Category: Legal Issues

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) classifies dental offices as places of public accommodation. Accordingly, offices must make "reasonable modifications" to their practices, policies and procedures in order to accommodate disabled patients. This act covers all types of disabilities, but in this article I want to discuss one of the most ... [continue reading]

Over the past few years it has become more common to see an animal in a dental office or in public places. In that time I have been asked questions about the rights of animal owners to have their companion in the office. This trend has increased to include phone calls from dental offices asking if they are allowed to have an office animal. The ... [continue reading]

A well-defined office manual can be of great benefit to a dental practice. Employment issues are some of the most difficult matters to confront as a small-business owner. Oftentimes, the best way for employer dentists to avoid the common problems that arise with employees is to establish an office employee manual. Establishing an employee manual ... [continue reading]

Over the past year I have been asked numerous questions about in-office dental plans.  My answer has always been that in-office dental plans are not illegal or improper, but dentists must be careful to not call the plan insurance.  Identifying an in-office membership plan as “insurance” carries with it a very large penalty, ... [continue reading]

The long awaited end to this three-part series comes to you this month as we dive in to look at the role of an expanded function dental auxiliary (EFDA) in the office. Over the past decade we have seen each member of the dental team flourish in their role because of what the dental practice act allows each of them to do. This team approach to ... [continue reading]

I feel like I have lied to you because I stated in my last column that this would only be a two-part series. I know, you were excited that you would only have to read two articles jam packed with statutes and rules. However, we are going to make this a three-part series because the last two members of the dental team have more tasks to cover. So ... [continue reading]

Over the next two months we will be taking a closer look at each one of the dental team members to understand exactly what the Dental Practice Act allows each of them to do. As all of you know in Ohio we are fortunate to have a strong dental team made up of dentists, dental hygienists, expanded function dental auxiliaries, and dental assistants. ... [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]

Dentists are well respected professionals and are trusted members of any community. As such, state law and the ADA Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct (Code) place obligations upon dentists to report abuse and neglect at certain times. It is important for dentists to be familiar with the legal and ethical requirements surrounding ... [continue reading]

Due to the growing volume of information that is being transferred and stored away each day, businesses are beginning to realize the importance of adopting a records retention policy. The purpose of adopting such a policy is to establish an official procedure for managing records. A well-crafted records retention policy specifies a detailed method ... [continue reading]