Dentists and Informed Consent

Obtaining Informed Consent

A cornerstone of the dental practice, as with most healthcare professions, is the requirement to obtain informed consent before commencing treatment and procedures. The ADA Code of Ethics provides that informed consent, at a fundamental level, honors and empowers patient autonomy and involvement, imposing upon the dentist the “duty to respect the patient’s rights to…

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The STOP Act: Dentists and the Opioid Crisis

Stop the Opioid Crisis

I think we can all agree that there is an opioid crisis in North Carolina and throughout the United States. While we may disagree on the root causes and possible solutions, it’s hard to argue that opioids present a public health emergency. One factor that led to today’s issue involves both misunderstanding and miscommunication (whether…

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When OSHA Comes Knocking: How to Prepare Your Dental Practice

These days, protecting your dental practice means many different things. The current COVID era in which we live has imposed a veritable cornucopia of new requirements, duties and obligations on dental practices, including those imposed by OSHA and OSHA investigations. If your dental practice finds itself the subject of an upcoming or pending OSHA Investigation,…

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PODCAST: Blueprint to Associate Agreements

Associate Agreements and Core Concerns

Student Entrepreneurs in Dentistry Podcast Series: Blueprint to Associate Agreements I recently had the opportunity to participate in a podcast hosted by the Student Entrepreneurs in Dentistry of UNC School of Dentistry at Chapel Hill, led by Mr. Christian Hart. The podcast focused on two topics. The first was associate agreements, particularly that first agreement after…

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Key Terms for the Business Purchase and Sale Letter of Intent

Letter of Intent

Typical Terms in a Letter of Intent There are numerous stages in any business purchase and sale transaction. It is a complex and time-consuming process. One of the earliest steps in the transaction process is establishing the fundamental terms of the deal. The typical method of doing so is through the letter of intent or…

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Totman Law’s Three Underappreciated Issues Series: Three Common but Tricky Employee-Focused Issues in Written Employment Agreements

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Three Overlooked Issues in Written Employment Agreements: In today’s fast-paced world, employee mobility is a vital part of our individual economic outlook. It is in light of this context – the reasonable ability of the employee to move between opportunities – that we, as employees, must review and consider employment agreements. Not every employee is asked…

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Bringing on a Partner: a Few Key Considerations

Bringing on a Partner

There are any number of circumstances or sets of conditions under which it may be appropriate, advisable or necessary to bring on a partner. Regardless of the reasons for doing so, however, bringing on a partner is a major milestone for any business, often leading to expanded fields of operation, cash and capital influxes and…

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HIPAA and the Practitioner’s Perspective: Appreciating the Risk

The practicing doctor (presumably) knows that he or she is (likely) subject to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”). Less certain is whether said practitioner knows just what that means. HIPAA – particularly the provisions of HIPAA commonly known as the Privacy Rule, the Security Rule and the HIPAA Breach Notification…

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