This Newsletter is an independent publication, and is not a product of the Central Oregon Dental Society, Oregon Dental Association or the American Dental Association. This Newsletter relies on the dental community, its readers and Editor for its content and aims to relay announcements, information and dialogue relevant to the Central Oregon Dental Community.
- This issue of the Central Oregon Dental News is brought to you through the generous support of:
- Assured Dental Lab
- BnK Construction
- O’Brien Dental Lab
- Unbreakable Bonds Dental Lab
CONTENTS OF NEWSLETTER:
- Upcoming Central Oregon Meetings & Events
- Central Oregon Dental News
- Volunteer Opportunities
- Seeking Employment
- Classified Ads
- Regional CE Calendar
- More Info.
- Editorials / Commentary
- Dear Dr. Rupert
UPCOMING MEETINGS, EVENTS or C.E.
July 31 – August 1, 2026 — Equity Dental Conference and Continuing Education
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August 6, 2026 — Retirement Celebration for Dr. Mehdi Salari
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August 29, 2026 — CE Course: Serving Vulnerable Populations: Effective EPDH Models
You’re Invited – Continuing Education Course
Serving Vulnerable Populations: Effective EPDH Models
Date: Saturday August 29, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Location: The New Central Library, Bend, OR
Cost: $15 ($10 Early Bird register by July 29)
CE Credit: 2 CEUs
Course Objectives
- Changing the face of preventive oral health for vulnerable populations
- Understanding the impact of oral care on systemic health in medically fragile patients
- Implementing effective solutions to behavioral challenges in care delivery
Featured Speaker
Laine Aus Neal, BS, RDHEP
Laine Aus Neal brings over 18 years of experience in dental hygiene, with a focus on expanding access to care for underserved and medically complex populations. After earning her BS in Interdisciplinary Studies from Cascade College and graduating from Mt. Hood Community College’s dental hygiene program in 2008, she spent 14 years in private practice before transitioning into expanded practice dental hygiene.
Today, Laine provides care in assisted living and community-based settings, reaching patients who are unable to access traditional dental offices. Through her work with programs such as Oral Health for Life, Exceptional Needs Dental Services, and Prime Mobile Dental, she has built a flexible model that allows her to set her own schedule while delivering essential care to vulnerable populations. This transition has also allowed her to create a sustainable and financially rewarding career beyond the traditional private practice setting.
Reserve Your Spot
RSVP: Email stairwaytoperio@gmail.com to with the subject line August 29th CE to register.
September 9, 2026 — CE Course: Cultural Competency CE Night at Worthy Brewing!
You’re Invited: Cultural Competency CE Night at Worthy Brewing!
Let’s make a mandatory CE more fun! Join us for an evening of learning, connection, and conversation — over a beer.
Date: September 9, 2026
Time: 6:30–8:30 PM
Location: Worthy Brewing, Bend, OR
Ticket Includes: One drink token
CE Credit: 2 hour – Cultural Competency (meets Oregon licensure requirement)
Featured Speaker: Lindsay Luttrell
Lindsay is a passionate educator turned compliance expert who makes complex topics accessible and engaging. After 20 years in the classroom, she found her calling in healthcare compliance — and brings a people-first, relatable approach to a topic most of us dread. As part of Healthcare Compliance Associates, she delivers content that’s impactful, relevant, and actually fun to learn.
Course Objectives:
- Define key cultural competency concepts relevant to dental care
- Recognize how cultural beliefs impact oral health behaviors and treatment decisions
- Identify and reflect on personal biases that may affect patient interactions
- Communicate more effectively across cultural and language barriers
- Apply culturally responsive strategies during exams, treatment planning, and patient education
- Use interpreters and translated materials appropriately
- Foster an inclusive and respectful practice environment
- Commit to ongoing growth in cultural competency to better serve your community
Ticket Info:
$50 – Includes 1 drink – Limited seats available!
RSVP to Register: Email stairwaytoperio@gmail.com with your name and “Sept 9 CE” in the subject line.
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September 17, 2026 (Thurs.) — BlueBird Oral Surgery Annual Garden Party
September 24, 2026 (Thurs.) — Central Oregon Dental Society Meeting
6:00 pm – Social Hour
7:00 pm – Dinner and Meeting / CE
CE: TBD
Speaker: TBD
Location: Currents Restaurant at the Riverhouse
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October 2-3, 2026 (Fri. & Sat.) — ODA Regional Event & Annual Business Meeting in Sunriver, Oregon
Join us for family-friendly social activities, continuing education from leading experts, and relationship building with industry suppliers and our hybrid Annual Business Meeting. Registration opens in July. Be sure to check www.oregondental.org for all updates.
Reach for the stars at the ODA Regional Event
Friday, October 2nd – Saturday, October 3rd, 2026
Sunriver Resort
17600 Center Drive
Sunriver, Oregon 97707
Join us for 2 days of clinical CE, meaningful connections, and stellar energy!
Plus, our Annual Business Meeting will be held over lunch on Saturday October 3rd. All ODA members are encouraged to attend the business meeting, in person or virtually, to engage in meaningful discussion and have a voice in decisions that guide the future of the association.
All information, including pricing, agenda details and speaker line up, are available on our website.
Register: https://www.bcpay.online/EventRegistrations/register.php?Event=ODASunriverResort
Prevention & Diagnosis: The Final Frontier
9 hours of CE designed to elevate how you detect, prevent and treat.
The Oral Microbiome: A Powerful Driver of Health and Disease
Friday, October 2nd, 2026
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Credits: 3
What we eat profoundly impacts our oral health, including the risk of dental caries, dental erosion, and periodontal disease. Compelling and emerging research also shows a strong link between the health of the oral microbiome and our risk of disease, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, respiratory disease, dementia, depression, arthritis, and more. This science-backed, insightful, and engaging presentation is about the importance of consuming a less processed, anti-inflammatory diet to optimize oral health, as well as overall health. It also covers the harm caused by sugary drinks, around-the-clock snacking, and ultra-processed foods.
Treating Caries Chemically (Without The Filling)
Saturday, October 3rd, 2026
8:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Credits: 3
Clinical practice today uses scientifically sound evidence-based approaches. There is a noticeable shift to the caries treatment paradigm by better preventing and managing caries as a disease at the patient level. Person-centered care is an approach where the individual in your dental chair is treated as a person rather than a patient; where their personal preferences and shared decisions drive clinical treatment options. This course will address current trends in caries risk management at the patient level utilizing an evidence-based, person-centered methodology. The presentation provides an excellent update relevant to clinical applications for the dentist, hygienist, assistant, and front office.
Minimally Invasive Dentistry (SDF, GIC, and SMART)
Saturday, October 3rd, 2026
2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Credits: 3
Dental caries is a site-specific disease in which the microbiology and chemistry will differ depending on location and local environment. This course will review the current ADA caries classification system to address these different sites and include a mechanism to track all stages of a caries lesion. New terminology, treatment thresholds, and use of silver diamine fluoride (SDF), glass ionomer cement (GIC) restoratives, and the silver modified atraumatic restorative treatment (SMART) will be presented. Only then will the clinician be able to use minimally invasive restorative approaches to managing this disease chemically at the tooth level. Actual clinical cases will be used to illustrate these concepts. The presentation provides an excellent update relevant to clinical applications for the dentist, dental therapist, hygienist, assistant, and front office.
Full Course Descriptions & Speaker Bios: https://www.oregondental.org/meetings-events/regional-event/speakers
December 3, 2026 (Thurs.) — Central Oregon Dental Society Meeting
6:00 pm – Social Hour
7:00 pm – Dinner and Meeting / CE
CE: TBD
Speaker: TBD
Location: Currents Restaurant at the Riverhouse
February 11, 2027 — Dental Day at the Capital
Mark your calendars for February 11th and plan to join other ODA members in Salem to advocate for oral health!
April 29 – May 1, 2027 — Oregon Dental Conference
Plan to join us in Portland for another 3-day conference filled with education, connection, and growth at the Oregon Convention Center in downtown Portland. We look forward to bringing the community together once again and will be sharing more details in the months ahead. In the meantime, we encourage you to save the dates on your calendar.
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CENTRAL OREGON DENTAL NEWS
COCC Dental Assisting Clinic Dates and Volunteer Opportunities
A HUGE thank you to all of our volunteer dentists for your time, care, and support throughout this year’s COCC Dental Clinics. Your generosity impacts our students, patients and community, and we truly appreciate all you do. We could not do it without your support!
Volunteer dates for next year’s clinics are now available at the link below. This year, we are using a Google Sheet where volunteers can sign themselves up directly. Please be sure to include your name and email address when signing up. If you prefer, you are also welcome to email me and I would be happy to sign you up.
Here’s the Google Sheet link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14RNBLJaH5bWhPkYzOo1cj0cr1ik7fL_lI29JelTdgLw/edit?gid=0#gid=0
We would love to have you join us again!
Jenna Johnson
Central Oregon Community College
541.383.7574
jjohnson47@cocc.edu
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Please Take 5 min. to Fill out an Oregon Board of Dentistry Survey on Dental Assistants
Subject: Oregon Board of Dentistry – Dental Assisting Survey
June 26, 2026
The Oregon Board of Dentistry is conducting a survey of dental assisting practice in Oregon. Your participation is greatly appreciated in helping us develop an accurate picture of the profession, including practice settings, job duties, wages, and workforce trends. The information gathered will help the Board better understand the needs of Oregon’s dental assisting workforce and inform future decisions related to workforce shortages, education, certification, and other issues affecting the profession.
All responses are confidential and will be combined with those of other participants for analysis. Individual responses will not be identified or reported.
Please forward to dental assistants who work in your office to complete. The survey will take approximately 5-10 minutes.
Click to begin SURVEY.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact information@obd.oregon.gov
Cascade Endodontic Group News
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When Fillers Fail: Orofacial Inflammation That Looks Like a Tooth Infection (Article submitted/shared by Lynn Murray, Emeritus COCC Dental Assisting Program)
Dentistry iQ
July 16, 2026 Pamela Maragliano, DMD, Tom Viola, RPh, CCP
When Fillers Fail: Orofacial Inflammation That Looks Like a Tooth Infection
Dermal fillers can develop dormant biofilms that can be activated by dental procedures. They end up looking and feeling like an odontogenic infection. There’s even localized bone resorption beneath the chin following certain cosmetic procedures that involve hyaluronic acid.
If you don’t know that your patient has had dermal fillers placed, you may end up going down a rabbit hole with these infections that ends up leading nowhere. This is where the medical history review becomes even more important to find out exactly what cosmetic procedures patients are having done.
News From the ODA, ADA & OBD
- New Online Training for Dental Assistants: On-the-job training can be overwhelming for both dental assistants and practices, but a new online course is here to help prepare assistants for their first day. On July 6, the ADA and Immersify — an artificial intelligence-powered learning technology company — launched Foundations First, a six-module course developed with the help of ADA subject matter experts that is designed to be completed before assistants see their first patient. Read more
- New ADA Student Loan Resource Guide: Effective July 1, 2026, the federal landscape for student aid is changing after the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. For dental students, the elimination of Grad PLUS and new borrowing caps may create a significant funding challenge. The ADA and partners have created new tools to help students understand the changes and navigate the path forward. Be sure to share out this guide or visit our website for any questions.
- New Program: Live Advocacy: ODA is launching a new series of informal Advocacy Zoom Calls to provide members with regular updates on legislative and policy initiatives while creating a direct space for engagement and questions. These 30 minute lunchtime sessions will feature a brief overview of current advocacy efforts led by Brett Hamilton, Director of Government and Regulatory Affairs, followed by open discussion, giving members an easy and interactive way to stay informed, ask questions, and connect more closely with ODA’s advocacy work. The second call featuring Regulatory Advisory Council (RAC) 101, focused on how the Council reviews, develops and influences regulatory policies impacting the dental profession, your patients, and health care reform was held on June 25th and well attended. If you were unable to attend you can watch the recording, here. Monitor your email for the next session registration. If you have any topics that you would like discussed, please email Brett at bhamilton@oregondental.org.
- Get Discovered by More Patients: The newly redesigned ADA Find-a-Dentist® makes it easier for patients in your area to find you. With enhanced search features, patients can now search by address or zip code and filter results by specialty, language spoken, insurance accepted, and travel distance. This powerful marketing tool is included in your member benefits. Increase your visibility and stand out by keeping your profile updated. Log in to your My ADA account portal to update your profile and check the “Include in Find-a-Dentist” box to appear in search results.
July 10, 2026
The OBD is sharing a message and resources below from the OHA’s HAI-AR program:
The Oregon Health Authority’s Healthcare-Associated Infections & Antimicrobial Resistance (HAI-AR) Program offers free infection prevention and antibiotic stewardship resources specifically designed for dental settings.
INFECTION PREVENTION TRAINING from Oregon Project Firstline
Oregon Project Firstline offers free, on-demand infection prevention and control (IPC) training for dental professionals, including dental assistants, hygienists, dental therapists and dentists. We now have materials developed with a dental setting focus.
Explore dental-specific IPC training
INFECTION CONTROL ASSESSMENT & RESPONSE (ICAR)
Our team offers free, confidential, non-punitive Infection Control Assessment and Response (ICAR) consultations for dental practices. ICARs are available:
Proactively, to help your practice strengthen IPC practices
Responsively, following a potential IPC breach or exposure event
An ICAR is not an inspection, it is a supportive, educational consultation at no cost to your practice. Learn more about what to expect and request a consult.
ANTIBIOTIC STEWARDSHIP FOR DENTAL PROFESSIONALS
Reducing unnecessary prescribing helps prevent avoidable side effects, reactions, and the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Learn more and explore resources to support appropriate prescribing by visiting our dental antibiotic stewardship page.
QUESTIONS? CONTACT US
The OHA HAI-AR Program is here to support dental practices across Oregon. Reach out to us at HAI@odhsoha.oregon.gov
Thank you for your commitment to patient safety and quality care.
Warm regards,
Oregon HAI-AR Program
Oregon Health Authority
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UPDATED FOR ADA MEMBERS: Please refer to the ADA HIPAA webpage.
The ADA updated its sample Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, Notice of Privacy Practices to reflect new federal requirements regarding the use and disclosure of certain substance use disorder treatment information. Beginning Feb. 16, HIPAA-covered practices must include information in their Notice of Privacy Practices describing how substance use disorder records protected under title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 2 may be used and disclosed. The new federal requirements are the result of a final rule modifying the Part 2 rules published Feb. 16, 2024.
The updated sample Notice of Privacy Practices is intended to help dental practices meet their legal obligations while clearly communicating patients’ privacy rights.
Under federal law, the Part 2 rules provide heightened confidentiality protections for records related to federally assisted substance use disorder diagnosis, treatment, or referral. Dental practices may receive these records as part of a patient’s health history or through coordination of care with other providers. The updated Notice of Privacy Practices explains how these records may be handled when they are received by a dental practice with consent from an individual in a Part 2 program, or under one of the exceptions to the consent requirements.
The sample Notice of Privacy Practices makes clear that certain types of information are subject to special protections.
“Some information, such as HIV-related information, genetic information, alcohol and/or substance use disorder treatment records, and mental health records may be entitled to special confidentiality protections under applicable state or federal law. We will abide by these special protections as they pertain to applicable cases involving these types of records,” according to the sample notice.
A new section of the sample Notice of Privacy Practices specifically addresses substance use disorder treatment information governed by Part 2. It explains the difference between records received through a general consent from the patient and records received under a specific consent. The sample notice also states that Part 2 records generally may not be used against a patient in legal proceedings without proper authorization or a qualifying court order.
“In no event will we use or disclose your Part 2 Program record, or testimony that describes the information contained in your Part 2 Program record, in any civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceedings by any Federal, State, or local authority, against you, unless authorized by your consent or the order of a court after it provides you notice of the court order,” the sample notice reads.
What does this mean for dentists?
To comply with the new requirement by the Feb. 16 deadline, dental practices should update the Notice of Privacy Practices by including the new language related to substance use disorder information disclosure language. They should provide the revised Notice of Privacy Practices to new patients at intake, have it available at the dental office for individuals to request, and post the information in a prominent location in the dental office, as well as on the dental office website if it has one, as required by HIPAA. Electronic distribution is acceptable if patients have agreed to receive notices electronically.
The requirement to update Notice of Privacy Practices does not change other longstanding HIPAA requirements such as the provider’s duty to safeguard protected health information, obtain patient authorization for certain uses and disclosures, and notify affected individuals following a breach of unsecured protected health information.
“Dental practices should assess whether they maintain or receive records associated with substance use disorder treatment programs, or Part 2 programs, and update applicable policies, consent forms, and Notices of Privacy Practices,” said Jennifer Thompson, D.D.S., chair of the ADA’s Council on Dental Practice. “It is also important to train clinical and administrative team members to understand the rules governing patient records under HIPAA and related confidentiality rules.”
The updated ADA sample Notice of Privacy Practices replaces the sample Notice of Privacy Practices previously included in the ADA Practical Guide to HIPAA Compliance, the ADA Practical Guide to HIPAA Training and the Personalized Notice of Privacy Practices Brochure. E-book versions of these publications have already been updated.
Members who wish to order updated printed copies of the brochure may do so through ADAstore.org. For more information about the HIPAA Privacy Rule for professionals, visit this webpage. For more information about the final rule, check out the online fact sheet.
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CENTRAL OREGON DENTAL SOCIETY OFFICERS
Please feel free to reach out to any of the Central Oregon Dental Society Officers, if you want to get more involved with organized dentistry, if you have ideas or suggestions for upcoming speakers or courses, or any other dental related issues on your mind.
- CODS President: Dr. Emily Bradshaw
- CODS Vice President: Dr. Jessica Henderson
- CODS Secretary/Treasurer: Dr. Jacqueline Gambee
- CODS Continuing Education Chair: Dr. Michael Reynolds
- CODS Ambassador: Dr. Joselene Piedra & Dr. Bradley Field
- ODA Trustee: Dr. Shannon Woods
- ODA President: Dr. Amberena Fairlee
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
- Please go to the ‘VOLUNTEER’ page on the menu bar for contact and additional information about the following Central Oregon organizations seeking dental volunteers:
- Central Oregon Community College Friday Clinic
- Central Oregon Community College Dental Assisting Program
- Volunteers in Medicine
- Medical Teams International Mobile Dental Van
- Donated Dental Services (DDS) Program
- Healthy Beginnings
- Smile Central Oregon
SEEKING EMPLOYMENT
Dentist Available for Part-Time or Fill-In Work
Retired Central Oregon Dentist available for either part time or fill in / locum tenens work on an as needed basis. Please reach out to Dr. Tom Rheuben at trheuben@gmail.com. if needing some help.
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CLASSIFIED ADS
South Central Oregon Endodontic Practice
Well established endo practice with 2 equipped and 4 plumbed operatories situated in a nice strip mall with plentiful parking. The office is located in the beautiful city of Klamath Falls with abundant sunshine and outdoor recreation. Seller is retiring and willing to help with a short term transition. Collections in 2023 were 550k with low expenses. Tons of potential. Klamath Falls has a dental trade area of 70,000 with only 2 endodontists. Contact Adam at 541.520.5507 or adam@mydentalbroker.com.
FOR SALE- Two Schick Intraoral Sensor Starter Kits (size 1 and size 2):
Brand new and unopened (purchased in 2024) Dentsply Sirona Schick 33 Intraoral Sensors with updated 3.0 USB interface. Schick has had a recent price increase for these same sensors, but selling for the original purchase price:
Schick 33 Size 2 Sensor Starter Kit 3.0 USB with 6ft cable : $6919
Schick Size 1 Sensor Starter Kit 3.0 USB with 6ft cable: $6679
If you are interested, please contact Brad Field at dr.field@littlebendsmiles.com.
FOR SALE DEXIS CBCT OP 3D 9×14.
Purchased at the end of 2020, this cbct/pano works great, I’m just looking to upgrade for a larger field of view. Great for a general practice for implants, endo, pano, bitewings pano etc. Henry Schein is currently selling a smaller field of view (9×11) refurbished model model for $47K, asking $28K for the larger field of view. You must set up the move. Feel free to come take a look at it, you can contact me at drmiller@stillwaterdentalbend.com.
Dental Equipment for Sale
I have some dental equipment that I would like to sell:
- Planmeca ProMax digital pano with ceph arm – upgradable to 3D
- Ramvac DentalEZ air compressor
- Ramvac Bulldog QT vacuum pump
- Ramvac OWL controller
- The steel rack to stack the compressor and vacuum pump in the mechanical room
- Porter nitrous equipment – all the equipment from the nitrous closet for the central nitrous setup, and the controls from the hallway, valves for the chairs, etc.
All of this equipment was purchased new by me in 2010, and it all still works fine – it was just too small for my new office, and I went with a new CBCT for the new office rather than upgrading the ProMax. Please contact Eric Cadwell at eric@purecaredental.com and make me an offer on anything you are interested in.
REGIONAL CE CALENDAR
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MORE INFO
Searching for a Dental Hygienist?
You might want to email the High Desert Dental Hygienists’ Association (CODHAinfo@gmail.com) and tell them about your need. They are very helpful and have a great database of Central Oregon Dental Hygienists and may email information about your opening to their members.
Announcements, Articles or Classifieds for the Newsletter
Article submissions for the Central Oregon Dental Community are encouraged and welcomed. You can email your content to Dr. Mehdi Salari (bendsalari@gmail.com). The deadline to contribute articles or request the posting of information in the Newsletter is 5:00 pm PST on the second to last day of each month. The Newsletter is typically sent out on the first or second day of each month.
Advertising or Content for Future Newsletters
Please contact Dr. Mehdi Salari (bendsalari@gmail.com) if you would like to post a classified or advertisement in future issues of the Central Oregon Dental Newsletter. The Central Oregon Dental Newsletter is available & sent to all practicing and retired Dentists, Specialists in Bend, Redmond, Prineville, Madras, Sisters, La Pine, Sunriver, Warm Springs & Powell Butte & Mitchell. The deadline to update or post an advertisement in the Newsletter is 5:00 pm PST on the second to last day of the each month.
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Everything above the Red Line is put together as a service to the Central Oregon Dental Community and is the nonpartisan news and events of this Newsletter.
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The Red Line
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The Red Line
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Everything below the Red Line is either for entertainment purposes or to stimulate conversation or debate. It’s personal, opinion based, has a conservative slant and is not meant to offend or upset … only to stimulate discussion or entertainment. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
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COMMENTARY
DISCLAIMER / WARNING: The opinions or comments expressed are NOT those of the Central Oregon Dental Society, Oregon Dental Association, American Dental Association or any of the Advertisers or Business Partners. Editorials or commentaries are OPINIONS ONLY and are simply meant to encourage discussion or dialogue. Readers are welcome and encouraged to contribute editorials or comments for possible inclusion in future issues.
Please Consider Contributing an Editorial or Column For Future Newsletters
This Newsletter is a forum for the Central Oregon Dental Community to stay in touch and connected and a place to have your voice heard. Your opinion columns, thoughts and feedback are encouraged and welcome.
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COMMENTARY has its own page.
Commentary content can be found at:
https://codentalnews.com/commentary/
or by clicking the COMMENTARY tab on the Home Page Menu bar
Dear Dr. Rupert
Dear Dr. Rupert’s monthly practice management advice column has its own page .
Dear Dr. Rupert can be found at:
https://codentalnews.com/dear-dr-rupert/
or by clicking the DEAR DR. RUPERT tab on the Home Page Menu bar