When many of us think of eye protection, we think of safety glasses worn by nail-gun-wielding construction workers, or the goggles worn by chemical-mixing scientists. What our imagination often fails to offer up are images of a hygienist whose prophy angle is spraying polish about, or the dentist using a high-speed drill to excavate-and possibly fling- decay, or even the dental assistant peering into the mouth of a patient whose salivary glands threaten to spray without notice (see the recent TikTok phenomenon of ‘gleeking’.)
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.
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:
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.
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?
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.”
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.
Let’s say you’re getting ready to do a quadrant of scaling and root planning (SRP). You have a sensitive patient with deep pockets, so you’ve decided that local anesthetic is the best way to manage the patient’s pain and keep them comfortable during the procedure. You plan to administer the MSA and ASA blocks.
In situations like this, where we are giving injections at multiple sites, there are a few practices to keep in mind for patient and clinician safety, as well as regulatory compliance.
Always prepare your injection in a clean area free from contamination. Disinfect the rubber septum on the anesthetic carpule before puncturing it.
Never use a needle for more than one patient. While a single needle may be used to inject multiple sites on the same patient, this same needle may not be used on another patient. Remember, needles are single-use items and cannot be sterilized and reused.
Always sterilize your re-usable injection syringe between patients. Unlike needles, most dental aspirating syringes can be sterilized and reused.
Always recap the needle if it must be set down between injections to prevent injuries. Ensure that recapping is never done using two hands or any other technique that could direct the needle towards any part of the body. Use either a single-handed scoop technique for recapping, or a mechanical device designed to hold the needle cap.
Always place used needles in a puncture resistant sharps container that is labeled as biohazard. This container should be located as close as feasible to the area where the injection is given.
Never pass uncapped needles to another user.
Ensure that the Practice’s exposure control plan contains an explanation of why recapping is required as well as the procedure that is followed for safe recapping (single-hand technique or recapping device). OSHA may request this policy in the event of an inspection.
It’s no secret that Tennessee OSHA (TOSHA) has been out and about making visits to dental offices across the state for the past few months. It’s also no secret that being unprepared for an inspection can be not only stressful for the staff and owners, but also financially damaging due to fines, and increases in payroll costs required by employees handling the complex abatement process. So, what has TOSHA been citing lately? Let’s take a look:
As a company, MPS is always on the lookout for the newest guidance and standard interpretation as it relates to OSHA and HIPAA compliance, so we can pass it along to you. We frequently discuss hazards and recent inspections with industry leaders, practices, and regulatory agencies, to allow you to focus on treating patients.
