Category: Legal Issues

In 2010, the Ohio General Assembly, with the backing of the Ohio Dental Association and Ohio Dental Hygienists' Association, created the Oral Health Access Supervision Program (OHASP). OHASP allows dentists to utilize dental hygienists in designated underserved locations outside of the traditional office setting under a relaxed level of ... [continue reading]

Recently, the Ohio Supreme Court ended a decade long advocacy battle for the ODA.  In 2002, the ODA played a key role in passage of a major tort reform measure that overhauled the state’s medical and dental malpractice laws.  Among other changes, the measure placed caps on damages and allowed for the introduction of collateral source benefits ... [continue reading]

In recent years, Ohio unions attempted to mandate that all employers, including small businesses, offer certain standardized benefits to employees like paid sick leave and a baseline level of maternity leave.  Ultimately, those efforts failed, and most dental offices  in Ohio still retain wide latitude with respect to employee benefit ... [continue reading]

     Throughout the course of a dentist’s career, it may become necessary to end a treatment relationship with a patient.  This can happen for a number of reasons, ranging from bad (missed appointments, unpaid bills, disruptive behavior) to good (new employment opportunities, a sabbatical from the profession to raise ... [continue reading]

     Last month this column discussed the issue of reporting the suspected abuse or neglect of a child and how dentists are expected to respond to such a situation in order to meet legal and ethical requirements.  Most dentists are aware of this obligation and can identify the signs which suggest that the abuse or neglect ... [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 ... [continue reading]

     In May, several dental practices contacted the ODA with questions about the state sales tax and its applicability to clear tray alignment orthodontic services.  These offices had been selected for a sales tax audit by the Ohio Department of Taxation and were facing the prospect of owing several hundreds, if not ... [continue reading]

     A recent study from the ADA’s Health Policy Resources Center indicates that the rate of solo practitioners is falling.  In 2009, 76 percent of dentists were solo practitioners.  But in just one year’s time the rate had fallen to 69 percent.  At the same time, the number of large group dental ... [continue reading]

     Problem employees can disrupt any business, but they have potential to do significant damage to small businesses.  This is particularly true in dental offices, where employees work closely with the public and in close proximity to other staff members.  One of the most difficult issues a dentist must handle as a ... [continue reading]

    In one of his first acts as president, Barack Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 into law. Now known as the “stimulus bill,” the legislation sought to provide a boost to the nation’s economy by funding infrastructure projects and other initiatives. One such initiative was the ... [continue reading]