Category: Opinion & Editorial

Last month marked the 17th anniversary of what I believe is one of dentistry’s darkest moments, when February’s “Reader’s Digest,” with an article written by William Ecenbarger enclosed, titled “How Honest Are Dentists?” hit American newsstands. William, an investigative freelance journalist, ambushed 50 ... [continue reading]

 The recent move by Ohio's largest dental insurer to limit periodic cleanings for its own employees' dental plan should be a warning to all of us about the dangers and risks that science and evidence-based dentistry bring along with their obvious benefits. We’ve entered an era of “big data” where almost any hypothesis or ... [continue reading]

I was talking with a patient today about her thoughts for 2014.  I asked if she had made any resolutions for the New Year.  She said that she had no plans, but hoped that something would happen to surprise her.  I told her the chances of that coming true were excellent!  There is no doubt in my mind that something will occur ... [continue reading]

When I think back to my dental school interview, I remember being an enthusiastic bright-eyed, possibly idealistic 20-year-old. “Why do you want to become a dentist,” I was asked. In a very rehearsed fashion, I listed what I thought was a very politically correct, intelligent, broad answer, sure to resonate with anyone sitting across ... [continue reading]

In 2013, the Connecticut Health Foundation published a report on the success of that state's Medicaid reform. A large part of the improvement came from a reasonable increase in Medicaid reimbursement to dentists. As a result of the Medicaid changes, participation by dentists increased and, more importantly, utilization by covered citizens ... [continue reading]

We are a startlingly confused and conflicted society.  Simply watching the television for a day reveals the maddeningly schizophrenic nature of people.  Too many people of all ages still blindly trust what they see.  Our grandparents would look at the newspaper and say, “of course it’s true.  They wouldn’t ... [continue reading]

“You will find that the mere resolve not to be useless, and the honest desire to help other people, will, in the quickest and delicatest ways, improve yourself.” – John Ruskin (1819-1900) We may call them New Year’s resolutions but most people, year after year, not long after that annual pledge to improve themselves and ... [continue reading]

During the daily grind of dental school, it is easy for students to become consumed with coursework and forget about the “real world” of dentistry.  Students are so busy learning how to practice dentistry they lose sight of what is occurring in the profession, especially politically.  Consequently, The Ohio State University ... [continue reading]

To the editor: I enjoyed the column in the November “ODA Today” titled “A quick guide to dentists providing expert testimony” and agree with everything that was said. Here are a few more points to consider based on my experience working with personal injury attorneys: Pre-Hearing An initial request for expert witness ... [continue reading]

For this special Nostradamus Issue of the “ODA Today,” we have asked all of our regular columnists to answer a series of questions concerning their vision of the state of dentistry in 2050 (click here to see the responses). Had I posed these questions as recently as 2007, I suspect that the answers, or at least the tone of the piece, would be ... [continue reading]