The ODA is here to meet the needs of the entire dental team, so that offices can spend their time focusing on their patients
OSU dental student Spencer Tepe, Dr. Joe Crowley and Dr. David Vorherr meet with Ohio Sen. Bill Seitz (far left) at the 2016 ODA Day at the Statehouse to talk about issues important to dentistry.
The Ohio Dental Association provides a wide range of products and services to help make the entire dental team’s job easier, so that dentists and their staffs can focus on what’s most important – caring for their patients.
Whether a dental office has a legal issue, a regulatory compliance question, is looking for volunteer opportunities or wants to hire a new team member, the Ohio Dental Association is here to assist.
The ODA’s advocacy efforts help protect dental offices and their patients
Members continually rate advocacy as one of the top member benefits. As one dentist, it can be difficult to effect change when it comes to legal and regulatory issues. If special interest groups and insurance companies with significant resources are in opposition to the profession’s best interests, one dentist alone doesn’t have much of a voice. But when the Ohio Dental Association represents a large percentage of dentists in the state, there’s power behind the association’s message. By joining dentists together with a collective voice, the association can advocate on behalf of dentists and their patients, fighting against unnecessary and burdensome regulations and protecting the sanctity of the dentist-patient relationship.
“The ODA’s legislative advocacy is one of the most valuable benefits of membership,” said Dr. Matthew Parker, a periodontist from Cincinnati. “It is vital for legislators to understand the impact their decisions can have on dentists, our practices, employees and patients, especially as they consider radical proposals such as authorizing dental therapists in Ohio. The ODA’s lobbyists serve the role of educating legislators on issues affecting dentistry. These efforts give us representation at the Statehouse and allow us to do what we do best – focus on our patients.”
Currently, the ODA is opposing legislation to create a midlevel provider, or dental therapist, in Ohio. Senate Bill 330 would allow a person with only three years of post-high school training to perform irreversible surgical dental procedures including the extraction of teeth, cutting tooth structure, and the administration of local anesthetic injections. See the above article for more information on this legislation.
Additionally, the ODA is supporting legislation that would prohibit insurance companies from setting fees for services they do not cover. House Bill 95 has been approved by the Ohio House and is pending in the Ohio Senate.
The ODA provides help with third-party payer problems
The ODA’s Dental Insurance Working Group aims to help dentists and their offices work through problems with third-party payers. Members may submit information, and the Dental Insurance Working Group will then review the issue and decide on a course of action, which could range from educating the dentist on how to properly code a procedure, to contacting the insurance company to help resolve an issue, to submitting a resolution to the ODA House of Delegates to create a policy to address a dental insurance issue that might be affecting dentists across the state. Each case is addressed on an individual basis, and the working group aims to find a solution that will best suit Ohio dentists and their patients.
“Every month the ODA’s Dental Insurance Working Group helps about three to five member dentists who have encountered problems with a third-party payer that they were unable to resolve on their own,” said Dr. Manny Chopra, a prosthodontist in Cincinnati and chair of the Council on Dental Care Programs and Dental Practice. “The working group’s efforts are a tangible demonstration of showing those in need that they don’t have to go it alone when it comes to addressing dental insurance issues.”
ODASC offers products and services to dental offices at a discounted rate
The Ohio Dental Association Services Corp. (ODASC) researches products and services useful to dentists and their practices to help save them time and money. Additionally, ODASC representatives are available to help members and their offices make decisions about what products will best fit their needs, plus help resolve any problems or questions that might come up when utilizing an ODASC-endorsed product.
ODASC now offers an employer group health benefits plan to ODA member dentists and their staffs to help them save money while receiving high quality health care benefits – the ODA Wellness Trust (for more on the ODAWT, click here).
“We have worked with ODASC for several years, and our office has found that the ODA Wellness Trust is not only a great value, but ODASC representatives have been extremely helpful and easy to work with,” said Kay, the HR manager for Family Dental Care in London, Ohio. “We know they are happy to help us and look out for our best interests.”
ODASC also offers many other products and services, and many members find that by taking advantage of the discounts provided to members through ODASC, they can actually cover the cost of their dues.
“I highly encourage you to look at many of the products that ODASC offers because they’re very thoroughly researched and are best practices and best products to help your offices be most efficient and successful,” said Dr. Billie Sue Kyger, a general dentist from Gallipolis, who uses Lighthouse 360, an automated patient communication system endorsed by ODASC.
For more information on all of the ODASC-endorsed products and savings available, visit odasc.com.
The ODA provides members and their staffs with up-to-date information
The Ohio Dental Association is the primary resource for dentists and their staffs to find important information about dental issues in Ohio. The “ODA Today” and “NewsBytes,” the ODA’s e-newsletter, provide updates on important dental news in Ohio. Plus members can access resources and information on the ODA’s website, www.oda.org.
ODA staff members are also available to answer questions and provide guidance on issues that dentists and their staffs may encounter.
“ODA resources and staff helped me to determine the best course of action for my practice in addressing the whole Medicare enrollment/opt out prescription drug issue,” said Dr. Manny Chopra. “I received quality guidance at no charge simply by virtue of being an ODA member and didn’t have to utilize expensive third-party consulting services that provided the same service.”
The ODA offers legal and regulatory compliance assistance
The ODA staff can provide expert help to dental offices when they come across various legal or regulatory compliance issues. Staff members are up to date on the latest issues affecting dentistry in Ohio and are available to answer questions and provide information at no cost to ODA members.
“The ODA’s legal department provides members with access to information on a variety of issues, including legal and regulatory compliance,” said Dr. Robert Mazzola, a general dentist from Miamisburg. “This is an especially valuable resource as dental offices are responsible for complying with a variety of laws and regulations.”
Additionally, the ODA provides many resources online in its resource library at www.oda.org/resource-library/. From regulatory compliance checklists to risk management guidance, the ODA’s resource library can help offices meet legal requirements and stay informed of regulations.
The ODA offers CE opportunities for the entire dental team, and discounts for ODA member dentists
The ODA offers members opportunities to receive continuing education credits at a reduced rate. Members can attend the ODA Annual Session for $375 less than non-members, plus receive discounts on courses. Annual Session features nationally known speakers on a wide variety of topics for the entire dental team. The 2016 ODA Annual Session will be held Sept. 15-18 in Columbus.
ODA members also have the opportunity to attend Leadership Institute, the ODA’s award-winning program developed to help all ODA members become more successful and effective leaders. Leadership Institute, which is free to ODA members and takes place every spring, provides the opportunity to earn several free CE credits.
The ODA makes volunteering easy
The ODA offers dentists several opportunities to give back to their communities, including:
- Give Kids a Smile, where dentists provide free care to children in need.
- Dental OPTIONS, where dentists provide care to low-income, uninsured individuals.
- ODA Foundation, where donations go toward providing scholarships to worthy dental students and grants to programs improving access to dental care throughout Ohio.
“The office of Dr. Drake Tollefson participates in the ODA volunteer programs Give Kids a Smile and Dental OPTIONS,” said Tollefson, a general dentist in Loveland. “These programs are valuable and beneficial. Helping those in need in our community is very satisfying for our office.”
Dental OPTIONS helps make volunteering easier for the entire dental team, because the program pre-screens patients to match them with dentists, so the office doesn’t have to do any administrative work to find patients. And the ODA and ADA provide forms and resources for offices who participate in Give Kids A Smile to help the programs run more efficiently and effectively.
“The ODA’s volunteer access to dental care programs are great ways for me to help those in my community who aren’t able to afford dental care,” said Dr. Brad Vosler, a general dentist in Miamisburg. “I enjoy coordinating and participating in a Give Kids A Smile event each year, and the Dental OPTIONS program makes it easy to volunteer in my office by seeing patients that can’t afford to pay right along with my regular schedule of patients. The opportunity to earn CE for volunteering my time makes these rewarding programs even better!”
The ODA provides opportunities to meet with others from around the state
The ODA offers several social activities throughout the year, including everything from special events for new dentists to social events at the ODA Annual Session for the entire dental team.
“One of the many reasons that I am a part of organized dentistry is because of the camaraderie,” said Dr. Ruchika Khetarpal, a general dentist in Cincinnati. “Life can get monotonous as a solo practitioner, and the good ol’ days of dental school start to fade away when everyone had lunch together and complained about their morning. Even though I’m tired after work and life responsibilities, I make an effort to go to social and professional gatherings with other dentists. I have made some good friends in Cincinnati, and as of recent all through Ohio. Even if we only meet a couple of times a year it’s nice to be around others that really get you.”
Classified ads in the “ODA Today” help members find and advertise job openings, practices for sale and more
The ODA prints classified ads in the “ODA Today” each month, plus posts them online. The classifieds are available only to members, and are a great resource to dentists and dental students looking for an associateship position, a practice for sale, equipment for sale and more. The ads are also beneficial to people who would like to advertise the need for a new employee or who would like to sell a product or their practice and more. ODA members receive a discounted price to place an ad.
The ODA helps the public connect with member dentists
The ODA helps link the public to member dentists through the American Dental Association’s Find A Dentist feature. So far this year, the ODA’s “Find a Dentist” button has received more than 400 clicks.
Over the past several years, the ODA has been airing radio advertising campaigns across the state that highlight the importance of going to a dentist who is a member of the ODA. The radio ads refer listeners to the ADA’s “Find a Dentist” search feature.
All ADA members are listed, with their name, phone number, address and specialty, plus members can add additional information like a photo, office hours, website and more.
