Category: Opinion & Editorial

The ADA and the ODA have political arms, ADPAC and ODPAC respectively. They also have a Council on Governmental Affairs. These are two separate entities, for a good reason, as the difference between politics and advocacy are increasingly on display these days. Many people consider politics as a dirty business and don’t want to have anything ... [continue reading]

One is lucky if one is surrounded by people who call us into occasional introspection. It is very easy, especially for those of us in our private offices, to create a cocoon where we interact with those people who make us feel we can do no wrong. In my life that person who calls me out fairly regularly is my mother. One day, a few years back, she ... [continue reading]

Muhammad Ali once said, "Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth."  With this in mind, there are opportunities for dentists and our team members to volunteer for many worthy causes in 2018. February is National Children’s Dental Health Month.  This February, the national kick-off of Give Kids A Smile is ... [continue reading]

My oldest son, Michael (age 25), came to us last weekend and insisted that we go as a family to see the movie “The Greatest Showman.” He had gone with friends a few days before and loved it so much he felt compelled to have all of us go. As you might imagine, the five of us have vastly different tastes in movies, and getting three ... [continue reading]

In my practice I have donated dental care through programs like OPTIONS and Give Kids A Smile, however, I had not had the opportunity to participate in a Mission of Mercy event until recently. An old friend of mine, Steve Radack, invited me to participate in the MOM in Erie, Pennsylvania, when we were at the ADA House of Delegates in Denver in the ... [continue reading]

Wow, I can't believe how quickly 2017 has flown by. Now, it is time for me to make my annual New Year’s resolutions: to eat better, exercise more (I have been told that golf does not count) and lose weight. These resolutions are, most likely, what a lot of us are “considering.” I have thought of a few resolutions that are easy ... [continue reading]

A teacher came into her classroom in the morning and wrote her “Word of the Day” onto the board. She stepped back and admired her excellent handwriting, which she had worked hard over the years to perfect. In bold letters, it proclaimed “APATHY.” Satisfied with her work, she walked out of the room to fill up her coffee mug, ... [continue reading]

Can you identify at least three potentially addicting/Dopamine releasing substances that have been around for at least 5,000+ years? (Hint: two of them can be smoked.) OK, time’s up. Nicotine and opium can be smoked while the third is a liquid – alcohol. All three are controlled substances – to a degree – in American society. All ... [continue reading]

I love the holiday season. Christmas always brings back memories of the wonderful time I had as a child. My parents always made it a fun time. The searching out of the perfect tree. Bringing it home, decorating it and the rest of the house. And of course, the anticipation and excitement of opening the beautifully wrapped gifts. Every year I watch ... [continue reading]

Growing up, I loved maps. I was fascinated by the ability of ancient cartographers to determine how the topography and boundaries should be drawn, given the fact that they never left the ground to see from above. It all had to be done in their mind and then committed to paper. When they were drawing the coastline, accuracy was paramount. A ... [continue reading]