Category: Opinion & Editorial

Three years ago I had no clue of the whereabouts of Salt Lick and Lynch and the counties of Harlan, Bath and McCreary. But then again, I had no clue that the practice of dentistry would be a faint vision in my rear view mirror of life. I traveled to these Kentucky cities and counties this summer, as a volunteer for Lexington Kentucky’s ... [continue reading]

I have spent a great deal of time this summer discussing the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on the profession of dentistry and the country as a whole. While we can debate the overall effect of the law on individual practices and the general health of the American public, I had an epiphany recently when I stepped back and looked at the ... [continue reading]

Once again, I’ve found a dental commentator who shares some of my views and can hold his own while he rants. I’ve never met Dr. John Paul in person, but I feel like he’s a new-found, long-lost friend. John is the new Florida Dental Association editor, and, with his permission, I’d like to share one of those rants. I first ... [continue reading]

Recently, a friend shared an article with me titled “Fathering with Intentionality,” by Brett and Kate McKay. Its aim is to get fathers thinking about the importance of creating a family culture. It’s a good read if you’re interested. It got me thinking about my other family – my dental team – and the culture ... [continue reading]

I remember vividly my father talking with me about sex when I was a teenager. We could talk about everything else, but that subject was incredibly uncomfortable for both of us. He chose to open the subject in the car, when we were driving to the mall. It made it easier, since we were sitting side by side in the front seats and didn’t have to ... [continue reading]

“Trust thyself only, and another shall not betray thee.”  Thomas Fuller (1608 - 1661) Misplaced trust plays a big part in the woes of our practices. Miseries arise, not only from dishonesty, but also from stupidity, greed and an inflated sense of self-worth. Financial issues aren’t that uncommon in today’s world. Just ... [continue reading]

By Nathan PrueterOSU College of Dentistry Student Over the past few years, The Ohio State University’s American Student Dental Association (ASDA) chapter has achieved tremendous membership growth and received several prestigious awards, while becoming one of the premier chapters in the U.S.  Ohio State’s ASDA’s recent growth ... [continue reading]

CBSNews.com posted a story on June 11, titled “Genetic Test May Tell How Often You Need to Go to Dentist.” Author Ryan Jaslow reports that, “researchers tracked dental patients for 16 years, looking for gum disease and tooth loss, and found that people with healthy mouths who have mutations in their IL-1 (interleukin-1) gene are ... [continue reading]

“Stupid is as stupid does.” – Forrest Gump As far as I could tell, he removed neither his eyes nor his fast-moving thumbs from the hand-held whatever that was propped up on top of the steering wheel as he cut across two lanes of out-of-Columbus-bound I-71 traffic and almost exterminated an orange barrel and two motorcycles on the ... [continue reading]

Whether it’s about poverty, orphans, or disease, when there’s a need to pull on someone’s heart strings, always invoke a reference to children. “Save them,” “Feed them,” “Adopt Them,” “Vaccinate Them,” do something, anything, but for heaven’s sake don’t ignore their ... [continue reading]