The Mile-High Cry Against Self-Interested Colorado Dental Regulators

Denver Opinion Writer Critical of Proposed Colorado Dental Regulations

2009-07-07T14:46:00Z

A Denver-based opinion writer has published an article that is critical of a proposal to make it even more difficult for Colorado dentists to offer safe, effective, oral sedation dentistry.

Writing July 6th for Examiner.com, Denver Business Commentary Examiner Dean Rotbart, notes that "the facts don't support the need for any change to existing Colorado dental regulations."

Rotbart says that a few, self-interested members of the Colorado State Board of Dental Examiners are placing their own financial interests above the health of the public at large.

"The answer is to trash these unnecessary and restrictive proposed changes to the State regulation," the columnist writes. "What is good for Colorado consumers is to make going to a safe, licensed, oral sedation dentist as easy and convenient as running to Albertson's for milk and a bottle of aspirin."

The full essay can be found at:

http://www.examiner.com/x-16299-Denver-Business-Commentary-Examiner~y2009m7d6-Colorado-dental-patients-face-costly-new-regulation

Squeamish Colorado Dental Patients Get Drilled By Self-Interested Regulators

2009-06-16T22:34:00Z

Denver, Colorado (PRWEB) June 17, 2009 -- Many Coloradoans who fear going to the dentist go less frequently and pay more than patients in most of the country, according to a group of angry patients and health professionals.

Holorado - The Mile-High Cry

The protest group, Holorado, ranks Colorado near the bottom of the list of U.S. states that allow anxious or fearful patients to visit their preferred dentists and receive affordable, safe, effective oral conscious sedation.

"The Colorado State Board of Dental Examiners (CSBDE) is supposed to provide local residents 'open and safe access' to fear-reducing sedatives. But some self-interested regulators have mile-highjacked the process to redirect patients-in-need to them and other high-priced specialists," says a statement issued by Holorado.

The result is that Colorado residents are among those U.S. patients least able to avail themselves of anxiety-reducing methods that have been used safely by millions of patients outside the state and which conform to American Dental Association recommended guidelines.

Worse, as Holorado points out, is the fact that some self-interested members of the CSBDE are now trying to push through even stricter regulations that will make it all but impossible for any general dentist in Colorado to provide the exact same safe and effective sedation care available in most of the country without an unreasonable investment of additional time and training expense. Such overregulation has not been proven to increase safety, but has been proven to create a barrier to access to care.

Although the details of CSBDE's newly proposed regulations are technical, the net result of the proposal - which will be the subject of a rulemaking hearing on July 9th in Denver - is that only expensive dental specialists will be allowed to provide even mild oral conscious sedation in the state.

That differs from the regulations in 39 other states (and all of Canada), where no negative public safety health consequences have arisen by permitting family dentists and neighborhood dentists - with extra, but not extreme additional training - to offer the popular methods of anxiety-reducing oral sedation.

"In fact, in those states that have embraced oral conscious sedation as a choice for high-anxiety patients, the number of adults who've returned to their family dentists after avoiding them for years actually has skyrocketed," notes Holorado.

Oral health is not only important for patients' comfort, appearance, and self-confidence; it has also been repeatedly demonstrated that poor oral health often contributes to other major health issues, including heart disease.

Holorado contends that the CSBDE's effort to tighten requirements in Colorado is driven primarily by specialists on the Board and in the Colorado dental community. These specialists are trying to keep the larger number of safe, family and neighborhood dentists from offering a less expensive, but equally effective (if not superior) alternative, Holorado says.

"In Colorado, the debate is not over patient safety," says a Holorado spokesperson, who notes there have been zero reports of dental patients harmed by trained dentists who adhere to the ADA's oral sedation guidelines. "Rather, this is about specialists who want to profit at the expense of Colorado patients and their perfectly capable preferred family dentists."

Holorado is encouraging all dentists and their patients in the state - whether or not they wish to offer oral conscious sedation - to attend the July 9th CSBDE and stand up for the rights of patients to receive the broadest possible menu of safe, ADA-approved modalities.

Holorado, a movement formed earlier this year, represents Colorado patients, dentists, dental hygienists and other health care professionals who seek to call attention to the CSBDE's self-serving actions.

The CSBDE regulates dentistry in the state and licenses dentists. Members of the Board are appointed by Governor Bill Ritter, Jr.

Meet the Colorado State Board of Dental Examiners

2009-06-16T00:12:00Z

Call or write your Colorado State Board of Dental Examiners and let them know you want Colorado patients to have a fair choice to select safe, effective, oral sedation without undue, unnecessary and costly new regulations.

1560 Broadway, Suite 1350
Denver, Colorado 80202
Ph: 303.894.7800

F. Robert Murphy, DDS, Chairperson -- 1/1/2013

Panel A

Name, Title -- Term Expires

G. Garo Chalian, DDS, Dentist Member -- 1/1/2013

Brian Davidson, MD, Public Member -- 1/1/2013

Duane Takaki, DDS, Dentist Member -- 1/1/2012

Elizabeth Thompson, RDH, Dental Hygienist Member -- 1/1/2011

Steven Tilliss, DDS, MS, Dentist Member -- 1/1/2011

Noble L. Wallace, Public Member -- 1/1/2010

Panel B

Name, Title -- Term Expires

Eve Bluestein, MD, DDS, Dentist Member -- 1/1/2012

Peter D. Carlesimo, DDS, Dentist Member -- 1/1/2013

Catherine Hakala, DDS, Dentist Member -- 1/1/2010

Annette G. Isenbart, RDH, Dental Hygienist Member -- 1/1/2013

Melanie Names, JD, Public Member -- 1/1/2011

Lisa M. Reitmaier, RDH, Dental Hygienist Member -- 1/1/2013

Program Director

Maulid Miskell

The Official Wording of the Proposed CSBDE Rule Changes

2009-06-16T00:02:00Z

For anyone interested, here is the full text of the changes proposed by the Colorado State Board of Dental Examiners:

Rulemaking Hearing, July 9, 2009

Proposed Changes with Statement of Basis, Purpose, and Authority

Basis and Purpose: This Rule XIV exists to address the Dental Practice Law of Colorado § 12-35-107(1)(f), CRS and to replace prior anesthesia related Board Rules XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, and XVIII. The purpose of this Rule XIV is to provide dental patients in the state of Colorado open and safe access to anesthesia care by making the permitting process well defined, transparent, and consistent for the dental professionals while at the same time, advocating for patient safety. The Colorado State Board of Dental Examiners will also address the issue of how to transition licensees with permits issued under prior anesthesia rules and other related topics at this Rulemaking Hearing.

Statement of Authority: Pursuant to CRS 12-35-107 (1) (b) and (f), Make, publish, declare, and periodically review such reasonable rules as may be necessary to carry out and make effective the powers and duties of the board as vested in it by this article.

The text is also available from the State of Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies website:
www.dora.state.co.us/dental/noticeofrulemaking7909.pdf