News

There are two “givens” in my life ... now! The first one is: I WILL WALK THROUGH HOT COALS TO PROTECT MY GRANDCHILDREN The second one is: I WILL GIVE MY OPINION ABOUT MY GRANDCHILDREN’S WELFARE ... NO MATTER WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES ARE I realize many of you can relate to the first edict but may be uncomfortable with the second one. ... [continue reading]

Dear Granola Mom, Hello, it’s me, Dr. Kara, your friendly, compassionate pediatric dentist. I write to you today in support of fluoride, dental sealants and radiographs as beneficial components of your child’s overall dental care plan. I am grateful that you have sought care in my office.  I am here to listen to your concerns, and ... [continue reading]

This editorial, reprinted with permission, originally appeared in the November issue of the Oklahoma Dental Association Journal. This article was submitted to the ODA Journal anonymously to protect the identity of the author. April 29, 2011, was a very special day in my life. No, it’s not my birthday or anniversary. It’s not my ... [continue reading]

I recently took a course on dental coding from a dental consultant who discussed a conversation he had with a top level insurance executive. He said that the executive stated that so long as dentists continue to sign up in ever-increasing numbers to his preferred provider organization dental insurance plan, he saw no need to increase the ... [continue reading]

Starting April 1, certain business entities, including some dentists, will be required to hold a terminal distributor of dangerous drugs license in order to possess, have custody or control of, and distribute dangerous drugs that are compounded or used for the purpose of compounding. In accordance with a recent legislative change, entities ... [continue reading]

Ohio Dental Association membership dues must be paid by March 31 for the 2015 membership year in order to continue receiving exclusive member benefits. Any member who did not pay their dues by Jan. 1, 2015, is considered past due. Dentists who have not already renewed their membership should do so as soon as possible so that membership benefits, ... [continue reading]

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) needs your input! ODH would like to know about your experiences with and opinions about tobacco cessation strategies in dental practices so ODH can better understand what dentists know about tobacco cessation strategies, and if/how these strategies are being implemented in dental offices. Your responses will be ... [continue reading]

The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) continues to post information about ICD-10 implementation on its website at  http://medicaid.ohio.gov/providers/billing/icd10.aspx. ODM has posted its third and fourth billing guidance documents, located under ICD-10 TIPS (Billing Guidance) along the right. New International Classification of Disease ... [continue reading]

House Bill 463, which was signed into law at the end of the year, has many provisions aimed at improving access to care. Several of the provisions of the bill will impact new dentists and dental students. The provisions go into effect March 23. Dental Residency Programs House Bill 463 helps bolster dental residency programs by creating an ... [continue reading]

Failure to comply with infection control standards can be costly. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) can levy substantial fines and the Ohio State Dental Board (OSDB) can take action against a dentist’s license. While OSHA has not been particularly active in visiting Ohio dental offices, the OSDB has. As a starting ... [continue reading]