Jared Kaltwasser

To run a presidential campaign these days you need a lot of confidence, a lot of money, and, as it turns out, a good dentist.

Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio learned that lesson Wednesday evening when he cracked a tooth while eating a Twix candy bar, according to 

 Rubio was aboard a flight when the accident happened.

“I just bit into a Twix bar and I go, ‘Man this Twix bar’s got something really hard in it,’” the Florida senator told reporters, according to the 

. “And I go, ‘Oh my gosh, I cracked my tooth.’”

He stopped Thursday morning at a dentist’s office in South Carolina to have the tooth temporarily fixed with resin filler, the paper said. He’ll return to his regular dentist in Florida for a permanent fix at a later date, the campaign said.

South Carolina holds its presidential primary on Feb. 20. It’s seen as a key state, particularly for Rubio who suffered a disappointing fifth place finish in New Hampshire’s primary on Tuesday.

Not surprisingly, the incident proved fodder for many a comment on social media...

		Cracking under pressure, Marco Rubio’s tooth gets a campaign trail fix 

		BREAKING: Rubio says the Twix bar that broke his tooth was frozen.

		Q: What time was Rubio's press conference scheduled for?

		Marco Rubio cracking a tooth is no laughing matter, unless of course during the next debate he whistles at every "S" sound

Articles

A presidential candidate had to make an emergency stop Thursday morning -- at the dentist's office.

Presidential Candidate Gets Emergency Dental Work on Campaign Trail

A retired Florida pediatric dentist pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges he committed fraud by billing Medicaid for procedures he performed without parental consent.

Howard S. Schneider, DDS, was arrested in November and charged with 11 counts of Medicaid provider fraud and one charge of scheming to commit fraud. He faces up to 55 years in prison and more than $825,000 in fines and restitution, according to the Florida Attorney General’s office.

, Schneider is free on $110,000 bond. His attorney asked for all of the charges to be dismissed. A hearing on that question is scheduled for Tuesday.

In court documents, other dentists who were asked to review Schneider’s work found deficiencies in both his dental care and in the consent form Schneider used to gain parental permission for treatment. For one thing, the dentists noted, the permission form didn’t list the names of the procedures to be performed.

The fraud allegations are just the latest in a series of legal woes for Schneider. Last year, parents of some of Schneider’s patients accused the dentist of rough treatment, alleging he left some children bruised and scratched, according to the KJXT report. Parent depositions also claim their children felt severe pain during the procedures and, in at least one case, a child was allegedly strapped down during a procedure.

Schneider surrendered his license and closed his practice last May after the “abuse” allegations first surfaced. He now lives in Georgia, according to KJXT.

Meanwhile, Schneider’s former dental assistant, LaTosha Bevel-Hillsman, was also arrested in November on charges of fraud, child abuse, and practicing dentistry without a license. She faces up to 15 years in prison and $15,000 in fines and restitution, according to the attorney general’s office.

A retired Florida practitioner faces up to 55 years in prison and nearly $1 million in fines if convicted of Medicaid fraud.

Florida Dentist Accused of Medicaid Fraud, Patient Abuse

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Here is a look at the five most popular articles at Dentist's Money Digest for the week that ended Feb. 5.

The DMD Top 5 for the Week Ending Feb. 5

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These five stories were our most popular during the week that ended Jan. 29.

The DMD Top 5 for the Week Ending Jan. 29

They may not have the easiest jobs in the world, but orthodontists and dentists do have the “best” jobs in America, according to a new report.

named orthodontist the best job in the US for 2016

, followed by dentist and nurse. Oral and maxillofacial surgeon came in at No. 10. In fact, health-related jobs dominated the list, with nine out of the top 10 jobs. The best non-health job was computer systems analyst, which was named the third-best job in the US.

Susannah Snider, careers editor for the magazine, said supporting healthcare roles, such as nurses, dental hygienists, or dental assistants, are particularly sought after.

“Healthcare support occupations, for which demand is expected to grow as Baby Boomers age, are great opportunities for entry-level job seekers or those making a mid-career change,” she said. “These positions offer robust job growth and relatively low stress without requiring an expensive postgraduate degree.”

Oral and maxillofacial surgeon was also listed as No. 3 on the “Best Paying Jobs” list. Orthodontist came in at No. 5 on that list.

 said it uses a variety of factors to come up with its list. In addition to pay and hiring demand, they also factor in employment rates, stress level, and work-life balance.

“An improving economy and increasing employment rate means Americans should have more career options,” said Brian Kelly, editor and chief content officer at the publication.

Orthodontists were scored highly for lower-than-average stress and higher-than-average flexibility, though their upward mobility was listed as simply “average.” The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the profession’s ranks to grow by 18% between 2014 and 2024.

For dentists, the 2016 ranking actually represents a slight fall from last year, when dentist came in No. 1. Still, they ranked 

 at the top of the list. Demand for dentists was expected to grow at a similar rate to that of orthodontists. The biggest plus for dentists was their flexibility, though stress level and upward mobility for dentists was rated “average."

High pay, high flexibility, and high demand were the chief reasons US News & World Report recognized these two oral health jobs as the nation's best.

Orthodontist, Dentist Are America's 'Best Jobs'

Four former employees of a Michigan dentist are suing the clinician, saying she created a hostile work environment by streaming Christian music all day and “forcing her beliefs” on them, according to a report in 

The lawsuit claims that Tina Marshall, DDS, played the religious music at all times and held morning prayer meetings that went from optional to mandatory, 

Marshall denies the allegations, and her attorneys told The Post she did not force any employees to disclose any religious preference or practice nor did she discriminate on the basis of religion.

Nancy Kordus, a former dental assistant at the practice and a plaintiff in the suit, told a local newspaper the music was a source of stress.

“To me, it was just gradually working the way into our minds,” Kordus 

. “We were all on edge. We were trying to be nice to the patients and do good dental work, but she kept forcing the music and her beliefs on us.”

The Post said Marshall bought the practice in 2008, but the disputed religious practices date back only to 2013, when she joined a local religious group.

 that many patients found the music comforting.

"Playing the Christian music is just to keep God on your mind,” she told the paper. “It's just soothing to the spirit. I can't tell you how many patients I have come in and just make comments that it is so calm in here. They're like, 'I'm at a dentist office. This is weird.' And we just smile."

The case hasn’t yet gone to trial. Marshall’s attorneys are asking a judge to dismiss the case, suggesting to The Post that Marshall was being “attacked in this lawsuit for her Christian beliefs.”

A Michigan dentist faces a lawsuit after former employees reportedly said they felt pressured by the dentist's choice to stream Christian music and hold regular prayer meetings at the office.


Dentist Sued by Ex-Employees for Constantly Streaming Religious Music

Tax season is swiftly approaching. For many, that means anticipating a tax refund. For others, it means dreading a tax bill and re-thinking our paycheck withholding.

Federal income taxes, of course, get the most headlines. But a number of other taxes can put a significant dent in one’s wallet. The amount of state and local taxes residents pay varies greatly by state, as different jurisdictions tax property, food, gasoline, and other items at vastly different rates.

 took a look at which states place the heaviest and lightest tax burdens on their residents, compiling a list of the Best and Worst States to be a Taxpayer. They threw in the District of Columbia, even though it’s not a state (the district was found to be the 18

WalletHub looked at a variety of taxes to come up with an average state and local tax bill in each state. Alaska was found to be the “best state for taxpayers.” Taxpayers in Alaska pay just $2,993 per year in state and local taxes, on average. Next up was Delaware ($3,177) and Montana ($3,639).

Meanwhile, taxpayers in some states pay more than double what Alaskans pay. What follows are the nine states with the highest state and local taxes, according to WalletHub. Also included are average real estate and income tax bills and ranks.

Most people are turning their attention to federal income taxes, but there are a variety of federal, state, and local taxes that can put a major dent in any business' bottom line.

The 8 States with the Worst Tax Climates

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Here's a look at the top five stories on Dentist's Money Digest for the week ending Jan. 22. 

The DMD Top 5 for the Week Ending Jan. 22

When many people think about their retirement years, they imagine moving to a warmer climate or perhaps moving to be closer to their grandkids. However, the actual decision of where to move for retirement (if at all) is much more complex.

A recent survey from Bankrate found 60% of Americans would consider moving when they retire. That survey found city-dwellers and residents of the Midwest were the most likely to be pondering a post-retirement relocation.

The wisdom of such a move may have less to do with the weather and more to do with things such as the availability of healthcare, senior citizens’ centers, or affordable housing.

 recently crunched the numbers on this topic to come up with a list of the best places to retire in the US. To do so, they looked at 24 metrics for the 150 largest cities in the US.

Among the factors WalletHub probed: Cost of living (Laredo, TX had the lowest); most recreation and senior centers per capita (Baton Rouge, LA had the most); and most fishing facilities per capita (Fort Lauderdale, FL won out).

What follows is a look at the 10 best cities to retire, according to WalletHub. Also listed is each cities aggregate rank in three categories: Affordability, Quality of Life, and Healthcare Accessibility.

Retirement can provide an opportunity to move back home, to move out of the city, or move to a new, warmer, climate. Here's a look at the 10 very best places to retire, according to a recent study. 

The 10 Best Cities for Retirees

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These stories were the most popular this week on DMD.