Featuring posts written by the DoseSpot e-Prescribing Integration Team!

The Insider Threat: The Assistants

Posted: August 23rd, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Basics, Controlled Substances, Dental, In the News, Security | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

As we continue our Insider Threat series, we look to the role of the assistants within a dental practice. Specifically, the office assistant and the dental assistant. Though their responsibilities may vary from one practice to another, as well as from each other, assistants are often tasked with a myriad of similar duties, including having access to a dentist’s prescription pad or prescription software. The dental assistant, in particular, serves as a direct extension to the dentist and typically writes or calls in prescriptions on the dentist’s behalf.

Though the perceived trusting relationship between a dentist and their assistant(s) may alleviate the daily mundane tasks for the dentist, how much trust is too much? Should a dentist’s prescription pad or prescription software really be that accessible to anyone within the office? Let’s take a deeper dive and review three cases of prescription fraud committed by an office or dental assistant.

First up, in a West Michigan dental office, an office assistant decided to stay after hours and throw a party for some friends. Not only were multiple items stolen, but her friends utilized the dentist’s DEA number to call in and obtain unauthorized prescriptions from multiple pharmacies. Of the items stolen were the dentist’s prescription pad and signature stamp, of which, both were laying around in plain sight and available for anyone to take.

Another office assistant in Bethlehem, PA, whom had free access to a dentist’s prescription pad, admitted to taking two prescription slips, filling them out in the dentist’s name and authorizing 10 Percocet tablets on each for a family member. Not only were the unauthorized prescriptions filled, but the quantity dispensed was altered from 10 to 20 pills, which is easy to do given that they were paper prescriptions.

Lastly, a dental assistant in Alaska was found guilty of prescription fraud for phoning in numerous prescriptions for Vicodin on behalf of the dentist for a non-patient. In her capacity working in the dental office, she was allowed to call in prescriptions for patients, but took complete advantage of that authority. The pharmacist found the situation to be suspicious and contacted the dentist, whom confirmed that he had never authorized such prescriptions.

While the saying “any publicity is good publicity” may work in certain situations, bad press for a local dentist can be extremely detrimental. All three articles pertaining to the stories above include the dentist’s name and practice location, therefore there is no real way to hide from such unfortunate circumstances and stories like these have the potential to deter both current and prospective patients from a dental practice.

Luckily with e-Prescribing, there is no more need for paper prescriptions, therefore no more altered dispense quantities and no more stolen prescription pads. Furthermore, prescriptions will no longer need to be phoned in since it’s a simple click to send a prescription on its way to the pharmacy with no intermediary. A significant decline will also occur relative to the rate of fraud, resale and abuse of controlled substances because e-Prescribing secures all information exchanges from diversion.

 Click here to learn more about e-Prescribing and start saving time and money today!

This is not to say that assistants cannot aid a dentist with their patient’s prescriptions, quite the opposite in fact. When utilizing DoseSpot and with a dentist’s permission, office and dental assistants can receive their own e-Prescribing account and create prescriptions on behalf of the dentist. However, the dentist must utilize their own unique security passcodes to authorize and send the prescriptions along to the pharmacy, which is especially important when prescribing controlled substances.

To complete our Insider Threat series, we will be discussing how it’s not only office staff, but also fellow dentists, who can be a potential risk for prescription fraud within a dental practice. Look out for our next installment coming to you on Thursday, August 25th!

Sources: Juneau Empire; Wood TV; WFMZ

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com


The Insider Threat: The Office Manager

Posted: August 18th, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Basics, Controlled Substances, Dental, In the News, Security | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

To kick off our Insider Threat series, we shine light on dental practice Office Managers and the trusting relationship they share with dentists. After all, the office manager is meant to be the dentists’ point person who relieves them of administrative and financial duties within the office. Therefore, when it comes to the clinical management of patients, how much control should office managers have? Should office managers have access to the dentist’s prescription pad or prescription software?

Let’s take a look at Nicole Allenton, a now ex dental practice office manager in Washington state whom is serving one year in county jail for forging numerous prescriptions. Utilizing the office’s practice management software, Allenton took advantage of her position of trust and authority to print and fill 15 unauthorized pain medication prescriptions for herself and family members. None of whom were the dentist’s patients and sadly, this wasn’t her first time committing prescription fraud. She previously worked as a dental hygienist in another dental office and pulled off another non-sophisticated scheme to receive pain medication prescriptions simply by phoning the pharmacy “on behalf” of the dentist.

How could this possibly happen, you ask? Regardless of the trust factor, or lack thereof, the computer software in which the dental office deployed was not equipped to handle e-Prescribing. Although prescriptions were entered into the computer system, they could not be transmitted electronically to the pharmacy – they had to be printed, thus giving Allenton a perfect opportunity to take advantage of her superior’s handy DEA number and signature.

 Click here to learn more about e-Prescribing and start saving time and money today!

With written, printed or phoned in prescriptions, there are no checks and balances in place. Since e-Prescribing requires two-factors of authentication for controlled substances, Allenton wouldn’t have been able to forge any prescriptions since a dentist must enter two unique passcodes, including a 6 digit passcode that changes every 30 seconds. Furthermore, e-Prescribing provides a fully electronic audit trail which gives dentists complete insight into all of their prescription activity.

The aftermath pertaining to this case is substantial and it’s safe to say that the price to pay for not controlling prescription access is no laughing matter. Not only did Allenton end up behind bars, but as a result of her actions the two offices in which she was employed experienced severe financial repercussions and one office had to close its doors altogether.

Unfortunately, there are many instances in which a dental office employee has committed prescription fraud. As we will uncover in our next two cases, the office manager isn’t the only potential Insider Threat. Stay tuned for our next case, The Assistants, coming to you on Tuesday, August 23rd!

Sources: Tri-City Herald; News Talk

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com


The Insider Threat

Posted: August 17th, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Basics, Controlled Substances, Dental, In the News, Security | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

Insider Threat, Dental, Opioid Epidemic, Fraud, e-Prescribing

In recent years the trusting relationship between dentists and their staff has come under scrutiny. Questions such as ‘how much control should my staff have?’ or ‘can my staff have access to my prescription pad?’ are questions posed in a dental office on a day-to-day basis, or so we hope. With 58% of dentists falling victim to prescription fraud, an issue that seems to be hitting dentists is Identity Theft. Not identity theft in the usual sense, but specifically the misuse of a dentist’s DEA number, forged signatures and stolen prescription pads.

The culprit? The Insider Threat comprised of office staff and fellow dentists. As the opioid epidemic kicks into full gear, dental offices are seeing the highest rate of fraud yet with forged prescriptions, specifically for controlled substances, and unfortunately staff members with access to the dentists’ prescription pads are at fault. However, as you will read in Case 3 which will be posted on Thursday August 25th, dentists also need to safeguard their prescription pads from other dentists! This is not to say that office staff and peers cannot be trusted or that they’re the sole cause of prescription fraud, not at all. However, how much trust is TOO much without proper protocols in place to ensure checks and balances for every prescription being written?

In 2016 alone, there have been numerous cases where an employee of a dental office has been behind the forged prescriptions and stolen prescription pads, which has ultimately led to dentists hanging the good old closed sign on the front door of the office.  This is the type of financial implications such a crime can impose.

Over the next week, we will be discussing specific cases in which a staff member has taken advantage of their employment to receive or distribute unauthorized prescriptions, as well as useful tools to help combat your potential Insider Threat. Stay tuned!

Case 1 – The Office Manager. Thursday, August 18th

Case 2 – The Assistants. Tuesday, August 23rd

Case 3 – The Dentist. Thursday, August 25th

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com.


4 Signs Your Company is Ready for e-Prescribing

Posted: July 21st, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Basics, Controlled Substances, Dental, Telehealth | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

In a recent post, we discussed that mandatory e-Prescribing is the commonsense solution for opioid addiction across the country, but that may ignite some anxiety in companies that have yet to embrace the technology. Don’t worry, we’re here to help! With 50 states and the District of Columbia on board and ready to e-Prescribe both controlled and non-controlled substances, more and more companies and pharmacies are quickly becoming certified for electronic prescribing. Let’s take the deep dive together and evaluate your clinical workflows with these four reasons your company may be ready to upgrade to e-Prescribing:

You want to ensure patient safety and quality of care to the highest degree

When a patient comes into a provider’s office, of course the purpose is to help this patient in any which way, however how can you be absolutely certain that this patient has good intentions or yet, can remember every medication they may be taking or have taken? With e-Prescribing, you can take the guesswork out by having access to their full medication history and you will also be alerted about any potential drug-to-drug and drug-to-allergy interactions.

You want to simplify clinical workflows and enable providers to spend more time with patients

The implementation of an e-Prescribing system will reduce the time spent on pharmacy calls and faxes, while also reducing clinical errors and time spent deciphering a provider’s handwriting. The automation and electronic efficiency put in place will allow providers to do what they do best and spend more time with their patients, while also improving the value of treatment relative to patient outcomes and medication adherence.

Click here to learn more about e-Prescribing and start saving time and money today!

You want to lower costs

Not only will you have access to a patient’s full medication history, you will also have visibility into their pharmacy benefits and associated formulary at point of care. This encourages the use of generic medications or lower cost equivalent medications which in turn has a lower out-of-pocket cost for the patient. E-Prescribing also reduces costs associated with both providers and pharmacies by saving time and resources. A study conducted by the Medical Group Management Association shows that more than $247,500 per year was spent on unnecessarily complex or redundant administrative tasks and $19,444 per year was spent on phone calls with pharmacies resolving drug formulary issues.

You want to combat prescription drug abuse

We see it on the news, we hear about it from a family member or friend, and the truth of the matter is, the controlled substances abuse epidemic, particularly with opioids, is not slowing down. The good news is, e-Prescribing can help. No longer will a patient have access to a paper prescription where it can easily be lost, stolen, or tampered with since the prescription will be sent directly to the pharmacy. Having access to their medication history will also assist providers in knowing if this patient is doctor shopping for such substances.

The benefits that electronic prescribing has to offer both providers and their patients greatly eliminates risk regarding fraud and drug abuse, as well as associated costs. Here at DoseSpot, we understand that making any type of change can be difficult, but we’ll be with you every step of the way. Our platforms are not only affordable, intuitive and easy to use, but they’re designed to integrate with any healthcare software whether it be medical, dental, or digital. Contact us today to learn more!

About DoseSpot
DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com.


Congress, Dentists, and the Opioid Crisis: Is Good, Good Enough?

Posted: July 13th, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Basics, Controlled Substances, Dental, In the News, Public Policy, Security | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

As the opioid epidemic continues and more policies have recently been implemented to curb this crisis, it seems that a crucial piece of the puzzle is missing: mandatory electronic prescribing. Like Devon Herrick mentions in his latest post, e-Prescribing is a commonsense solution for an issue that isn’t slowing down in the United States. Now is the time for Congress to step up and take advantage of solutions that are not only available, but approved and certified by the DEA. It’s clear that efforts to prevent and treat the opioid epidemic will fall short without additional investments and while states have implemented Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs), they’re not mandatory and the ability to further capture data will undoubtedly be a pivotal cornerstone while facing this epidemic and for several reasons. With electronic prescribing:

  1. A prescriber can track a patient’s medication history and make smarter treatment decisions, i.e. doctor shopping, recent prescriptions filled, and drug-to-drug and drug-to-allergy interactions.
  2. There is no more need for paper prescriptions, therefore no more interpreting messy handwriting, no more altered dispense quantities, and no more stolen prescription pads.
  3.  A significant decline will occur relative to the rate of fraud, resale and abuse of opioids because e-Prescribing secures all information exchanges from diversion.

Electronic prescribing has been utilized by doctors for a few years now, but the e-Prescribing of controlled substances is last to hop on the bandwagon. Until recently, federal regulations prohibited e-prescribing of controlled substances due to perceived risks, however electronic prescribing diminishes these elements of risk.

Click here to learn more about e-Prescribing and start saving time and money today!

Since New York mandated that all prescriptions must be sent electronically, dentists in particular, have seen a vast change in the number of opioid prescriptions: “In a study of dentists, within a few months after iSTOP was implemented in New York, opioid prescriptions fell by about half, from 31 percent of dental visits before iSTOP to 14 percent in the following three months. The quantity of pills per prescription also fell. The total numbers of opioid analgesics prescribed fell by three-quarters (78 percent).”

Whether it’s mandated or not, the numbers don’t lie – electronic prescribing proves to be the smarter and safer force as we battle opioid addiction. Congress, take note.

Sources: National Center for Policy Analysis; PLOS; National Safety Council; NPR; Congress

About DoseSpot DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com.


How Costly Are Prescription Pain Meds? CVS Can Tell You.

Posted: July 5th, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Basics, Controlled Substances, Dental, In the News, Security | Tags: , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

If only money grew on trees—I’m sure the revolving door of CVS’ bank accounts hope so. In the hot seat once again, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced on Thursday, June 30, that CVS is to pay $3.5 Million to resolve allegations that pharmacists have been filling forged prescriptions for controlled substances more than 500 times between 2011 and 2014. They failed to recognize the red flags for fake prescriptions and computer system bans on individuals receiving addictive drugs and did not alert the authorities. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time CVS has had to shell out a large sum of money as a result of negligence when filling controlled substances.

May 2015 – $22 Million; Florida

August 2015 – $450,000; Rhode Island

February 2016 – $8 Million; Maryland

June 2016 – $3.5 Million; Massachusetts

“DEA registrants like CVS have a corresponding responsibility to dispense controlled substances in accordance with the Controlled Substance Act.  When pharmacies fail to adhere to these responsibilities, it allows for the diversion of prescription pain medication, which contributes to the widespread abuse of opiates, is the gateway to heroin addiction, and is devastating our communities,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson.  

Furthermore, dentists were victimized once again. A woman identified as “P.R.” signed a dentist’s name on 56 of 59 oxycodone prescriptions that were filled at five CVS locations, even though CVS had banned her back in 2011. Creating a new patient profile with a different last name was her way in. Another forger had used a Massachusetts address for a dentist who had moved to Maine.

Click here to learn more about e-Prescribing and start saving time and money today!

The settlement money is going to the Department of Justice for now, but there are hopes that this money will be used toward prevention—specifically addressing the need for a way forged prescriptions will never even be able to happen. This is where e-prescribing comes into play. e-Prescribing eliminates paper prescriptions, thus eliminating the risk of forged prescriptions, altered quantities, and stolen prescription pads.

Contact us today to learn how seamless the e-Prescribing transition can be with DoseSpot on your side and let’s combat this opioid epidemic together.

Sources: Boston Globe; U.S. Attorney’s Office, RI; U.S. Attorney’s Office, MA; U.S. Attorney’s Office, MD; U.S. Attorney’s Office, FL

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com.


It’s a Revolution! Trending with Teledentistry

Posted: June 28th, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Basics, Dental, In the News, Telehealth | Tags: , , , , , , , | No Comments »

Independence Day is right around the corner and while the holiday serves as the best BBQ day of the year and the turning point of the American Revolution, DoseSpot is looking at another type of revolution: teledentistry. Some may have heard of it, read about it, maybe even adopted it, but what is it exactly? Simply put, teledentristy is an expansion of the traditional dental practice, where patients can have a virtual visit vs. a physical visit to exchange clinical information and images with their dentist. Of course face-to-face visits will never expire in the dental industry (it’s a bit difficult to receive a cleaning through a smartphone), but teledentistry also allows hygienists and dental assistants to perform procedures across the country while being supervised by a virtual dentist. It seems like a win-win.

In this digital age, everyone wants a faster means of communicating with one another. Taking the time out of work or driving to a dentist’s office for a quick appointment? No, thank you. It’s not only time spent, but more money spent as well. Teledentistry is a sophisticated means to provide affordable preventative care to the public, which in turn helps serve the low-income population and takes an easier hit on the country’s bottom line. Prevent vs. treat is a mantra that should be in everyone’s mind nowadays, especially in this ever-evolving and costly healthcare landscape. It costs a lot less to prevent a problem than to pay for a procedure down the line because of patient neglect or lack of financial means.

Some may argue that true dentistry is a direct encounter between a dentist and patient and they are absolutely right. Teledentistry is not meant to replace the dental chair, but simply serve as an extension. It holds enormous promise and will undoubtedly remain at the forefront of this tele-revolution. Stay tuned!

Sources: Workforce; Wall Street Journal

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com.


The Opioid Epidemic—Are Dentists the Black Sheep?

Posted: June 23rd, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Basics, Controlled Substances, Dental, In the News, Public Policy | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

Once again, the dental industry is in the hot seat regarding their perceived contribution to the opioid epidemic that the United States is currently facing. As part of their “Hooked” series, NBC News recently reported on this deadly triangle: the relationship between dentists, drugs, and dependence and how dentists are at the forefront of this crisis, even citing that they’re taking the easy way out when treating patients.

“We see it across medical and dental practices that physicians and dentists are giving patients extra medication just in case to avoid seeing the patient again or writing for refills. This is an obvious problem that leaves a lot of left over medication and patients hold on to it.” -Dr. Brian Bateman, Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoenocomics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

The article highlights a young woman’s journey from substance abuse to recovery, stating that her addiction to opioids started at her dentist’s office. She was having her wisdom teeth removed, a very common procedure among adolescents that typically warrants pain medication, but she was prescribed a 30-day supply and was not properly educated on the effects an opioid can produce. Having only experienced pain for a few days, she continued to take the medication because it made her feel invincible, powerful even, and the extra pills were just laying around. Unfortunately, this is how opioid addiction usually starts: with a prescription. Patients these days are also going to extreme lengths to obtain these substances such as doctor shopping to receive more medication, buying or selling on the black market, and sharing prescriptions with friends and family.

Click here to learn more about e-Prescribing and start saving time and money today!

Of course this isn’t the first time dentists are being victimized as the gatekeepers for these controlled substances. There has been a dramatic rate of response from organizations across the country in regards to this increasing epidemic. Senator Dick Durbin of IL recently wrote a letter to the American Dental Association (ADA), among other associations, which ultimately bashed the industry and claimed that dentists fail to take responsibility for its role contributing to the crisis and that they’re taking advantage of perceived financial incentives to over-treat pain. Likewise, articles published by JAMA and Harvard have made notion that the dental industry is a crucial piece of this epidemic puzzle.

Let’s play devil’s advocate and take a step back to evaluate what is most likely going on in dental offices. What are the pain points, exactly?

Paper prescriptions are not their friend.

Prescription pads or print-out prescriptions leave an immense amount of risk. Who’s to say a patient won’t alter the pill quantity, claim they lost their prescription, or worse, steal a prescription pad? It’s very easy to swipe a small piece of paper without anyone noticing.

They don’t know the unknown.

If a dentist doesn’t know a patient’s medication history, current medications, allergies, or any history of substance abuse, they cannot make an educated decision when it comes to what they prescribe.

They’re simply trying to do their job.

When a patient goes in for a procedure, a dentist naturally wants to make them as comfortable as possible—before, during, and post-surgery. However, prescribing opioids and at high amounts have become the norm nowadays and other alternatives, such as higher doses of acetaminophen or ibuprofen, aren’t even considered.

Luckily, e-Prescribing can mend all of these pain points, while also creating greater clinical efficiency and relieving a dentist’s anxiety for potential risk. It’s completely acceptable to not know all the answers or available resources that are out there as we combat this opioid crisis, but it’s not okay to turn a blind eye. Bottom line is: education is crucial during a time like this. Don’t remain a victim; take action and spearhead the change.

Sources: NBC News; JAMA; Harvard; Boston Globe

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com.

 


National Safety Month; The Danger of a Prescription

Posted: June 21st, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Basics, Controlled Substances, Dental, In the News, Public Policy | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

The National Safety Council, in an effort to create awareness and reduce the leading causes of injury and death, has established June as National Safety Month. When one thinks of safety, perhaps the following comes to mind: wearing a seatbelt, keeping a close watch on little ones, or having emergency numbers on hand at all times. However, many fail to remember the importance of safety for prescribed medications—specifically prescriptions of controlled substances.

In 2012 alone, 259 million prescriptions were written for opioids, which is more than enough to give every American adult their own bottle of pills. In comparison to ten, even five years ago, this number is dramatically increasing as time goes on and more and more opioid overdoses are being reported on a daily basis. Prince? Elvis? Sigmund Freud? Bueller…? While their stories may have been reported nationwide, people from all over the country and from all different backgrounds are unfortunately experiencing this crisis right in their backyard.

Click here to learn more about e-Prescribing and start saving time and money today!

The dental industry is often victimized as the gate keeper of such prescriptions, but luckily there are efforts in place to monitor how, when, and to whom these controlled substances are prescribed. That is, so long as the dental community, both prescribers and Dental Support Organizations (DSOs), are ready to step up and take action. Fortunately, electronic prescribing (e-Prescribing) has the power to assist in alleviating the opioid epidemic that is upon us, but how exactly?

  • e-Prescribing diminishes the possibilities of duplicate or lost prescriptions since the prescription is sent directly to the patient’s pharmacy
  • A patient will no longer have a paper prescription where the dispense quantity can be altered
  • Prescribers will have access to a patient’s medication history, therefore they can determine if a patient is “doctor shopping” or has a history of substance abuse

Be an innovator and stay ahead of the curve, all while enhancing patient safety and quality of care. A patient’s wellbeing and the ever increasing amount of lost lives depends on it.

Sources: World Health Organization (WHO); American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions since 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com.


3 Reasons to Brush up on Men’s Oral Health

Posted: June 17th, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Basics, Dental, In the News | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

Maintaining proper oral hygiene is an integral part of one’s overall health and well-being, but there’s a lot more to it than simply having white teeth and a nice smile. Infrequent dental visits and not having two X chromosomes unfortunately contribute to the lack of oral hygiene across the country. However, as we celebrate the men in our lives this June in recognition of Men’s Health Month, it’s imperative to create awareness of preventable health issues and encourage early detection and treatment.

While visiting the dentist may not exactly be an appealing way to spend one’s free time, here are three reasons why men should focus on their oral health:

Prevent vs. Treat

Did you know that lack of proper oral hygiene could lead to tooth loss, cancer, heart disease, and in some cases, death? Numbers show that men are more likely than women to develop oral and throat cancer and gum disease. Men typically shy away from visiting their dentists and only schedule an appointment when a problem arises, but catching any complications early on can relieve a lot of stress and associated high costs in the long run. This is especially important if they’re tobacco users as well.

Men Will Be Men

Men who participate in sports, specifically high contact sports such as football and hockey, have greater potential for trauma to their mouths and teeth, but wearing a mouth guard can prevent a lot of potential damage. Likewise for men who ride bicycles or motorcycles—a helmet should always be worn. They don’t need to limit their level of activity, but it helps to be smart about it.

Getting Noticed for the Right Reasons

In a dog-eat-dog world, first impressions are everything and getting noticed in a positive way can make or break opportunities. Men in the business world, family world, dating world—well, any kind of world, really— should make their oral health a top priority. Although a great first impression is important, leading by example for their families and children is equally, if not more, important.

Make men’s oral health a priority this month and encourage them to schedule an appointment with their dentist at least once per year. In the meantime—brush, floss, rinse, and repeat!

Sources: Colgate; Delta Dental

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions since 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com.