Category: ODA Today

Cincinnati Dental Society dentists and their family members volunteered on Thanksgiving day to provide oral exams to the homeless population. The Cincinnati Dental Society organizes several access to care programs and events throughout the year. The society’s programs range from providing care to veterans to school-based dental ... [continue reading]

The "Lifelong Smiles" van is driven to and parked outside Cleveland-area nursing homes and assisted-living facilities for residents to come aboard to receive full-service oral care. (photo by Gary Yasaki) Students and faculty at Case Western Reserve University’s School of Dental Medicine are treating Cleveland-area seniors in a ... [continue reading]

The Dental Center of Northwest Ohio contains its own dental lab, which is where lab technicians create dentures for their patients. This speeds up the process of making dentures. The Dental Center of Northwest Ohio, one of the oldest dental clinics treating underserved patients in the state, recently opened a new clinic in Van Wert. ... [continue reading]

In February of 1941, the first Children's Dental Health Day in America was held in Cleveland to draw attention to the importance of dental health for children. Ohio dentists have a long history of working for the underserved. From the early days of the association through today, the ODA and its members have demonstrated a commitment to ... [continue reading]

Access to dental care is a topic that receives a great deal of attention here in Ohio and across America. Reducing barriers to dental care is as important now as ever since studies continue to show that good oral health is critical to good overall health. Some advocate for a two-tiered system where those who have private insurance or otherwise can ... [continue reading]

Dentists often volunteer their time delivering free or significantly discounted dental treatment to patients who might otherwise not receive care. While the vast majority of such patients are grateful for the services they receive, charitable intentions do not negate potential liability. Fortunately, the Ohio General Assembly has taken steps to ... [continue reading]

In early February the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published its final rule addressing the reporting and returning of overpayments by Medicare providers and suppliers. The rule will likely have a somewhat limited impact on most Ohio dentists, but its existence may inadvertently cause some confusion relative to it and other laws ... [continue reading]

I was struck by a Bankrate.com poll that was released this January. Their “Money Pulse Survey” was conducted in December 2015 and reported that 63 percent of Americans cannot afford a $500 unexpected expense. Think about that for a moment. Nearly two-thirds of Americans don’t have $500 in savings. For years, we have been told by ... [continue reading]

“For every complex problem, there is an answer that is clear, simple … and wrong” - H.L. Mencken This assessment of today’s complex social and scientific problems still rings true, and access to dental care falls into this category. Only the naïve would believe that more money and more providers will bring access to ... [continue reading]

In the Shakespeare play, Prince Hamlet in his famous speech contemplates death by suicide versus the troubles of life, and weighing the alternatives and consequences of both decisions. Many dentists look at becoming a Medicaid provider in the same light. Not to cheapen one of our great literary works of art, but this is a question we all at some ... [continue reading]