic calculated based on a number of procedure costs. The highest-cost state has an index of 100.0. The data comes from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. A broader mix of data and the costs for bronchitis and asthma and seizure care are available at 

	Pacemaker Installation Charge: $76,826.35

Pacemaker Installation Charge: $80,642.13

Pacemaker Installation Charge: $78,550.42

Pacemaker Installation Charge: $95,195.16

Pacemaker Installation Charge: $81,772.60

Pacemaker Installation Charge: $108,505.91

Pacemaker Installation Charge: $108,994.96

Pacemaker Installation Charge: $109,387.65

Healthcare can be a major expense for anyone, but especially for retirees and older Americans. However, the costs for common procedures can vary widely from location to location. A recent study found healthcare to be most expensive in these eight states.

The 8 States with the Highest Healthcare Costs

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The DMD Top 5 for the Week Ending March 11

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These five stories were the most read at Dentist's Money Digest over the past week.

The DMD Top 5 for the Week Ending March 4

A recent study out of Canada offers new evidence for the inclusion of fluoride in drinking water.

The study, led by researchers from the University of Calgary and assisted by researchers from the University of Alberta, looked at the levels of tooth decay in children following the City of Calgary’s 2011 decision to stop fluoridating water. The study used Edmonton as a control, since that city continues to fluoridate its water.

The researchers looked at tooth decay data from second-graders in both cities for the 2004-2005 school year and the 2013-2014 school year. They found the number of tooth surfaces showing decay increased by 3.8 surfaces for children in Calgary, while it increased by just 2.0 surfaces for Edmonton children over the same time period, a statistically significant difference.

Steven Patterson, a dentist and professor at the University of Alberta’s School of Dentistry, said the data ought to persuade public health officials.

“The early effects of fluoridation cessation found in this study support the role of water fluoridation in contributing to improved oral health of children and that it is a public health measure worth maintaining,” he said, in a press release from the University of Calgary.

The study included some 5,000 children, from both public and private schools. The results were published in 

Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology.

Lindsay McLaren, PhD, of the University of Calgary, said she was struck that such a difference was observed so shortly after the cessation of water fluoridation.

“It had only been about three years since fluoride was removed, which is on the short side,” said McLaren, the study’s lead author, in the press release. “Plus, there are potentially several sources of fluoride in both environments, which would tend to reduce the observed effect of removing fluoride from drinking water.”

Both the American Dental Association and Canadian Dental Association support water fluoridation.

A new study boosts the case for fluoride in water, showing a market increase in tooth decay when fluoride was removed from a water system in Alberta.

Study Finds Rise in Tooth Decay Following Cessation of Water Fluoridation

the type of car you drive can impact your car insurance rates

. There are a number of reasons for this. Among them: Certain types of cars are more likely to be stolen; others have poor safety features and thus are more likely to cause serious injuries in the case of an accident.

But does the type of car drive impact how 

 you drive? That’s difficult to say, according to Penny Gusner, consumer you analyst for 

. The company recently did a study looking at traffic violation data by car model and while it’s difficult to prove a cause-effect relationship, significant patterns emerged.

“It’s the driver that gets the tickets, not the car,” Gusner said, in a company press release. “But it is interesting to see what vehicle makes and models attract drivers who are prone to traffic violations."

To wit, the company’s report found sporty cars like the Nissan 350Z and Dodge Charger had drivers with higher ticket rates. Drivers of luxury vehicles tended to have the fewest tickets, the study found.

The study is based on insurance claim and traffic violation data form 331 car models and more than 323,000 customers. It covers the two years between February 2014 and February 2016.

Not surprisingly, Gusner said there was also a correlation between traffic tickets and insurance claims.

“It’s notable that cars on the most tickets list also appear to have an above-average number of insurance claims,” she said. Overall, 19% of drivers surveyed had made an insurance claim in the two-year time frame. Among drivers of “most ticketed” models, 23% had filed a claim.

So which models had the most tickets and which had the fewest? What follows are the 10 least-ticketed models, according to Insurance.com, followed by the least ticketed. After each model is the percentage of drivers of that model who received a ticket during the two-year timeframe.

 (11% of drivers ticketed between Feb. 2014 and Feb. 2016)

 (8% of drivers ticketed between Feb. 2014 and Feb. 2016)

 (30% of drivers ticketed between Feb. 2014 and Feb. 2016)

Photo (cropped): Flickr user Greg Gjerdingen/

 (31% of drivers ticketed between Feb. 2014 and Feb. 2016)

A new study looks at the makes and models of cars that receive the most (and fewest) traffic tickets.

Which Cars Attract the Most Tickets?

As the eastern half of the United States continues to dig out from last weekend’s snowstorm, driving is likely a key frustration on the minds of many.

Sure, we know the weather can snarl traffic, but even in snowy conditions things would be so much easier if 

 had stayed home and stayed off the roads! At least, that’s what we tell ourselves.

If complaining about “bad drivers” is something of a national pastime, it’s also a topic that can be analyzed with statistics. That’s precisely what the car insurance website 

 recently did when it looked at data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to compile a ranking of the states with the best and worst drivers.

To compile their list, they looked at speeding, failure to obey, and careless driving citations; drunken driving rates; and traffic fatalities in each state. Those statistics were analyzed on a per capita basis and used to compile a total score, on which the states were ranked. The list includes the District of Columbia, so all categories are out of a total of 51. In each category, the higher the state ranks, the greater a problem that particular issue was in the state.

Which state has the best drivers? Turns out, it’s Minnesota, followed by Ohio and Vermont.

Which states had the worst drivers? Continue reading for our full list:

To read CarInsuranceComparison.com’s full report, including rankings for all 50 states and DC, 

Plenty of people complain that their city or state (or the neighboring city or state) has terrible drivers. But what do the data say?

The 9 States with the Worst Drivers

The 2015-2016 winter has had its share of blizzards, cold snaps, and other wacky weather. And as spring winds down to a close, many people will be turning their attention to spring and summer vacations in warmer climates down south.

However, if you’re planning to visit parts of Central and South America, you may need to consider something beyond which hotel you want and which days to travel. You might also need to think about the Zika virus.

As anyone who reads the news is well aware, Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that has relatively minor symptoms in most adults, but which is believed to be linked severe birth defects, most notably a spike in microcephaly in Brazil.

Zika originated in Africa, but it has lately been spreading rapidly in South America and has even been found in the US.

So what should you do if you are planning to travel to Central or South America in the coming months? Here’s a guide to help you think about your travel plans. It’s also a good idea to talk with your physician or travel agent to ensure you have the latest information.

As mentioned above, most people who get the virus have relatively minor symptoms such as fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Thus, if you’re a healthy adult, the risk of traveling to a Zika-affected country might be minimal, particularly if you take steps to prevent mosquito bites, such as wearing long sleeps and insect repellent. However, if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant, it might be a good idea to wait, the CDC says. The same holds true for the partners of pregnant women or women trying to get pregnant, since the virus can be transmitted sexually.

At the moment, the risk depends a lot on the location of your travels. Even within Brazil, certain areas have been hard hit and others have had relatively few cases of Zika. The 

 currently cover nine countries in South America, 12 Caribbean islands, Mexico, and a handful of other places in the region. If you’re headed to those countries, you may want to reconsider. Even if you are going to a country that isn’t on the advisory list, you may want to consider timing: Is your destination country likely to be on the list by the summer? If so, you may want to move up your trip or cancel it altogether.

What’s the financial impact of canceling?

Health is more important than money. However, if the risk is relatively low for you, money might become a factor. Currently, some airlines are allowing free cancellations or changes for pregnant women and their families who booked travel to affected countries. Your travel insurance policy might also cover changes and cancellations — though that might depend on what type of insurance policy you purchased. TravelSafe has 

 of the different insurance types. In general, you should be fine if you paid extra for a “cancel for any reason” policy. However, the Zika virus might not be a sufficient reason to cancel your trip if you have a standard trip cancellation policy, unless you’re pregnant or the CDC issues stronger travel warnings. If you haven’t yet booked your travel to Central or South America, it’s probably a good to spring for the “any reason” policy — just in case.

For the latest Zika news, visit our sister website, 

The Zika virus has become a major international health concern. If you're planning a trip to Central or South America, consider these questions before you go.

Zika Virus: 3 Things to Consider if You're Planning to Travel South

The head of one of Europe's largest dental clinic chains is under arrest as authorities investigate claims of money laundering and fraud.

According to English-language news site Spanish News Today

, Spain’s National Police this week arrested Ernesto Colman, the president of Vitaldent, a pioneering Madrid-based chain of dental clinics. Colman was one of 13 people taken into custody amid accusations the executives defrauded the nation’s treasury.

Vitaldent has around 450 clinics in Europe, mostly in Spain, where it serves several million patients. The news site reports Colman and other executives are accused of demanding cash payments from franchisees and then failing to report those payments to federal tax authorities. The executives then allegedly sent some of the cash to places like Switzerland and Luxembourg, before repatriating the money in the form of investments in real estate and other property.

 franchisees were defrauded of about 10 million Euros ($11.1 million US). The site says authorities feared Colman, who earned the nickname “McDentist” for his company’s rapid growth, was about to leave the country when the arrest was made.

Meanwhile, the company’s clinics reportedly continued to operate as normal this week, despite the arrests and an apparent problem with the company’s computer network. Spanish News Today said police are advising patients to keep track of all of their billing records and report any anomalies.

Others arrested included the company’s vice president and its former commercial director. In addition to seizing records from the company, authorities also took custody of more than 200 farms and rural properties, 36 luxury cars, and a private plane, Euro Weekly reported.

One of the best-known dental companies in Europe is now the subject of a major federal investigation in Spain.

Head of European Dental Clinic Chain Arrested for Fraud

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