Category: Legal Issues

Today's dental marketplace is increasingly competitive, driving dentists to seek out new ways to market their practices and attract new patients. However, there are several legal and regulatory restrictions on dental marketing that dentists must consider before engaging in a new advertising campaign. State regulations and the profession’s ... [continue reading]

Dentists are well respected professionals and are trusted members of any community. As such, state law and the ADA Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct (Code) place obligations upon dentists to report abuse and neglect at certain times. It is important for dentists to be familiar with the legal and ethical requirements surrounding ... [continue reading]

Since the advent of federal privacy regulations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), dental offices have focused their attention on the security and safeguarding of the health information they gather on patients in the course of treatment. Concerns about patient privacy have forced offices to exercise caution on ... [continue reading]

The hiring of a new employee, especially one with clinical responsibilities, is an important decision for a dental office. In addition to reviewing an applicant’s employment history and educational background, sometimes employer dentists want to review the candidate’s clinical skills and observe how they will interact with other ... [continue reading]

Patient records are an excellent treatment tool, can play an important role in the defense of a malpractice claim and can be a valuable asset when the time comes to sell a practice. There are, however, several key things dentists should remember about their patient records. Access and confidentiality Ohio law defines a medical record as ... [continue reading]

A well-defined office manual can be of great benefit to a dental practice. Employment issues are some of the most difficult matters to confront as a small-business owner. Oftentimes, the best way for employer dentists to avoid the common problems that arise with employees is to establish an office employee manual. Establishing an employee manual ... [continue reading]

A growing trend in dentistry the last 20 years is the increasing prevalence of associateship arrangements in dental practices. With Baby Boomers reaching retirement age and new dentists strapped with record levels of student-loan debt, this trend is likely to continue. Surveys indicate that a majority of new dentists entering private practice will ... [continue reading]

In 2010, the Ohio General Assembly, with the backing of the Ohio Dental Association, created the Oral Health Access Supervision Program (OHASP). OHASP allows dentists to utilize dental hygienists in designated underserved locations outside of the traditional office setting under a relaxed level of supervision. Dentists and hygienists can utilize ... [continue reading]

Since taking office, Ohio Gov. John Kasich has implemented one of the nation’s most aggressive and comprehensive approaches to fighting opiate addiction and drug abuse. Ohio has seen encouraging results as the amount of prescription drug opiates being dispensed continues to decrease and fewer individuals are doctor shopping for controlled ... [continue reading]

Closing a dental practice many times is much more complicated than turning off the lights and locking the door. As dentists contemplate the closure of an office, there are several key points to consider. Announcing the closure of a practice is a critical step in the process that could cause difficulty for the dentist if not handled ... [continue reading]