Category: Opinion & Editorial

No doubt at some point in your life you have received a post card from a friend or family member which said, “wish you were here.” Even though the “wish” was made, I never managed to immediately transport to that location. I may have visited it at a later date, but “wishing” didn’t get me there. I wish a ... [continue reading]

Poem excerpt: “The Road Ahead or the Road Behind”By George J. Moriarty   May 9th, 2015 was a very special time for our family and friends as we welcomed our son, Timothy, into the dental profession.   The graduation ceremony was a moment of great pride, excitement and optimism.  These new graduates are at the peak ... [continue reading]

I really don’t like the process of buying a car. I go into a dealership and find a car I like. The negotiations begin with my stating the price that I had researched and figured was fair. The salesman retreats somewhere for a bit and returns to tell me, “Well, Doc, I’d really like to give you the car for that, but THEY ... [continue reading]

If you don’t know that this is the objective of health care reform, I have just one comment: Wake up! Beginning with the New Deal, changes in programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid were aimed at moving toward a government-run human care system. The Affordable Care Act is just the latest legislative effort to bring us under a ... [continue reading]

I was interviewed this week by a reporter for the website buzzfeed.com. According to their website, “BuzzFeed has the hottest, most social content on the web. We feature breaking buzz and the kinds of things you’d want to pass along to your friends.” As their slogan, they call themselves, “the media company for the social ... [continue reading]

Every year it seems a “Perfect Storm” occurs somewhere. The description is always the same. The forces of “XYZ” come together to create an apocalyptic moment. With exception of Mother Nature’s nuances, North Carolina’s Dental Board members probably still can’t believe that the validity of their rulings, ... [continue reading]

In my president-elect’s message to the House of Delegates last year I outlined the challenges facing our profession, our individual practices and organized dentistry in the coming years. As Dr. Marko Vujicic, vice president of the ADA Health Policy Institute, related during the ODA Leadership Institute, we are on the threshold of changes in ... [continue reading]

Like many of us in the profession of dentistry, I have spent my career building a relationship-based practice. In addition to providing excellent dental care, we endeavor to become close friends with our patients. By learning who they are and what they value, we can provide a higher level of care for them. We become a part of their lives and they ... [continue reading]

Mercury, trans-fats, wine, coffee, cholesterol, and sweeteners can cause consternation! We get bombarded with conflicting advice, causing us to experience dietary panic! Should we be vegans, carnivores, fat-free, kosher, lacto-ovo or just go organic?   Are you like me – dazed and confused about what to drink and eat? What’s the ... [continue reading]

This one goes out to all the ladies! About a year and a half ago, after a membership committee meeting in Columbus, volunteers were sought to offer a commitment to write quarterly in this ODA periodic. In the spirit of true volunteerism and a secret delight in having a sounding box, I was excited to participate. Karli Hill, the director of ... [continue reading]