Aims

• providing resources to advance the dental profession.
• improving dental team skills.
• increasing public and professional oral hygiene knowledge.
• several programs;
  • Smiles for Seniors: an oral health program designed to assist dental professionals in working with the needs of seniors
    Old age
    Old age consists of ages nearing or surpassing the average life span of human beings, and thus the end of the human life cycle...
    
    . It is also used by state
    U.S. state
    A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
    
     and local
    Local government
    Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
    
     agencies to determine what health care seniors need. It is funded by the American Dental Association
    American Dental Association
    The American Dental Association is an American professional association established in 1859 which has more than 155,000 members. Based in Chicago, the ADA is the world's largest and oldest national dental association and promotes good oral health to the public while representing the dental...
    
     Foundation and GlaxoSmithKline
    GlaxoSmithKline
    GlaxoSmithKline plc is a global pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom...
    
    .
  • Dental OPTIONS: a program funded jointly by the ODA and the Ohio Department of Health to provide low income families and individuals with dental services at reduced fees.
  • Operation TACTIC: this is a program that is designed to raise awareness in the dangers of tobacco
    Tobacco
    Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
    
     for youth. Materials are provided by the ODA to people willing to participate.
  • Give Kids A Smile! Day: This is an annual event to raise awareness and promote dental health in child
    Child
    Biologically, a child is generally a human between the stages of birth and puberty. Some vernacular definitions of a child include the fetus, as being an unborn child. The legal definition of "child" generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority...
    
    ren.