Introduction: Join Duane Tinker as he welcomes Leah Roling, an acclaimed life coach and celebrated author of "Shift" and "Nobody's Coming to Save You." Specializing in dental professionals' growth and success, Leah shares transformative insights aimed at enhancing both personal and professional realms. Embracing the Platinum Rule with Leah Roling: Discover the transition from the Golden Rule to the Platinum Rule with Leah Roling. Understand the pivotal shift towards treating individuals...

Clinical Recordkeeping for Dental Assistants for Nifty Thrifty Dentists Group   🦷 The importance of proper documentation and compliance in dental practices: Learn from Dwayne Tinker, former police officer for the Texas Dental Board, as he shares insights on #DentalCompliance and record-keeping.   Key Takeaways: 1️⃣ Proper notations for medications and doctor's instructions are crucial. 2️⃣ #HIPAA compliance is a must, especially for patient record access. 3️⃣ Respect patient privacy...

Amanda Hill RDH, BSDH has been a dental hygienist for over 26 years. When she took her annual infection control training in 2017, the speaker covered waterlines. She never knew that she had to do more than flush her waterlines. No one else in her dental office knew that they were supposed to do more. Her practice failed their first water test, badly. So Amanda dug in and got them to pass their water testing. Then she started offering to help other dental offices. In this episode, Amanda...

Without question, the Covid pandemic had a large impact on the healthcare field. It highlighted monstrous changes that needed to occur in the infection control space. MCS put its resources into investigating standards of care in infection control.  MCS came out with some new technologies that will transform the world of infection control. Paul Saueressig outlines the solutions they’ve created and how they can benefit your dental practice in this episode of Talking with the Toothcop. Do NOT...

Have you heard of the federally implemented “No Surprises Act?” Were you aware that it applies to dentists? The No Surprises Act protects uninsured and self-pay patients from receiving surprise medical bills. So what does that mean for your practice? Find out in this episode of Talking with the Toothcop!  How the “No Surprises Act” applies to dentists As of 1/1/2022, you need to provide patients an estimate of anticipated charges for dental services, i.e. “Good Faith Estimates” or GFEs. They...

Everyone needs a compliance program tailored to the needs of their practice. Justin Withrow jumps in when a compliance program is absent and things go horribly wrong. Perhaps a client was employing an individual that's excluded from participation in the Federal Healthcare Program that should have been caught.  There is a multitude of things that could happen that could have been prevented by a compliance program. In this episode of Talking with the Toothcop, we dissect the importance of...

When you’re in the midst of a busy day in your dental office, the details are the things that you typically let slide, right? But in the dental business, it’s the details that keep you on track and it’s the details that protect your office from huge fines and your Doctor from losing her licenses. This episode highlights some of the things I’ve seen recently that I think all dental office workers need to have top-of-mind. If you don’t take these things seriously, you’re going to have issues...

During the 4th Quarter of 2021 we saw a lot of enforcement activity, from the agencies that are announcing their fraud enforcement efforts to insurance companies that are initiating audits, etc. So whatever you’re involved with (Medicare, Medicaid, Indian Health Services, etc.), be sure you have an audit process in place that includes good records on the steps you’ve taken. You need to be able to prove your compliance should an audit or investigation comes your way. Narcotics charges against...

I started the Talking with the Toothcop podcast in December 2017. Andrea has been with me since early 2019. We love doing this podcast together. Sadly, it’s time for us to hit the pause button. We will be back—I promise! But we have a lot on our plates right now and it makes sense to pull back temporarily. If this podcast has been rewarding and educational for you professionally, take some time and go back to listen to our episode archive!  Outline of This Episode [0:22] What’s happening in...

I work with dental offices and do a lot of dental inspections/consults. I help people identify what they need to do differently. We talk through OSHA, HIPAA, infection control, radiology, medications, state board compliance, etc. But I get really excited about infection control and sterilization. That’s my stage—my moment to shine. In this episode of Talking with the Toothcop, we’re going to talk about instrument processing and cleaning procedures. Find out what you could be doing wrong...

It’s September! And it’s officially Dental Infection Control Awareness Month! We get you’re probably sick and tired of hearing about COVID and infection control. So guess what? Andrea and I will cover infection control without mentioning COVID, other than right now...We’ll cover getting a point-person in place and written policies and procedures. Check it out!  Outline of This Episode [0:20] Dental Infection Control Awareness Month! [1:20] Check out ProEdge Dental...

Did you know that September is National Preparedness Month? So in this episode of Talking with the Toothcop, we share some quick tips your practice can follow to be prepared—for whatever may come. We also share a few ways you can take advantage of “Slowtember” and prep for the year to come.  Outline of This Episode [0:22] Quick tips for emergency preparedness [6:00] Take advantage of Slowtember [11:57] Check out Compliance Bootcamp [12:45] Shoutout to some podcast listeners! Quick tips for...

In this episode of Talking with the Toothcop, you get a glimpse into the “behind the scenes” of what recording an episode really looks like. From food pranks to our favorite Starbucks orders—every tangent that we usually edit out is on full display. Don’t miss a fun and quirky episode that also includes some important news about our Dental Compliance Bootcamp! Listening may even get you some FREE coffee! Outline of This Episode [0:21] Food pranks: Starbucks + Subway [6:10] Check out ProEdge...

Did you know there are specific rules from the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) regarding giving things of value (i.e. gifts) to solicit potential customers? In this episode of Talking with the Toothcop, Andrea and I talk about some of the specific rules on gifts and kickbacks. This is stuff that you need to be aware of so you don’t get hit with penalties and fines for breaking the law.  Outline of This Episode [3:34] The OIG Backpack Rule [11:26] Texas Administrative Code Rule 108.58...

Are PMP inquiries required for sedation meds that are dispensed in the office? A listener read through the rules in January 2020 and spoke with a sedation officer and was advised that they did not need to do the PMP check if they were dispensing in the office. But the way the rule is worded makes it seem as though you do need to. So in this episode of Talking with the Toothcop, Andrea and I will cover Chapter 111 and spell out the PMP rule in detail. Hopefully, this will clear up any...

In this episode of Talking with the Toothcop, I share some sobering news that recently happened in Kansas. I’ll also share some important updates that dentists need to be aware of that were highlighted in the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners Newsletter. Stay up-to-date on the latest dentistry compliance issues—don’t miss it.  Outline of This Episode [0:21] 3-year-old boy dies during dental procedure [3:13] Get your dental unit waterlines tested through ProEdge! [4:30] Electronic...

A lot of people get the Treatment, Payment, and Healthcare Operations (TPO) Exception wrong. So in this episode of Talking with the Toothcop, Andrea and I dissect what it is. We also talk about what to do if you need patient authorization and the importance of informed consent for treatment. Don’t miss it!  Outline of This Episode [0:21] Coffee + Rom-Coms [4:07] Learn more about ProEdge Dental! [5:24] The treatment exception [10:00] The payment exception  [11:01] The operations exception ...

Recently, I’ve dealt with some level of confusion surrounding the Hepatitis B vaccinations (HBV) and post-vaccination testing requirements. So in this episode of Talking with the Toothcop, I’m going to cover what both OSHA and the CDC require for the HBV and post-vaccination testing.  Outline of This Episode [2:03] Hepatitis B vaccination requirements in dentistry [5:08] OSHA requirements for post-vaccination testing [10:22] Hepatitis B vaccination recap Hepatitis B Vaccination...

This episode of Talking with the Toothcop is a two-parter! In the first half, you’ll get a look behind the curtain and get to know me—Duane Tinker—and my co-host, Andrea Baysinger. In the second half of this episode, we share an important reminder about nitrous oxide compliance rules. Don’t miss it!  Outline of This Episode [3:01] How Andrea became my co-host [6:05] I’m an introvert—until I take the stage [8:09] Andrea is an introvert disguised as an extrovert [9:29] Country versus city...

In our last episode, we talked about how the Texas State Board allowed their COVID-19 rules to expire. We think it’s a good thing! But a lot of dentists are not happy about it. So in this episode of Talking with the Toothcop, Andrea and I dive a little deeper into the topic. We’ll share why we think it’s a good thing and what dentists can do moving forward.  Outline of This Episode [2:51] The feedback on the COVID-19 rule expiration [5:22] You can continue what you were doing [8:10]...

The Texas dental board let the COVID-19 rule expire (rule 108.7 subsection 16). How does that impact dentists moving forward? What rules do some providers still need to follow? What procedures are still recommended by the CDC? We cover it all in this episode of Talking with the Toothcop!  Outline of This Episode [3:20] The impact of the expiration of the COVID-19 rule [4:41] The OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard [9:25] 1910.504: The Mini Respiratory Protection Program [16:35] Subscribe to...

Are you doing proper sedation and anesthesia reviews? Are you making sure you don’t have drugs sitting in your office that expired pre-COVID? Are you checking with a patient’s primary care provider before administering anesthesia? Being busy and overwhelmed isn’t an excuse for not doing your due diligence. In this episode of Talking with the Toothcop, Andrea and I touch on the importance of doing a proper review.  Outline of This Episode [4:09] Sedation and anesthesia reviews [8:49]...

Last week, I read an article about an oral surgeon in North Carolina who got busted after a patient died. So in this episode of Talking with the Toothcop, we’re going to talk about what happened, why it happened, and how it could have been prevented. This isn’t to shame the dentist or staff involved, but to learn from the mistakes that were made. Tragedies in the dental office should never happen.  Outline of This Episode [0:22] Death in the dental office [8:50] Get professional help before...

I recently realized it’s been so long since I’ve played my guitar that the strings have started to rust. It’s sad and embarrassing to realize I’ve let something I love that’s important to me get forgotten. But it made me question: Where do you have rusty strings in your dental practice? Where are you not putting in the energy and effort into things that you should be? Have you let the things that are important to you go to the wayside? In this episode of Talking with the Toothcop, our goal is...