Category: Opinion & Editorial

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]

This issue of the “ODA Today” is sent to every dentist in Ohio, whether you are a member or not. I could not pass up the opportunity to write a few words about membership in your professional organization and why you are important to us. The most important thing that was necessary for me to become a member was for someone to invite me. ... [continue reading]

So, why have a dental association anyway? I can get all the continuing education that I need online. I can get my insurance online too. From that gecko, or the duck, or even that girl Flo. All the news I need comes from my computer. I just need to go to work and take care of patients.  Who needs to talk to other dentists? I can post my ... [continue reading]

Does It Matter? This month, I’m probably going to take a lot of grief from some segments of our profession. That’s why I get paid the big bucks – to ask the tough questions and to make my faithful readers first think, and then tell me what you thought. Excuse me while I rant. We know there are increasing numbers of kids out there ... [continue reading]

I have a very good friend who happens to be a dentist also. Sound familiar? We met the first week of dental school. Our wives are friends. We ski together and play a lot of golf together. He shares their family cottage with us, and I share our favorite new wines with them. Our offices are about 2 miles apart. A few months ago, we had a mutual ... [continue reading]

"Hey Rick Pitino, now that you've won your second NCAA title, where are you going?" "I'm going to Disney ... no check that, I'm going to the tattoo parlor," after all, a promise is a promise. And why not Rick, everyone I see these days looks like Herman Melville's Queequeg. Since both of your title teams are based in the Commonwealth, may I ... [continue reading]

“‘Splain it to me, Lucy”  – Desi Arnaz (1917-86)   As I age, I find that some of the changes in my daily life are disconcerting. I’m tired of explaining to others why I like things as they are, and I don’t think I need anyone to explain to me why I should change my point-of-view. I know, I know, to the ... [continue reading]

I have been blessed throughout my career to work and study together with a number of incredibly gifted and talented dentists. One of my current study clubs contains 12 colleagues from across the country, committed to advancing the treatment of TMD. It is our desire that TMD diagnosis and treatment be increasingly based on clinical and scientific ... [continue reading]