Thanks to the ongoing grassroots engagement of AAO members in Ohio, the AAO Legal & Advocacy team, in coordination with our local lobbyists in Ohio, continue to effectively defend against the advancement of harmful priority legislation put forward by mail-order orthodontic companies. 

In November 2021, mail-order orthodontics groups, including the American Teledentistry Association (ATDA), increased efforts to lobby Ohio legislators for revisions to Ohio’s teledentistry laws and attempting to persuade Ohio legislators that an in-person examination and the taking of radiographs are not necessary for orthodontic treatment.

Through the Component Legal Support Fund, the Ohio Association of Orthodontists (OAO) retained a local Ohio lobbyist in 2021 who worked with the AAO Legal & Advocacy team to continue meeting with state legislators and communicate the consequences of mail-order orthodontic amendments. Members of the OAO sent over 50 messages to state legislators to educate them on the standard of care for orthodontic treatment and the need for any additional teledentistry regulations to be in the best interest of patient health and safety.

The reliable, peer-reviewed scientific evidence available on AAO’s Orthofacts.org helped legislators understand that teledentistry can continue to advance in a safe and productive way while keeping patient health and well-being a priority. Ohio legislators, in meetings with AAO staff and our Ohio lobbyist, expressed their gratitude for the information about the importance of an in-person examination and the use of x-rays and the information provided to expose the lack of evidence-based support for claims made by the ATDA and other mail-order orthodontic groups.

We met similar challenges with success against mail-order orthodontics groups in 2020. We will continue to see attempts made in the future by mail-order orthodontic companies to provide their priority amendments, and we will continue to rely on the powerful voices of our AAO Members to share evidence-based messages focusing on our highest priority—patient health and safety.
Your grassroots engagement makes all the difference in Ohio and anywhere else we are influencing policy through advocacy.  Please be sure to always take action when you receive an AAO VoterVoice alert and continue sharing messages and resources from OrthoFacts.org with relevant decision-makers.

Thank you for all you do through advocacy, and don’t forget to make your 2022 contribution now to AAOPAC at AAOPAC.org.