New ADA Publication: OSHA Training and Compliance

As many of you are aware, I started working in a dental office when I was 17 years old. I worked part-time as a janitor for a cleaning company.

Early Experiences in the Dental Field

I cleaned Dr. Artie Peacher’s office in Dover, a small rural town in Tennessee where I live. I also worked part-time as the deputy clerk and master in the Chancery Court. Back then, I had no idea how the dental field and the legal profession would collide into my career!

Advancing in the Dental Office

At age 19, Dr. Peacher hired me full-time as a dental receptionist. I loved my new job, and was later promoted to office manager. I was responsible for bookkeeping, including payroll, insurance, billing, and the overall efficiency of the administrative aspect of the dental practice.

Expanding Skills and Training

To help the chairside dental assistants, I was trained to cross-over in the sterilization area and treatment room. I attended Tennessee Technology Center where I studied dental assisting and was licensed as an RDA for many years.

Becoming an OSHA Safety Officer

Can you believe I was the OSHA Safety Officer? Yes – I was! I loved it! I remember transitioning from the wet hand dentistry era to wearing full PPE with the rollout of the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard in 1991.

Leaving Private Practice

I left private practice in 1999 and briefly worked for SoftDent, where I found my love for training and educating. Next, I started my own company, Modern Practice Solutions, in the year 2000. I began lecturing across the United States and providing in-office training and workshops.

Pursuing Higher Education

At some point, I decided to go back to school. I continued to work, grow my company, and attend college. It took me 10 years to get my bachelor’s degree in healthcare management, followed by a doctorate in jurisprudence. I started my law firm in 2012. I even wrote a blog on how to pass the bar the first time—because believe me, at age 45, I questioned whether I could undertake this challenge. Read it here!

Collaborating with ADA

It was an extremely rewarding experience to co-author ADA’s new books, entitled: “ADA OSHA Training Guidance for the Dental Team” and “ADA Guide to OSHA Compliance for Dental Offices” with Linda Harvey. After completing this project, I could not help but look back on my career and fully appreciate the many years I worked in a dental practice. As a lawyer, I can honestly tell a dentist, dental assistant, hygienist, or office manager, “I understand.” I well remember the struggles in dentistry of juggling multiple hats, one of which is job safety.

Helping the Dental Industry

We are confident these updated ADA publications will help the dental industry close any gaps in the OSHA compliance area of their dental practices. We hope you enjoy reading the books and utilizing the materials as much as we enjoyed writing them.

Order Links

To order the books, visit the links below!

• ADA OSHA Training Guidance for the Dental Team
• ADA Guide to OSHA Compliance for Dental Offices
• ADA Complete OSHA Compliance Kit