Dental Service Organization affiliation: Understanding key aspects of State Dental Practice Act compliance.

Dental Service Organizations (DSOs) are an increasingly visible and available practice option for new dental graduates. While guidance has been published to help dental students make informed decisions when considering a DSO affiliation, they have not focused on the complexities of assessing compliance with controlling state laws. Accordingly, this Perspectives article provides a concise summary of the common components of state regulatory provisions across the United States to support an understanding of the corporate practice of dentistry and compliance considerations. The guiding principles to consider include ownership or proprietorship of and control over a dental practice; control over dental offices, equipment, and materials; employment of dental personnel; and control over clinical judgment. This article should be helpful to students who are considering a DSO affiliation and educators who prepare them to enter dental practice.

Disruptures in the Dental Ethos: The Birth, Life, & Neoliberal Retirement of Norms in Advertising & Corporatization.

This paper argues that the trends in advertising and corporatization in dentistry since the 1970s have resulted in processes of de-professionalization and de-regulation, respectively.

Requisitos para la apertura de un consultorio odontológico en México / Requirements for the opening of a dental office in Mexico

La apertura de un consultorio privado es de interés para muchos profesionistas odontólogos. Más allá de las cuestiones económicas o de habilidad técnica, una limitante importante para llevarlo a cabo es el desconocimiento de los trámites administrativos necesarios para ello. Es común que muchos odontólogos se atrevan a mantener en uso un negocio que, la mayoría de las veces, no cumple con este tipo de aspectos, lo que conlleva a ser susceptible a diversas sanciones. El objetivo de este trabajo es enunciar y describir los requisitos básicos para la apertura de un consultorio de prestación de servicios profesionales odontológicos dentro del territorio mexicano. Posterior a una revisión de la legislación y normatividad vigentes en la República Mexicana, se enlistan los trámites realizados ante cuatro dependencias públicas: Servicio de Administración Tributaria (SAT), regulación sanitaria, protección civil y gobierno local. Cabe resaltar que esta información se ofrece bajo ciertas consideraciones, ya que puede existir variación de acuerdo con los lineamientos establecidos por los gobiernos locales de cada entidad federativa. Se concluye que dar cumplimiento con estos requisitos es el primer paso para el adecuado funcionamiento de nuestro negocio, lo cual ayuda a evitar las sanciones correspondientes y el desprestigio del consultorio (AU)

Opening a private dental offi ce is of interest for many dentists. Beyond economic issues or technical ability, an important limitation to carry this out is the unawareness of administrative procedures necessary for it. Commonly, many dentists dare to keep into the business despite not complying with all the necessary procedures, which makes them susceptible to administrative sanctions. The objective of this work is to enunciate and describe the basic requirements for opening a dental service offi ce within Mexican territory. After a review of current legislation and regulation in the Mexican Republic, the procedures performed in four public agencies are listed: The Tax Administration Service (SAT), health regulation, civil protection, and local government. It should be noted that this information is off ered under certain considerations, highlighting that data presented is done in a generic way, since this may vary according to guidelines from local government of each federative entity. It is concluded that compliance with these requirements is the fi rst step for the proper functioning of our business, which helps avoid the corresponding sanctions and disrepute of the private practice (AU)

Medico-Legal Considerations in Providing Emergency Dental Care in Practice.

The unpredictability of unscheduled emergency dental care carries its own clinical, communication and management challenges with associated medico-legal risks. Providing emergency dental treatment for unfamiliar patients in an unfamiliar environment amplifies the hidden pitfalls which failure to avoid can create potentially damaging critical incidents in a practitioner's professional life. These are preferably avoided through consistent attention to best practice and risk management. Day to day processes, such as excellent record-keeping, valid consent and effective communication are under the spotlight in the event that a patient complains, raises a concern with a regulator or seeks compensation following alleged negligent care. This paper aims to highlight the dento-legal pitfalls that may be pertinent in such a challenging situation.

It Doesn't Have to End in Disaster: A Case for Employment Compliance.

It only takes one unhappy or disgruntled person to create a legal nightmare for you. There's no need to take this gamble. All it takes is awareness, commitment and action on your part. Once you have your HR house in order and have implemented a sound HR program in your practice, you also can feel good about knowing you are giving your staff every protection due to them under the law and every opportunity to be happy and successful in your practice. For yourself, you will be minimizing your risks and protecting your most valuable asset--your practice. You also will have given yourself the gift of peace of mind.