News

Pediatric Dental DSOs Are Consolidating Fast: Lone Peak Adds 11 Practices and Closes a 170 Million Dollar Recap in July 2026

A Parent's Politics Predicts Vaccine Hesitancy but Not Fluoride Opposition, New 2026 Study Finds

Colorado Capped Adult Medicaid Dental at 3,000 Dollars and Cut Rates 2 Percent on July 1, 2026: What It Means for Families

Colorado's July 1, 2026 budget changes cap adult Medicaid dental benefits at 3,000 dollars a year, trim all Medicaid rates by 2 …

Autobrush Recalls 48,000 Kids' Toothbrush Boxes Over a Hidden Button Battery: What Families Should Do

Autobrush has recalled roughly 48,000 Sonic Pro kids toothbrush boxes because a hidden lithium coin battery inside the packaging can be swallowed …

England Just Confirmed a Ban on Energy Drink Sales to Under-16s: What It Means for US Families and Kids' Teeth

On July 16, 2026, England confirmed it will ban energy drink sales to under-16s from April 2027. There is no US equivalent, …

Kids' Oral Health Just Hit a Five-Year High, but Parents Still Miss the First Visit: Inside Delta Dental's 2026 Report

Delta Dental's 2026 State of America's Oral Health Report finds children's oral health at a five-year high, with kids brushing and flossing …

Best and Worst States for Children's Oral Health in 2026: What WalletHub's Rankings Mean for Your Family

WalletHub's 2026 analysis ranks every state on children's oral health. Kansas came out on top and New Jersey came in last. Here …

Most Parents Wait Too Long for a Child's First Dental Visit, a New June 2026 Study Finds: What the Age One Rule Really Means

A June 2026 study of 384 parents found 70.1 percent think a child's first dental visit should wait for a problem. Here …

Chalky Teeth in Kids: A New 2026 Study Finds Dentists Do Not Agree on How to Treat Molar Incisor Hypomineralization

A new 2026 study from the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network shows dentists routinely tell families about "chalky teeth," but disagree sharply …

What Vaping Does to Teens' Teeth and Gums: What a New 2026 Review Tells Parents Before Back to School

A 2026 systematic review in the Journal of Clinical Medicine ties teen vaping to gum inflammation, dry mouth, and shifts toward cavity-promoting …

Southern Illinois Gets Its Only Medicaid Pediatric Dental Center: Shawnee Health Opens Children's Dental Center September 1, 2026

Shawnee Health opens the Children's Dental Center in Marion on September 1, 2026, the only pediatric dental facility in Southern Illinois that …

Your Child's Baby Teeth Are a Health Record: What New 2026 Research Says Parents Should Know

A doctoral study published in June 2026 and a Mount Sinai analysis in Science Advances show that naturally shed baby teeth preserve …

A New 2026 Study Followed 3,196 Children From Birth: Here Is When Toddler Cavities Start and What Raises the Risk

A new birth cohort study that tracked 3,196 children to age 5 shows cavities in baby teeth can appear as early as …

The ADA Just Published a Medicaid Blueprint and Expanded It to Montana, Virginia, and Iowa: What It Means for Families Finding a Dentist in 2026

The American Dental Association has published a blueprint from a six-state Medicaid pilot and launched the Dental Access Partnership Across States with …

Dental Therapists Are Expanding to 14 States in 2026: What This New Provider Means for Your Family's Access to Care

A new kind of provider, the dental therapist, is now licensed in 14 states in 2026. Michigan just licensed its first two …

House Panel Raises Federal Pediatric Dentistry Training Funds to 14 Million Dollars for 2027: What It Means for Families

A House Appropriations panel voted to raise federal Title VII pediatric dentistry training funding to $14 million for fiscal year 2027, a …

ADA and Immersify Launch 'Foundations First,' an AI Course for New Dental Assistants: What It Means for Families

The American Dental Association and Immersify launched Foundations First on July 7, 2026, a six to eight hour, 99 dollar AI course …

North Carolina Budget Language Threatens Medicaid Dental Surgery Coverage for Young Children in 2027

Two paragraphs on page 265 of North Carolina's new state budget could end Medicaid coverage for dental surgeries at ambulatory surgical centers …

Congress Weighs the Promoting Dental Health Act: What Reauthorizing the CDC Oral Health Program Would Mean for Kids in 2026

A new push in Congress would reauthorize the CDC Division of Oral Health through 2031. For families, the programs at stake are …

Dental Hygienists Push for Doctoral Degrees: What the ADHA's 2026 White Paper Means for Family Preventive Care