I want to thank Dr. Matt Messina, Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University College of Dentistry, for inviting me to speak to his group of future dentists and trailblazers in the dental industry. I talked with a group of hard-charging dental students on informed consent and risk management, as well as the overall understanding of profitability and the impact of consistency within your business. We focused on: (i) the importance of the employer-employee relationship; (ii) the doctor-patient relationship; (iii) the necessity of clear and timely communication; and (iv) remaining humble in our everyday interactions with our team members, our patients, and our vendors. As we discussed, we maximize our profitability by minimizing disruption within our everyday operations. And, as we emphasized, one way that we minimize that disruption is by implementing best practices to avoid professional liability claims.

We talked about and emphasized the importance of:

• Establishing good employer-employee relationships.
• Establishing good dental patient relationships.
• Being clear and consistent.
• Obtaining informed consent – the biggie!!!
• Documenting the patient chart with accurate and complete information.
• Avoiding and never changing anything on a patient chart, after a patient complaint has been identified by a dental board.
• Staying current.
• Being prepared.
• Following proper procedures – checklists!!!
• Asking for help – do not allow your ego to get in the way.
• Following up with missed or canceled appointments.

It was a great class and discussion, and I appreciated the questions. And, as always, I appreciate Dr. Messina for inviting me to speak. Additionally, I just want to give a shoutout to The Ohio State University Dental School and all the great things it is doing to prepare their students for a successful career in dentistry.

Vince Nardone is a partner with Benesch, with a focus in Benesch’s healthcare practice, and specifically a leader in the dental industry. He is a thought leader and regular speaker in the dental industry. He may be reached at (614) 223-9326 or vnardone@beneschlaw.com.