Rep. Mike Simpson, D.M.D., R-Idaho, was thanked by dental organizations led by the ADA for introducing the Strengthening Medicaid Incentives for Licensees Enrolled in Dental Act or SMILED Act, which would simplify the Medicaid credentialing process for dentists and require that Medicaid audits be completed by a dentist from the same specialty and follow guidelines from ADA and other organizations. A separate letter from the ADA noted that "administrative requirements often discourage dentists from signing up for, or staying in, the Medicaid program." The SMILED Act would reduce those burdens to ensure there is a strong network of Medicaid dentists.

FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, M.D., said the Food and Drug Administration needs statutory authority to approve new opioid drugs that are safer than existing products. During a recent Senate hearing, Dr. Califf said the agency has taken action to address the opioid epidemic, such as requiring manufacturers to update opioids' safety label warnings and provide mail-back envelopes, but the authority to approve safer drugs will allow the FDA to address the crisis more directly.

Reps. Larry Bucshon, M.D., R-Ind., and Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., reintroduced the Safety From Violence for Healthcare Employees Act, which would put a framework in place to protect hospital workers from violence as existing laws do for workers in the air travel industry. The legislation would strengthen penalties for intentional assault and intimidation of hospital workers.

Postpartum Medicaid coverage in Texas would be expanded to one year after birth under a bill passed by the state House. The Texas House approved a similar bill in the last session two years ago, but the Senate reduced coverage to two months, and the federal government called that proposal "unapprovable."

A study published in The Journal of Craniomandibular Practice found inconsistencies in assessment and management of bruxism among 397 practitioners who responded to a poll. Stress and sleep patterns were identified at the top factors affecting bruxism, with 55% of respondents starting treatment for up to three patients a month, almost all saying they offered patients an occlusal guard/appliance, and almost half stating they made occlusal adjustments.

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics show that in 2021, 5.9% of US adults lived in families experiencing food insecurity, with women more likely than men to be food insecure and unmarried adults with young children most likely to experience food insecurity. Authors of the data brief wrote that being food insecure "affects health outcomes, increasing the risk of high cholesterol, hypertension, chronic health conditions, and changes in functional limitations, and is a social determinant of health."

An Urban Institute report estimated that gun-related injuries in the US lead to about 50,000 emergency room visits and about 30,000 inpatient hospital stays annually, resulting in more than $1 billion in medical costs. Firearm-related deaths cost $290 million in 2020, or an average of $6,400 for each patient, and data shows women had a higher risk of dying from gun injuries.

A long-term study involving 13,000 adults with Type 2 diabetes associated the intake of higher levels of sugar-sweetened beverages with a greater risk of early death for patients with Type 2 diabetes. Researchers reported in the BMJ that replacing just one serving of a sugar-sweetened beverage with coffee, tea, low-fat milk or plain water was associated with a reduced risk of early death.

The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16 caused 9.6% of total COVID-19 cases in the US for the week ending Saturday, up from about 7% in the prior week, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates. The World Health Organization recently designated the subvariant a variant of interest, noting it could spread widely and contribute to an increase in cases, but "there is no early signal of an increase in severity."

Wisconsin clinic Tri-County Dental was founded two decades ago to support the oral health of lower-income residents and is supported by 90 volunteer dentists, along with new dentists who participate in a one-year fellowship. Tri-County also operates a mobile clinic with three patient stations that visits 41 schools in six districts throughout the school year.

As we wrap up Oral Cancer Awareness Month, educate your patients about the link between HPV and oral cancer and how to detect the signs of the disease. Find more free resources for patients at MouthHealthy.org.

Test your dental vocabulary with the ADA's Wordle-inspired daily word game. Guess a new word every day. ADA.org/dentlegame

This must-read Executive Summary from Sunbit offers insight on consumer behavior as it relates to access and financing their needed dental care. This free resource offers dentists and their teams a bevy of operational and communication tips, strategies to build out the right financial toolbox from experts and dentists.