Category: Opinion & Editorial

I just completed one of my favorite events of the year.  The ODA Leadership Institute convened again in Columbus for another weekend of conversation and continuing education.  It is truly one of the best values of membership in the Ohio Dental Association.  Each year dentists, from all over the state, gather to learn and ... [continue reading]

Too Much Cortisol or Adrenaline? Relax and have a cola-flavored carbonated beverage! Cortisol = worry and anxiety Adrenalin = fight (or flight) Did you think the argumentative dinner table talk was over on Nov. 9? Guess again! The latest controversy, albeit much less weighty, is the movement to tax soda (AKA pop in our part of the country). In ... [continue reading]

Those are the sweetest three words that we can hear; except for “I love you” when spoken by a significant other or our family. The month of February was so sweet because of how many times I heard "thank you" spoken to a dental professional.  This year 96+ Give Kids A Smile events were reported to the ODA involving thousands of ... [continue reading]

I was talking with a patient recently about movies we loved and he recommended one that I had never before heard of.  His favorite was “A Good Year.”  This 2006 film by director Ridley Scott stars Russell Crowe as London-based bond trader Max Skinner.  He has built a career as a ruthless stock market speculator and has ... [continue reading]

The view of an independent woman has certainly changed over the years. On the shoulders of women who fought for the right to vote, we have certainly made great strides. In the ’60s women were proud to “bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan.” Their interpretation of freedom was the ability to be able to earn a living but ... [continue reading]

Our profession faces a strong, well-funded cadre of folks that do not appreciate the finer points of dentistry (like proper diagnosis and appropriate treatment planning) and believe that they can drill and fill their way to good oral health. This is an echo of the ’60s and ’70s when the push was to increase class sizes and reduce ... [continue reading]

At the risk of sounding like a movie critic, I highly recommend the movie “La La Land” to you. At the time I’m writing this, it has already swept the Golden Globe awards and is garnering expansive praise from around the world. It is an old-fashioned musical set in modern times but anchored more in the golden age of Hollywood. Two ... [continue reading]

I’ll never know if I was a mistake (quit laughing) and I certainly hope not. Sometime after Aug. 15, 1945, my father returned from the Pacific Theater, and in July of ’46 I made a premature entrance into this world. The only person that was offended was my older sister. She took sibling rivalry to a whole new level. How could both of ... [continue reading]

The month of January marks a definitive break, and reset in so many ways. Janus, the Roman god, was the god of beginnings and doorways. His two faces reminded the Romans of the need to reflect on where they were coming from as well as to look forward to where they were going. It is important to remember our history, and to learn from ... [continue reading]

In high school, many of us were forced to read “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.  The author draws a distinction between “Matters of Consequence” and “Essential Matters.”  Early on, Saint-Exupery lists a number of Matters of Consequence:  bridge, golf, politics, neckties.  ... [continue reading]