News

The ODA began offering recruitment grants to local component dental societies in 2017 for events and initiatives aimed at gaining new members. In 2018, seven grants were awarded to local dental societies for recruitment initiatives.  One society that received a grant was the Medina County Dental Society to host an event featuring updates from ... [continue reading]

Over the last 20 years, an evolution in computer technology has taken place in the dental practice. Computers were previously only used for basic recordkeeping and billing. Then came the progression from billing to appointment scheduling, digital radiography, charting, and now, to digital dentistry. As the amount of data stored in systems has ... [continue reading]

Recently, I overheard a conversation between two of our member dentists that really disturbed me. It seems that one of the dentists referred a patient to see a specialist. Upon assessing the situation, the specialist told the patient in no uncertain terms that the general dentist “made a gross negligent mistake.” YIKES!! Having served ... [continue reading]

ODA's membership surveys regularly show that one of the most valued benefits of belonging to organized dentistry is advocacy. ODA's recent successes at the Statehouse and its current advocacy activities confirm the value of membership. In the last few years, the ODA has successfully advocated to: Stop radical proposals that would create a new ... [continue reading]

Closing a dental practice often 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. From ... [continue reading]

Dealing with the subject of fees can be a sensitive issue, but at the same time it is a necessary part of the patient-dentist relationship. The subject can become exponentially more difficult when a third-party payer becomes involved in the discussion. One of the most antagonizing things a dentist can encounter involves an assertion that his/her ... [continue reading]

Back in the day, everyone knew about the travelling salesman. He came from out of town, bringing new products and solutions to problems. Even solutions to problems you didn’t know you had. The travelling salesman was a commonplace occurrence ... and everyone hated him. That’s because he came to town, did and said whatever it took to ... [continue reading]

As a newly minted 70-year-old dentist, I think I qualify at both ends of the doctor-patient relationship to comment on this issue! The American Dental Association has done due diligence in working up this issue for the leadership and membership, and by the time this opinion gets into “ODA Today,” we’ll likely already know our ... [continue reading]

The Ohio Dental Association's health benefits plan, the ODA Wellness Trust, is available exclusively to ODA members and their staffs, and most participants are able to save money on health benefit costs by joining the plan. The Wellness Trust is a unique health benefits plan that can’t be found anywhere else. It features a more extensive ... [continue reading]

After about three decades into the profession, Dr. Bill Claytor noticed he was becoming more cynical at work and often felt exhausted by the end of the day. “I realized I lost some of that drive I associated with early in my dental career,” he said. “I always enjoyed dentistry, but I saw the early signs of burnout.” For him, it was ... [continue reading]