Author: Todd Odenweller

One of my favorite aspects of the ODA is the events that we hold for our member dentists. For example, the ODA’s annual Day at the Statehouse is an extremely important and valuable event. Dentistry is a wonderful profession, but it is also a heavily regulated profession. Our Day at the Statehouse provides an opportunity for dentists from ... [continue reading]

The ODA Foundation is conducting a mini raffle in 2020 that would reward one member with their 2021 tripartite dues, up to $1,500. The participants in the mini raffle will automatically include any member who has contributed to the Foundation at the Humanitarian level ($170) or above during the time frame of Nov. 1, 2019 to Oct. 31, ... [continue reading]

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine recently appointed Dr. Paul M. Kelley to the Ohio State Dental Board. Kelley is a general dentist in the Waverly/Piketon and is actively involved in administering dental examinations through CDCA.  He is a member of the Ohio Dental ... [continue reading]

Dental offices that either require the use of respirators such as N95 masks or make their use optional must create an OSHA Respiratory Protection Program. The Ohio Dental Association has developed a sample OSHA Respiratory Protection Program for dental offices as part of our regulatory compliance guide. For more information about the OSHA ... [continue reading]

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ohio Dental Association has served as a significant source of information for dentists and the dental profession. During the height of the pandemic, the ODA sent out emails on an almost daily basis, provided updates on our website, shared information on social media and hosted Facebook Live sessions and video ... [continue reading]

Limbo. An uncertain period of awaiting a decision or resolution; an intermediate state or condition. Many would say that this word describes our current condition with the coronavirus. We are not sure whether conditions will improve or worsen, and when either will happen. In our professional lives, we are not sure how much PPE to purchase – ... [continue reading]

The current coronavirus pandemic has created many challenges in our society. This public health crisis has caused sickness and deaths and has negatively impacted our economy. It has altered nearly everyone’s life as businesses, churches, schools, restaurants, health care facilities and more have been closed or severely restricted. Our ... [continue reading]

Ohio's Interim Director of Public Health Lance Himes recently signed an order that requires people in Ohio to wear a mask. This requirement applies to any indoor location that is not a residence. There are some exceptions, including when an individual is alone in an enclosed space. For dental offices, any staff member that is not alone in an ... [continue reading]

The Ohio State Dental Board voted at its June 10 meeting to accept manikin-based clinical examinations administered by regional testing agencies through Dec. 31, 2020, effective immediately, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. This applies to both dentists and hygienists for their initial Ohio license. In advance of this decision, the Ohio ... [continue reading]

As I write this column, it is June 19. Things change rapidly, so I wanted to provide some reference to my comments. I have received several questions from members about our Ohio State Dental Board guidelines, so I had a conversation with the Board President, Dr. Kumar Subramanian. I relayed the questions that I had received and he reiterated that ... [continue reading]