Category: ODA Today

    The U.S Food and Drug Administration is warning dental and veterinary professionals to not purchase or use certain potentially unsafe hand-held dental X-ray units. The FDA is concerned that these devices may not be safe or effective and could expose the user and the patient to unnecessary and potentially harmful X-rays. The ... [continue reading]

    Generally, all states including Ohio have some type of unclaimed property laws that declare money, property or other assets to be abandoned after a period of inactivity. Abandoned or unclaimed property is not a tax, but as states become strapped for cash, it has become a significant source of revenue. Additionally in this ... [continue reading]

Christopher A. Moore, MA - ODA Director of Dental Services      Two more third party administrators (TPAs) have begun using a controversial payment method as a means of reimbursing dentists who have provided care to patients covered by self-funded/self-insured benefit plans that utilize the TPAs’ administrative ... [continue reading]

     The Case Western Reserve University chapter of the American Student Dental Association has been busy this year, focusing on outreach activities with underserved populations as well as outreach to undergraduate students who might be interested in attending dental school.      At the end of the past ... [continue reading]

by Jackie Best      The Ohio State University chapter of the American Student Dental Association has teamed up with the Ohio Dental Association to create a new program to teach dental students about advocacy.      The new program – Advocacy Academy – kicked off Feb. 8 when eight members of the ... [continue reading]

by Jackie Best Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer will headline the Ohio Dental Association's Leadership Institute this year, where he will share his knowledge and leadership expertise with dentists who attend. The ODA Leadership Institute is Friday, May 18, 2012, and Saturday, May 19, 2012, at the Hilton Columbus Easton Town Center, 3900 ... [continue reading]

     It may be true that it is easier to recruit a midlevel provider (MLP) to rural areas than a dentist. Some have even argued that “any treatment is better than no treatment.” According to National Public Radio on November 14, 2011,1 Julie Rovner reported “in medicine midlevel providers are filling in the ... [continue reading]

“I tend to live in the past because most of my life is there.” Herb Caen      Yeah, I know, this is February, not New Year’s, but I’m writing this as I wait for the ball to fall in Times Square. Not that I’ll be awake that late, but I can dream, can’t I? Let’s talk about plans and ... [continue reading]

     A patient came in the other day with an emergency. She had fractured a molar crown. I quickly looked it up in her records and confirmed my fears.  Yes, it was one of mine.  I had placed the crown just a bit less than 2 years ago.      Why did it break? Insufficient prep?  Occlusion too ... [continue reading]

Last month, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I read an interesting study in the December 2011 edition of the Journal of the American Dental Association that shows the number of practicing African American Dentists in Cuyahoga County has decreased significantly since 1985.  The study, authored by Francis Curd, DDS, DMD, the assistant dean of ... [continue reading]