News

J. Richard McFarland, DDS (Dick) born September 14, 1938, went to be with his heavenly Father on Tuesday, October 6, 2015. McFarland was active in many organizations, including the Cincinnati Dental Society and the ODA, for which he served as president in 1985. According to his obituary, he loved God with all his heart, mind and soul. He treated ... [continue reading]

On Sept. 9, 2015, Darryl Dever unexpectedly died. While not all the readers of this column knew Darryl personally, he undoubtedly had an impact on their professional lives whether they know it or not. Dever had a long-standing relationship with the ODA. After working as a staffer at the Statehouse, he was hired as the ODA’s director of ... [continue reading]

Today, many patients investigate your office prior to an initial appointment using Internet ratings sites such as Yelp, Healthgrades, Bestdentists, Angie’s List, and RateaDentist. A majority of consumers report to trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, meaning a single negative review can harm your practice by turning away ... [continue reading]

With the end of the year fast approaching, dentists should ensure their practice has acted on two third-party payer related issues before the New Year rings in. One, the “Current Dental Terminology” (CDT), is very straight forward, but the other, Medicare, is not as straight forward and has been wrapped in confusion for many. CDT 2016 now ... [continue reading]

In October 1985, the movie “Back to the Future 2” was released, sending Marty McFly into the distant future – Oct. 21, 2015.  Media celebrations of that anniversary led to fun evaluations of what the movie’s writers had predicted correctly and what they had missed.  Amazingly, they had correctly forecast the ... [continue reading]

So this year was my 20 year reunion of my dental school graduation. When it comes to these things, I am a true “reunion aficionado.” Last year I went to my high school reunion in Toronto, Canada. I still keep in touch with some elementary school friends and we try to meet once every two years. I’m not sure whether my need to ... [continue reading]

A call for nominations is now extended for dentist board member positions on the Ohio State Dental Board. The Ohio Dental Association has the opportunity to recommend nominees to the governor of Ohio for two possible dentist board member openings on the Ohio State Dental Board (OSDB), which may be vacant in April 2016. The two board member ... [continue reading]

Ohio Gov. John Kasich recently announced plans to integrate the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System (OARRS) with electronic medical records and pharmacy dispensing systems across the state. This will allow instant access for prescribers and pharmacists, according to the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy. The state will invest up to $1.5 million per ... [continue reading]

The 2015 ODA Annual Session featured a wide variety of CE courses, including hands-on courses where dentists could learn new skills. The 2015 Ohio Dental Association Annual Session – Excellence in Collaboration – featured CE for the entire dental team, one of the largest Exhibit Halls in the area and special events where attendees ... [continue reading]

Christy Paumier, Dr. Najia Usman, Dr. Ruchika Khetarpal and Dr. Tom Paumier at the Bollywood Meets Columbus event. The event was hosted by the ODA Council on Membership Services in conjunction with the ODA Annual Session. The Ohio Dental Association Council on Membership Services hosted a special event in conjunction with Annual Session – ... [continue reading]