Category: ODA Today

This year, 138 graduating dental students signed up for organized dentistry through National Signing Day events at the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine and The Ohio State University College of Dentistry. The ADA’s National Signing Day program aims to increase visibility and awareness of membership in organized ... [continue reading]

In the dental profession, there are very few subjects more polarizing than amalgam separators and amalgam waste. Which begs the question … why? Since the passing of the Clean Water Act in the 1970s, it has been the policy of the United States that “Pollution should be prevented or reduced at the source whenever feasible; pollution ... [continue reading]

The Ohio Good DEED (Dedicated to Environmental Excellence in Dentistry) Program continues to expand as it celebrates its sixth anniversary. The voluntary program is a collaboration between the Ohio Dental Association and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to recognize dental offices for implementing simple, innovative solutions to reduce ... [continue reading]

Warren, Ohio - Ralph E "Jim" Snelson, 80, died Friday, April 29, 2016 at Lake Vista of Cortland after a long illness. He was born on May 13, 1935 in Warren, the son of the late Dr. Ralph “Snick” and Anne Lewis Snelson. Jim was a local dentist with Snelson & Snelson. He had partnered first with his father, Dr. Ralph A. ... [continue reading]

As you know by now, the ODA is celebrating its 150th anniversary. Interestingly enough, so is the ADA’s code of ethics. And these two events – the founding of the ODA and the creation of the ADA code of ethics – both of which occurred in 1866, are closely tied together. At the founding meeting of the ODA in June of 1866, 41 ... [continue reading]

Embezzlement is a crime of opportunity, and it happens because it can. It is impossible to know the exact prevalence of embezzlement in dental offices as much goes undetected and unreported, but studies indicate that at least one in three dentists will be embezzled throughout the life of the practice. Dentists are particularly susceptible to fraud ... [continue reading]

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has again delayed enforcement of its new prescription drug rule to Feb. 1, 2017. The previous deadline was June 1, 2016. This change and outreach efforts to dentists by numerous organizations, including CMS, drug companies and dental suppliers, have sparked many calls to the ODA from member ... [continue reading]

My son Brian and I had takeout Chinese food for dinner the other night. His fortune cookie said, “A dose of adversity is often as needful as a dose of medicine.” We both agreed that sounded like something written by someone in deep you-know-what who was trying to make himself feel better. So many of our problems are the result of ... [continue reading]

Last month I alluded to the fact that some of our profession’s specialists might have a more advantageous status in their dealings with third-party payers. Well ...  yes they do ... and more than just a few specialists reside in our profession’s penthouse accommodations. For you “young’uns,” way back when there ... [continue reading]

At this juncture of my career, I find myself obsessed with practice management courses versus those courses that teach the latest and greatest in endodontic technique. Does it mean that I am at the pinnacle of being an endodontist and all that is to be learned has been learned? “No … of course not” she emphatically stated. Is it ... [continue reading]