As an investigator for the Texas State Dental Board, I investigated my share of naughty dentists. Today, as a consultant, I help prevent the very things I used to bust dentists for. I won’t say I have seen it all, but I have seen a lot – things most people cannot even fathom (things I cannot even talk about). Then (as now) I saw good people do bad things (or fail to do what they were supposed to do) perhaps not even aware they were "out of compliance". When dentists find themselves in trouble it is never over one or two small things, but a BIG ‘thing’ or a multitude of smaller issues.

Today, I consult to attorneys, dentists, and dental management organizations on compliance and risk management issues. With the help of my compliance team, I help develop compliance programs, write policies/procedures, develop tools, audit and inspect dental practices, and dental records to find and help fix the very problems that land dentists on headline news (patient injuries/deaths, employee injuries, infection control failures, drug diversion issues, insurance/Medicaid fraud, HIPAA violations, and other nightmares). It is my privilege to build relationships with my clients and create with them legitimate, well-deserved peace of mind.

My team and I have worked hard to create compliance systems that have been honed and sharpened to give you and your staff a legitimate risk reduction program. Our systems repeatedly withstand the test of regulatory scrutiny; we make the concerted effort to keep up with regulatory changes, which is no small endeavor.

Compliance is a journey, not a destination; there is no finish line, and you will never be done (unless you give up and quit). The journey can be complex, daunting, even boring. People often tell us they have no time for compliance (we know this is a pleasant way of telling us it is too much to for them to deal with on their own). You don’t have to do it alone. Whether it is us or someone else - find someone you trust to partner with on your ongoing compliance efforts, so you can spend more time taking care of your patients and growing your business while doing a better job of controlling your compliance risks.  

I put this booklet together to give you some tools to implement right away. I hope these tools serve you well. If you need more help, give us a call; I promise it won’t hurt.

Duane ‘Tink’ Tinker