by Olivia Wann

Acadia Health doing business as Just Kids Dental filed a notice of a data breach with the Attorney General of Maine on September 1, 2023. Evidently an unauthorized party accessed patient information including:

• Patient names
• Social security numbers
• Addresses
• Email addresses
• Telephone numbers
• Birth dates
• Driver’s license numbers
• Health insurance policy information
• Dental treatment
  • Radiographs
  • Medical record numbers
  • Account numbers, and
  • Health conditions

The dental practice sent out data breach notification letters affected by the security incident. There were over 129,000 patients and employees affected.

How did this happen? The pediatric office was targeted in a cyberattack. Hackers encrypted the computer networks including any data stored on the system including patient and employee files.

It’s very unfortunate to report that we noted one law firm “inviting” victims of the breach to participate in a class action lawsuit against Acadia Health if they have experienced any fraud or identify theft since August 1, 2023. None of us are immune from a cyberattack. We can only mitigate risk through compliance with recognized security practices (RSPs), compliance with HIPAA and working with a competent IT group. If you need assistance with your HIPAA Security Risk Assessment, contact us today (931) 232-7738.

by Olivia Wann

In dentistry, we know that informed consent allows patients to make decisions in their dental care. We are aware that parents and legal guardians provide consent for minors. But the question arises, who provides consent for minors who are in foster homes?

by Olivia Wann

It may sound redundant, but we cannot please every patient we serve. Although the majority of the individuals we serve may be great patients and contribute to you having a wonderful day at work, the reality is there’s those one or two who make our lives miserable. It’s the rude, disruptive patient who has unrealistic expectations.  They don’t comply with your recommendations and then blame you for unfavorable results. They fail to keep appointments. They don’t pay their bill. And somehow you are the target.

By Gracie Hogue

As air quality has been a major headline topic lately in the eastern U.S. and Canada, it is a major consideration for the dental practice as well. The scientific community has made a committed emphasis on indoor air quality of medical and dental facilities since the 1960s, and now with airborne infections becoming a critical focus, there have been new developments in ensuring that your practice’s air is clean and healthy for both the patients and its workers.

Aerosol-generating procedures produce large quantities of aerosol that can hover in the air and eventually land on surfaces or be inhaled. To combat this, there are some amazing work practice controls and engineering control options. Here is the difference between the two:

Work Practice Controls – This is when the practice changes how certain treatments and arrangements are done. Work practice controls are different from engineering controls in that they do very little to eliminate the aerosol, but work around it in such a way that more or less isolates people from the hazard. Here are some examples of Work Practice Controls:

• Plastic curtains separating patients
• Separate rooms
• Partitions
• Sneeze guards
• Easy-to-clean physical barriers between patient chairs
• Orienting operatories parallel with the direction of airflow
• The patient’s head being be positioned near return air vents, away from corridors, and toward a rear wall when feasible
• Dental dams

Engineering Controls – These are machines that purify the air and collect the potentially infectious aerosol. Here are some examples of Engineering Controls:

• External oral evacuation units
• Air purifiers
• Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation
• Amalgam separators
• Capt-all devices

Whichever work practice controls or engineering controls you choose to implement, it is vital to be a part of the fight of infection control.