Category: Legal Issues

House Bill 463, The Ohio Dental Care Modernization Act promoted by the ODA, was signed into law by Gov. John Kasich last month after unanimous approval from the legislature. Among its many provisions to promote increased access to comprehensive dental services, the new law offers additional incentives for new graduates to practice in the ... [continue reading]

Today's dental marketplace is increasingly competitive, driving dentists to seek out new ways to market their practices and attract new patients. However, there are several regulatory and legal restrictions on dental marketing capabilities that dentists must consider before engaging in a campaign. State regulations and the profession’s ... [continue reading]

11/21/14 Update: For the purpose of the Start Talking! form, the Ohio State Dental Board is moving forward with a rule change to define surgery as "any procedure that involves cutting or otherwise infiltrating hard or soft human tissue; including but not limited to, gingical, bone and tooth structure, by mechanical means, including, laser surgery, ... [continue reading]

The American Dental Association, in its "Employee Office Manual" guide for dentists, estimates that 40 percent of dental offices will experience employee fraud at some point during the life of the business. On average, these events cause the practice around $100,000. News reports this summer do nothing to dispel these statistics. Last month, a ... [continue reading]

Dentists are increasingly finding themselves with patients refusing recommended treatment. In many of these circumstances, where the treatment plan is elective or alternative plans exist, dentists can easily work through those issues with patients. But what about the situation where a patient refuses diagnostic services? Periodic examinations and ... [continue reading]

Have you searched for yourself on the Internet lately? There are dozens of sites devoted to reviewing and rating health care providers and most likely, one of these sites will be a top result to appear in your search. A recent study approved by the University of Michigan Medical School and published in the Journal of the American Medical ... [continue reading]

Ohio's dentists have an unparalleled record of public service and volunteer work through the Dental OPTIONS program, Give Kids a Smile and other activities. A recent survey showed that the state's dentists donate over $40 million in care and services each year. Ohio law has long provided protection from liability to dentists and other health care ... [continue reading]

The hiring of a new employee, especially one with clinical responsibilities, is an important decision for a dental office. In addition to reviewing an applicant’s employment history and educational background, sometimes employer dentists want to review the candidate's clinical skills and observe how he or she will interact with other ... [continue reading]

Harassment claims by employees have become common in professional settings. Because of this, most employer dentists understand the importance of being vigilant in refusing to engage in, or to tolerate, harassment in the dental office by any supervisor or employee. But what if the alleged harassment is perpetrated by someone other than an employee? ... [continue reading]

Closing a dental practice many times is much more complicated than turning off the lights and locking the door. As dentists contemplate the closure of an office, there are several key points to consider. Announcing the closure of a practice is a critical step in the process that could cause difficulty for the dentist if not handled appropriately. ... [continue reading]