Latest KFF Health News Stories
The NIH Hopes To Make TMJ ‘Bearable.’ It Has a Long Way To Go.
The National Institutes of Health is spending more money than ever to solve the mysteries of TMJ disorders — little-understood ailments that afflict as many as 33 million Americans. Temporomandibular joint disorders, known as TMJ or TMD, cause pain in the jaw and face that can range from discomfort to disabling, with severe symptoms far […]
Doctors Take On Dental Duties to Reach Low-Income and Uninsured Patients
More doctors are integrating oral health care into their practices, filling a need in America’s dental deserts.
The Horrors of TMJ: Chronic Pain, Metal Jaws, and Futile Treatments
TMJ disorders affect as many as 1 in 10 Americans and yet remain poorly understood and ineffectively treated. Many common treatments used by dentists lack scientific evidence.
‘AGGA’ Inventor Testifies His Dental Device Was Not Meant for TMJ or Sleep Apnea
The FDA and Department of Justice are investigating the Anterior Growth Guidance Appliance, or “AGGA.” TMJ and sleep apnea patients have filed lawsuits alleging the device harmed them. Its inventor now says the AGGA was never meant for these ailments.
Montana Clinics Chip Away at Refugees’ Obstacles to Dental Care
As the number of refugees entering the U.S. grows, those arriving in Montana and other rural areas find limited dental care options.
Dental Therapists Help Patients in Need of Care Avoid the Brush-Off
Dental therapists are licensed providers who offer basic care traditionally provided by dentists, including fillings and simple tooth extractions. But opposition from interest groups and the profession’s relative newness mean more than two-thirds of states don’t yet have them.
Millions Are Stuck in Dental Deserts, With No Access to Oral Health Care
Vulnerable and marginalized communities are getting left behind in dental deserts, where patient volume exceeds provider capacity or too few dentists are willing to serve the uninsured or those on Medicaid.
Feds Launch Criminal Investigation Into ‘AGGA’ Dental Device and Its Inventor
KFF Health News and CBS News recently reported that multiple lawsuits allege the device has led to grievous injuries to patients’ mouths, resulting in loss of teeth.
FDA Evaluates ‘Safety Concerns’ Over Dental Devices Featured in KHN-CBS Investigation
A KHN and CBS News investigation found that a dental appliance called the AGGA has been used by more than 10,000 patients, and multiple lawsuits allege it has caused grievous harm to patients.
Readers and Tweeters Are Horrified by Harm Tied to Dental Device
KHN gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Mobile Clinics Really Got Rolling in the Pandemic. A New Law Will Help Them Cast a Wider Safety Net.
Mobile clinics that provided covid-19 testing and vaccines at the peak of the pandemic are now being used to provide a range of health services in hard-to-reach communities. A law passed late last year allows qualified health care centers to use federal grants to expand the fleets.
FDA Looks Into Dental Device After KHN-CBS News Investigation of Patient Harm
The FDA’s interest in the AGGA dental device follows a KHN-CBS News investigation, according to a former agency official.
A los pocos meses de usar AGGA, una paciente dijo que sus dientes estaban tan flojos que podía sentir cómo se movían cuando se untaba crema hidratante en las mejillas. Besar a su novio le resultaba incómodo.
Watch: Dental Device at Center of Lawsuits Was Used on Patients Without FDA Review
More than 10,000 dental patients have been fitted with an Anterior Growth Guidance Appliance, or AGGA, according to court records. But the unproven and unregulated device has not been evaluated by the FDA, according to a months-long joint investigation by KHN and CBS News.
This Dental Device Was Sold to Fix Patients’ Jaws. Lawsuits Claim It Wrecked Their Teeth.
A dental device called AGGA has been used on about 10,000 patients without FDA approval or proof that it works. In lawsuits, patients report irreparable harm. The AGGA’s inventor and manufacturer have denied all liability in court.
‘We Ain’t Gonna Get It’: Why Bernie Sanders Says His ‘Medicare for All’ Dream Must Wait
As he takes the reins of the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee, the independent from Vermont and implacable champion of “Medicare for All” maps out his strategy for negotiating with Republicans — and Big Pharma.
‘An Arm and a Leg’: Getting Insurance to Pay for Oral Surgery Is Like Pulling Teeth
A car crash left a woman in need of oral surgery, but her health insurance wouldn’t cover it. Her ongoing fight shows podcast host Dan Weissmann the weird way insurance treats teeth and reveals a big problem in the Obamacare marketplace.
¡No te perfores los dientes! Cómo acabar con los malos consejos dentales en TikTok
Estilizar los dientes ha sido una práctica común durante siglos en todo el mundo. Pero las redes sociales, sobre todo TikTok, han dado vida a tendencias como las gemas dentales.
Don’t Drill Your Own Teeth! And Quashing Other Rotten Dental Advice on TikTok
TikTok videos extol doing your own cosmetic dentistry like gluing gems to your front teeth or filing down your teeth. The trouble is social media rarely shows the mistakes or the pain.
After Congress Fails to Add Dental Coverage, Medicare Weighs Limited Benefit Expansion
Medicare can pay for some dental care if it is medically necessary to safely treat another covered medical condition, and federal officials have asked for suggestions on whether that list of conditions should be expanded.
