THE TOOTH PARTY IN AN ELECTION YEAR
Some voters seem to pay less attention to elections when there is no presidential race on the ballot. However, these non-presidential years are often significant for the dental profession because much of what impacts on dentistry is decided at the state level. The practice of dentistry in Ohio is governed by the statutes passed by the state legislature and the rules promulgated by the Ohio State Dental Board. State-based policies determine how dentistry is delivered in Ohio, including dental licensure issues, dental insurance regulations, Medicaid funding, delegable duties for dental hygienists, dental assistants, and EFDAs, prescribing regulations, dental X-ray machine regulations, anesthesia and sedation rules, dentist advertising regulations, dental specialty rules and much more.
On Nov. 3, all 99 Ohio House of Representatives seats and half of the Ohio Senate seats will be up for election in 2026. Moreover, races for governor, attorney general, secretary of state and other statewide offices will be on the ballot as will two Ohio Supreme Court Justice positions.
This past May, the ODA hosted its annual Day at the Statehouse where more than 100 dentists, dental students and dental residents educated state legislators on the effectiveness and safety of community water fluoridation, the need for dental insurance reform, and the need to expand the pipeline of trained dental hygienists and dental assistants to address dental team workforce issues.
When we engage in advocacy on behalf of dentistry, we are not members of the Republican Party or the Democratic Party. We are members of the Tooth Party!
This year’s advocacy built on the momentum of several recent successes, including passage of dental insurance non-covered services reform, significant increases in dental Medicaid reimbursements and passage of legislation enhancing dental practice portability across state lines.
In each of these examples, passage came with bi-partisan support. In fact, one of the key reasons for our success in advocacy is that we have champions on our issues from both sides of the aisle. For example, legislators from both major parties see the folly in radical proposals to create a new mid-level dental provider called a dental therapist in Ohio. These legislators understand that this proposal potentially creates a dual standard of care for Ohioans where the most vulnerable patients may only have access to an under-trained provider. These legislators understand that all Ohioans should have access to the full range of dental services that only a dentist can provide.
Similarly, members from both parties at the Ohio Statehouse have opposed proposals to extend the state sales tax to dental services and to burden dental practices with unnecessary regulations. Moreover, in recent years, members of both parties worked to enact legislation requiring the Ohio State Dental Board to provide fairness and due process to dental license holders and mandating dental insurers promptly pay claims and streamline the credentialing process.
In today’s world, partisanship and divisiveness radiate through the political system. Each side points fingers at the other and heated rhetoric is hurled back and forth. Despite all of this, organized dentistry remains focused exclusively on dental issues, which bridge the gap between the partisans.
The dental profession is made up of Democrats, Republicans and Independents. And we remain politically active because we understand that dentistry can be positively or negatively impacted by decisions our elected officials make. And we understand that, when it comes to dental issues, we are all members of the Tooth Party – regardless of any other political affiliations.
