News

One of the pleasures of the Ohio Dental Association presidency is visiting local societies and letting members know what they get for their dues dollar. This year, I asked local societies to encourage members to invite a non-member to the society’s meeting when ODA Executive Director Dave Owsiany and I talk about what the ODA does to ... [continue reading]

You can't pick up a dental publication without reading about the emerging demands and challenges facing the dental profession today. The list of issues facing the profession is endless. For example, studies from the American Dental Association and elsewhere indicate that dentists’ incomes have remained relatively flat in recent years while ... [continue reading]

In April, over 100 Ohio Dental Association member dentists and 50 dental students visited Columbus to meet with legislators and discuss the legislative issues of importance to dentistry as part of the annual ODA Day at the Statehouse. Their participation could not have come at a better time. The legislature is nearing completion of its work before ... [continue reading]

With two of my children graduating from college this year, I’m getting to be a connoisseur of commencement addresses. There is a fine art to this special form of speech. It is delivered to a crowd that expects little from the words and is interested only in how quickly it ends. Once completed, the audience can get on to the reason that they ... [continue reading]

Perhaps some of you have experienced an epiphany in your dental career. Even more important, ask yourself, did you recognize the occurrence and did it alter the way you conducted yourself professionally? If my special moment had occurred prior to dental school graduation or during my two years of active duty service in the Navy, I can guarantee ... [continue reading]

The other day in our pediatric dental office, I looked at our hygiene supply drawer and realized we have seven different flavors of prophy paste available to our patients. The menu reads as such: raspberry, cherry, cinnamon, cookie dough, orange, unflavored and the venerable mint. For a moment, I shook my head at the seemingly overindulgent ... [continue reading]

Have patients been asking about "oil pulling?" Oil pulling is an ancient folk remedy that has recently been touted by various blogs, websites and news outlets as having many oral and general health benefits. Some dentists in Ohio have reported that patients are beginning to ask about this health trend. The practice involves swishing a tablespoon ... [continue reading]

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is expected to release an interim final rule with a new ICD-10 compliance date of Oct. 1, 2015. The rule will require HIPAA covered entities to use the ICD-9 through Sept. 30, 2015. Ohio Medicaid will process ICD-9 claims until Oct. 1, 2015. Ohio Medicaid will continue to follow its plan for ICD-10 ... [continue reading]

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is now accepting applications for the 2015 silver level of the Encouraging Environmental Excellence (E3) Program. The E3 program recognizes organizations committed to environmental excellence and provides bronze, silver and gold levels of recognition. The silver level recognizes organizations that have a ... [continue reading]

Whether you're a recent graduate trying to pay off student loan debt, or a dentist who recently opened a practice, becoming financially stable is important. Paying off student loans According to the American Dental Association, the average student loan debt is over $200,000. After graduation, dealing with this amount of debt can seem ... [continue reading]