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Warren, Ohio - Ralph E "Jim" Snelson, 80, died Friday, April 29, 2016 at Lake Vista of Cortland after a long illness. He was born on May 13, 1935 in Warren, the son of the late Dr. Ralph “Snick” and Anne Lewis Snelson. Jim was a local dentist with Snelson & Snelson. He had partnered first with his father, Dr. Ralph A. ... [continue reading]

Embezzlement is a crime of opportunity, and it happens because it can. It is impossible to know the exact prevalence of embezzlement in dental offices as much goes undetected and unreported, but studies indicate that at least one in three dentists will be embezzled throughout the life of the practice. Dentists are particularly susceptible to fraud ... [continue reading]

My son Brian and I had takeout Chinese food for dinner the other night. His fortune cookie said, “A dose of adversity is often as needful as a dose of medicine.” We both agreed that sounded like something written by someone in deep you-know-what who was trying to make himself feel better. So many of our problems are the result of ... [continue reading]

Last month I alluded to the fact that some of our profession’s specialists might have a more advantageous status in their dealings with third-party payers. Well ...  yes they do ... and more than just a few specialists reside in our profession’s penthouse accommodations. For you “young’uns,” way back when there ... [continue reading]

At this juncture of my career, I find myself obsessed with practice management courses versus those courses that teach the latest and greatest in endodontic technique. Does it mean that I am at the pinnacle of being an endodontist and all that is to be learned has been learned? “No … of course not” she emphatically stated. Is it ... [continue reading]

The Ohio Dental Association and the American Dental Association are lobbying for two pieces of legislation that would prohibit insurance companies from setting fees for non-covered services. Dental insurance plans are dictating fees for dental services that the insurance company does not cover for enrollees. This practice is fundamentally unfair ... [continue reading]

The Dental OPTIONS program is seeking volunteers to help provide care to Ohioans in need. Dental OPTIONS is a program provided through a joint partnership between the ODA and the Ohio Department of Health that helps eligible, low-income uninsured adults in Ohio obtain access to dental care by linking them with volunteer dentists. “OPTIONS is ... [continue reading]

April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month, and dentists are the first line of defense in early detection of the disease. Oral cancers are newly diagnosed in about 132 individuals each day in the U.S., but when found at early stages of development, oral cancer patients have an 80 to 90 percent survival rate. “Creating awareness, discovery, ... [continue reading]

In today's world, you have to keep up with so much just to stay competitive. A business without a digital presence is at a disadvantage so, tough as it is, you must adapt to it. Otherwise, your practice is lost among the hundreds – if not thousands – out there that exist just in your area alone. It used to be that if you wanted to ... [continue reading]

In 2010, the Ohio General Assembly created the Oral Health Access Supervision Program (OHASP) designed to help increase access to a dental home for underserved populations. The OHASP allows dentists to send hygienists into certain designated locations like nursing homes, clinics and certain public schools under a new level of hygiene supervision. ... [continue reading]