CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Dental Association will host a virtual press conference on Tuesday, September 23, to announce the More for Your Smile campaign, a statewide effort to make dental coverage fairer, clearer, and more accountable. Speakers will highlight West Virginia’s dental health challenges and explain why lawmakers must act to ensure patients get the value they pay for in their dental insurance.
When: Tuesday, September 23, 2025, 9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. ET
Where: Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86294459803?pwd=JBCujd5dXTaT7MLQqf3e0b7W893l 1H.1
Meeting ID: 862 9445 9803
Passcode: SMILE
Who:
• Dr. Michael Richardson, South Hills dentist
• Hallie Mason, Executive Director, West Virginia Dental Association
• Dr. Syndi Harris-Evans, Parkersburg dentist
Why:
West Virginia ranks 49th out of 51 states and D.C. for dental health (WalletHub 2025). The state has some of the nation’s highest rates of tooth loss and untreated decay and only 48.7 dentists per 100,000 residents, compared with more than 60 nationwide. Families and employers pay dental premiums every month, yet as much as 40 percent of premium dollars are spent on executive salaries, profits, and overhead instead of patient care.
This crisis is not unique to West Virginia. Patients across the country are struggling with high costs and inadequate dental coverage. Following recent reforms in states like Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and North Dakota, West Virginia’s More for Your Smile campaign joins a growing national movement to hold insurers accountable and ensure patients get real value from their dental benefits.
For additional context, see the New York Times article, “I Have Dental Insurance. Why Do I Pay So Much for Care?” (Sept. 15, 2025), which highlights how outdated and inadequate dental insurance structures are failing patients nationwide.
Media Resources: Interviews and a press release will be available to support coverage of this story. To request these materials or schedule interviews, or RSVP, please contact Meredith Krantz at [email protected] or (630) 947-2385.