Category: Opinion & Editorial

The recent passing of Dr. John Kramer, one of Ohio dentistry’s giants, and the richness of his life as described in his passing, prompted me to think about where our profession has come and where it may be headed. John embodied the caregiver who not only served his community in his professional duties, but went further, embedding himself in its ... [continue reading]

It is graduation weekend and my heart is full. Our last child is graduating from high school, closing one book in his life and hopefully embarking on his next phase when he starts his direct entry DMD program at Case in the fall. The profession of dentistry has brought me so close to other mom-dentists like me, who have used this beautiful life to ... [continue reading]

How we communicate as dental colleagues has changed quite a bit in the last 10 years. Younger dentists share stories in text threads with dental school classmates and you may connect with a referral through a text rather than sending a letter or picking up the phone. These changes can be felt throughout organized dentistry as the “baby boomer” ... [continue reading]

As we all know, for much of 2023, France has experienced a measure of civic unrest as legislation to increase its minimum retirement age battles through national government. News footage of the public demonstrations are a startling tableau – an iconic Parisian monument enrobed in a haze of smoke, peppered with crowds of angry workers; it is a ... [continue reading]

The Boss. Not my wife. I’m talking about THE Boss – Springsteen. “Born in the USA” is perhaps the most misunderstood song of the millennia; blasted on repeat at parades and pools every Fourth of July as if Uncle Sam himself created it. Its lyrics are literally screaming with seething regret, despair and hopelessness. However, coupled with ... [continue reading]

I just read an alumni newsletter and a long-time faculty member at that alma mater institution is retiring and transitioning to teach in a dental therapy program. I talked with a colleague from Arkansas who reported that their new dental school was experiencing some bumps. Email threads lament the inability to find auxiliary staff after COVID-19 ... [continue reading]

This semester, I have facilitated sessions of the Ohio State Interprofessional Education program on Building Teams and Professional Collaboration. One of my roles at OSU is to integrate the dental profession more completely in the overall care of patients of the Wexner Medical Center and the James Comprehensive Cancer Center. Working on that stage ... [continue reading]

My last child is getting ready to graduate from high school and we are going through the interview process. We have been fortunate that three of our four children have been inspired by their parents to become health professionals. So naturally all kitchen table discussions end up with prepping our child. Do you remember that question “Why do you ... [continue reading]

Work-life balance is the mythical equilibrium where a person equally prioritizes the demands of one’s career and the demands of personal life. While it is difficult to describe what good work-life balance looks like, people easily understand when imbalance occurs. Some of the common reasons leading to poor work-life balance include working ... [continue reading]

As part of their practice management curriculum, I asked my third-year dental students to describe the practice they envision 20 years from now and craft a mission statement for their office. I was impressed and encouraged by their responses. They took the assignment seriously and were amazingly honest and open with their dreams. The mission ... [continue reading]