A North Carolina dentist who sold his practice to a DSO and three other dentists who made headlines last week:
1. Edward Buford III, DDS, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and healthcare fraud as part of a five-year scheme in which he paid kickbacks in exchange for patient referrals to the practice and fraudulently obtained millions in Medicaid payments for services that were not always delivered.
2. William Simon, DMD, spoke with Becker's about what is contributing to the nationwide shortage of dental hygienists and what can be done to solve it.
3. Tiberiu Sfintescu, DDS, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted forcible touching of a female patient.
4. Heath Brantley, DDS, sold his North Carolina dental practice to private-equity-backed DSO Oakpoint.