Author: Olivia Wann

by Olivia Wann

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the health care landscape. Dental professionals are increasingly using AI-powered tools to assist with administrative tasks, patient communications, clinical documentation, treatment planning, marketing, and operational efficiency. While these technologies offer significant benefits, they also introduce new privacy, security, compliance, and ethical risks that many dental practices have not yet fully addressed.

By Olivia Wann

In every dental practice, infection prevention depends on more than running instruments through a sterilizer. Proper handling after sterilization is equally important. Once instruments have been sterilized and sealed in approved sterilization pouches, they should remain packaged until the exact moment they are needed for patient treatment. Opening pouches ahead of time defeats an important layer of protection and increases the risk of contamination.

by Olivia Wann and Caitlin Denison

Recently, a dental practice received a serious OSHA citation for contaminated laundry being handled unnecessarily or with what the inspector described as “excessive agitation.” This was surprising, as in 26 years of consulting we have not previously encountered this type of violation.

by Olivia Wann

Thirty-four percent of dentist owners plan to retire within six years according to Dental Post’s 2025 Dental Salary Survey Report. If you are interested in selling a practice or buying a practice, there are important legal considerations. Selecting a lawyer who understands the many facets of dentistry to prepare or review a buy-sell agreement is to the dentist’s advantage.  Here’s my top ten reasons why:

by Olivia Wann, JD

Specialty dentists such as oral surgeons, periodontists, orthodontists, and endodontists depend heavily on relationships with general dentists who refer patients for treatment. Hosting a continuing education (CE) event is one of the most effective ways to strengthen those relationships while providing genuine value to the referring community. A well-planned CE program positions the specialist as a trusted resource, encourages collaboration, and keeps colleagues informed about evolving clinical techniques.

by Olivia Wann

OSHA is here!  Help!  Are you practicing in Tennessee and have experienced a recent unannounced OSHA inspection?  You are not alone.

Week to week, dental practices are reaching out to us explaining that a Tennessee OSHA inspector stopped in for a random audit.  Quite a number of practices experienced citations, although such citations only amounted to a few hundred dollars.  What is this all about?

by Olivia Wann, JD

Imagine the frustration of patients living in Memphis who were treated by a local dentist whose records were left behind in a storage unit. 

According to the individual who purchased the contents of an abandoned storage unit, he found thousands of dental records to include x-rays, intake forms, billing records and billing information that included patients’ social security numbers. He was quoted as saying, “This wasn’t one or two files, this was thousands of thousands of files.” 

by Olivia Wann, JD

As we close out 2025 and say hello to 2026, it’s a great time to look back at the past 12 months and take a “compliance inventory.” Assess how well your practice achieved the goals of infection control, and OSHA and HIPAA compliance.

by Olivia Wann, JD

Nothing can frustrate an employee more than asking them to attend a course on a usual day for them to work and not compensating them.

Is it required by law to pay employees for their time to attend a CE event? The short answer is it depends. 

by Olivia Wann, JD

As you read through this article, how do you feel? Is your neck, back, or shoulder hurting? Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) can result in absenteeism, lost productivity, increased health care disability, and worker’s compensation costs. It also causes difficulty filling vacant positions especially during this labor shortage.