Bridging the gap between clinical excellence and professional expertise
With open eyes, new dentists are emerging into the dental profession each year with the clinical skills necessary to provide patients with the utmost care, but those years of higher education may not fully prepare dentists for what they are about to encounter in the everyday operation of their practice. Organized dentistry bridges the gap between clinical excellence and professional expertise in handling the evolving operation of dentistry. The ODA provides resources for its members in regard to handling important practice issues such as working with dental insurance companies, regulatory compliance, media relations, staff issues, etc. These are just a few of the ways the ODA helps its new members become equipped with the non-clinical skills necessary to be successful.
Personally, I am a supporter of organized dentistry because of advocacy efforts put forth by the ODA. This is what I consider to be the most valuable aspect of membership. The ODA confronts the challenges facing Ohio dentists to protect against unnecessary intrusion by the government, insurance companies, or regulatory agencies. As advocates for dentists in Ohio, the ODA fights on behalf of our professional interests and allows us to focus more on patient care.
Advocacy efforts with lawmakers can only be effective if the ODA represents the vast majority of dentists in Ohio. As such, membership in organized dentistry strengthens our profession by uniting our voice into a powerful force that can guide the direction of dentistry in Ohio and across the nation. With all of the changes occurring in health care, it is essential for dentists to have collective representation when combating issues confronting our profession such as the declining trend in patient utilization of services, decreasing reimbursements and mandated health care.
New and younger dentists have the most to gain and the most to lose from how the practice of dentistry evolves over the next three decades. Organized dentistry serves to keep our careers, families and aspirations a reality.
Editor’s Note: Membership renewal season is underway. To renew your membership, click here.