Category: Opinion & Editorial

In my president-elect’s message to the House of Delegates last year I outlined the challenges facing our profession, our individual practices and organized dentistry in the coming years. As Dr. Marko Vujicic, vice president of the ADA Health Policy Institute, related during the ODA Leadership Institute, we are on the threshold of changes in ... [continue reading]

Like many of us in the profession of dentistry, I have spent my career building a relationship-based practice. In addition to providing excellent dental care, we endeavor to become close friends with our patients. By learning who they are and what they value, we can provide a higher level of care for them. We become a part of their lives and they ... [continue reading]

Mercury, trans-fats, wine, coffee, cholesterol, and sweeteners can cause consternation! We get bombarded with conflicting advice, causing us to experience dietary panic! Should we be vegans, carnivores, fat-free, kosher, lacto-ovo or just go organic?   Are you like me – dazed and confused about what to drink and eat? What’s the ... [continue reading]

This one goes out to all the ladies! About a year and a half ago, after a membership committee meeting in Columbus, volunteers were sought to offer a commitment to write quarterly in this ODA periodic. In the spirit of true volunteerism and a secret delight in having a sounding box, I was excited to participate. Karli Hill, the director of ... [continue reading]

Let me begin by saying that I have the highest admiration for nurses, both individually and as a profession. However, it must be acknowledged that in a hospital setting, nurses are subservient to doctors. Doctors issue orders. Nurses, by contrast, are expected to follow orders. Recently, our local dental society hosted Dr. Thomas Paumier as our ... [continue reading]

The recent passing of my father from cancer has me considering the concept of legacy.  I suppose that a legacy develops on its own, even without any effort or planning on a person’s part.  A legacy also seems to have a mind of its own.  We may find that our legacy is out of our control, especially if that legacy is less than ... [continue reading]

I am sure we all do it. We probably don’t do it in front of others, but when we are in private with our computers, we will do it. Don’t panic … I’m talking about putting your name in any search engine and seeing how many results you get. Are we being narcissistic or paranoid? Maybe we are being a little of both. You see, ... [continue reading]

The obvious lesson in the debacle of NBC TV news anchor Brian Williams is to stick to the truth and not overstate your resume. History is a stubborn thing. No matter what, the facts have a strange way of coming out eventually. I certainly don’t condone his actions, but I feel sad for him. I hate to see anyone crash and burn, even if it is ... [continue reading]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC as we know them, in between scrambling to prevent Ebola’s establishment on our shores and searching for dusty vials of anthrax in its labs, has begun to release new data on early childhood caries (ECC). This new information points to a 180 degree turn for a dental condition that just 10 ... [continue reading]

How many times in the last year have you seen an advertisement for a new piece of technology, or a new dental material, or a new business seminar? If you’re anything like me, then the answer is probably thousands. Now think of those advertisements. How many of them promised to increase your production? How many promised to improve the oral ... [continue reading]