Category: Opinion & Editorial

As we prepare for the 2019 ADA Dentist and Student Lobby Day, one of the spotlight issues for the teams of dentists and students as they descend on Capital Hill is amending the McCarran-Ferguson Act. These lobbying teams will bring the full might of the 163,000 members of the ADA and more than 24,000 dental students in 66 dental schools across the ... [continue reading]

I’ve had the pleasure to work for the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) for the last couple of years in various capacities, but most prominently as an adviser who is a dentist who sees patients! In a recent editorial for the “Journal of the American Dental Association” on Children’s Dental Health month, I challenged our ... [continue reading]

In a recent interview with the BBC, Mel Brooks, one of my comedic heroes, called the current political correctness culture "stupid." He further said that, “It’s not good for comedy. Comedy is the lecherous little elf whispering in the king’s ear, always telling the truth about human behavior.” Brooks’ famous film, ... [continue reading]

I was watching a video podcast of a motivational business speaker the other weekend and he was talking about the value of establishing a positive work-life balance. He’s well known and respected – and he was giving the TED talk, after all – so who am I to dispute his claim. However, I’ve got more mileage on me than he does ... [continue reading]

I wanted to share with you that a few weeks back I was shaken to the core by something that happened in my personal life. A good friend of mine died suddenly, age 50, leaving behind his devastated wife, and two small children age 4 and age 6. Being close to the family, I took it upon myself to step in to organize and settle his affairs and bring ... [continue reading]

I hate winter. I hate the cold weather. I hate the snow. I'm an outdoors guy and you can’t be outdoors in the bitter cold weather. Don’t even suggest skiing. The last thing I need is another pricey habit. Golfing and collecting guitars is expensive enough, not to mention the fact that I have three kids in college. “Oh, but the ... [continue reading]

Over the years, I’ve had a close relationship with the people who cut my hair.  Now, before you say that I don’t have any hair to cut, when you don’t have much – what you do with it matters!  I always try to find a shop that’s close to work.  The barber is a wonderful source of information.  ... [continue reading]

I have never had an op-ed topic blow up around me while I was in the process of bloviating about it! The art of opinion writing mainly revolves around reacting to events that have occurred in the past and not so much those actions that are ongoing. “The dust needs to settle before an opinion is rendered,” has always been a belief of ... [continue reading]

A perennial challenge in dental academia is how do we choose the best candidates applying to dental school. Over decades, criteria have shifted from purely academic performance and test scores to a “portfolio” or “dossier” of characteristics believed to be important for the dentist of today. Alas, there is no universal ... [continue reading]

Happy New Year and welcome to what many call "the post-holiday letdown." What?!? This is a great time of year. We have a new college football champ, and NFL football playoffs. NHL hockey and college hoops are in full swing. I love this time of year. Plus, you all can look forward to not living up to your New Year’s resolutions. Not me. About ... [continue reading]