Category: Opinion & Editorial

Can we win the fight for oral health for all Ohioans? Some would think yes and believe that with improvements in access to care, all Ohioans will rush to the dentist and emerge as faithful members of a dental home family and enjoy a full and functional dentition for life. I am a little more tempered in my enthusiasm. A day or two before writing ... [continue reading]

I am often asked why I started active involvement (how I "got started") in the Ohio Dental Association. There are basically two reasons. First, I always said (and still say) “if dentists don’t take care of dentistry, who will?” I felt this way when I joined ASDA and in 1981 when I joined the tripartite of the ADA, ODA and Keely ... [continue reading]

The first IKEA superstore recently opened in Columbus, bringing with it access to Scandinavian minimalist design. It also gives us the opportunity to learn to build rather well-constructed furniture, providing that you can properly decipher the Swedish pictograms that pass for instructions. Trust me, read the instructions first, as the design ... [continue reading]

I just came back from the ADA meeting in Atlanta. The topic that took center stage was resolution 30RC, which was to propose a National Commission on the Recognition of Dental Specialties and Certifying Boards. This was an important resolution that possibly has broad standing impact in the future for dentistry as a whole. Allow me to explain. I ... [continue reading]

Dr. Steve Moore began his term as Ohio Dental Association president at the ODA House of Delegates (HOD) in September. In this Q&A with "ODA Today," Moore looks forward to his term. What are some of the issues you expect the Ohio Dental Association to face during your presidency?  How do you think the ODA should address these issues? I ... [continue reading]

People-watching is always a fun pastime and it gives me something to do as I stroll out from the dental school to the parking garage at the end of the day. The T-shirts sported by the students are certainly interesting. Most of the time, I wonder why someone would want that saying on their back. Occasionally, I see something thought provoking. The ... [continue reading]

At the end of the ODA House of Delegates on Sept. 15, the new officers of our association will be installed. I am looking forward to the unveiling of their plans for our association and I extend my utmost support to those whom have dedicated themselves to guiding our profession through a turbulent time. I ask each one of you who care about oral ... [continue reading]

Lots of people can watch what you do. Thanks to social media, now more than ever, hordes of anonymous people see who you are, who your friends are, what you are doing, track where you are going, read what you say … and comment on it. There’s an infinite number of complete strangers who are evaluating you, making judgments, scoring ... [continue reading]

I’m a sucker for an “underdog” movie. Ya’ll know what I mean. The character that isn’t supposed to win – that deserves to win ... and in the end – does! In one of my favorite movies, “Working Girl,” Melanie Griffith flawlessly plays an underdog role. During the climax of the movie her character ... [continue reading]

Economist Milton Friedman and Science Fiction Author Robert Heinlein were both fond of using the expression “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch,” (TANSTAAFL) as a way to express the need to be aware of the cost associated with everything we do. In economics this is called opportunity cost. The quote refers to the practice ... [continue reading]