How did they get picked for that?
Is there a ranking in dentistry, like other professions? Or, did they know people?

Also how much do you think they made for those shows? ballpark?

How do you become "known" in the dental world?

Not 100% sure, but I would say a combination of referral base and being a big time business man. Dr. Dorfman is the CEO of some dental supply/equipement company and I heard all he has in his office are pictures of celebraties that were his patients.

Between his products and the patients he treats, these exposures will provide a great deal of votes and selection for a reality TV show.

they pay to be on the show. One of my professors told me he heard in the range on 10-20k per show

Not 100% sure, but I would say a combination of referral base and being a big time business man. Dr. Dorfman is the CEO of some dental supply/equipement company and I heard all he has in his office are pictures of celebraties that were his patients.

Between his products and the patients he treats, these exposures will provide a great deal of votes and selection for a reality TV show.
DiscusDental company.

Think Dr. Dorfman PAID to do Jessica Simpson's dental work for exposure??

For that type of exposure I would be happy to pay 20k per episode. Thats cheap for the exposure. BTW Dr. Dorfman is the owner/inventor/seller of the Zoom whitening system.

For that type of exposure I would be happy to pay 20k per episode. Thats cheap for the exposure. BTW Dr. Dorfman is the owner/inventor/seller of the Zoom whitening system.

yes along with all of the other products from discus dental

Any other big names in dentistry? What's their story?

Any other big names in dentistry? What's their story?
Sad, but true.....there are no more "big names" in dentistry according to the public nationally.

I believe Dorfman doing Extreme Makeover alone boosted more pre-dent wannabes and more dental conscious patients nation wide!

I attended a CE seminar where Sherri Worth (dentist from "the swan") spoke about building a cosmetic practice. Anyhow, I doubt she paid to be on the show. Its probably just a matter of having the right connections, your image, and your ability to market yourself.

The thing is.... Dr. Dorfman and all these other "make-over" shows has generated more publicity for the field of dentistry in the past couple years than ever previously generated. This can only be a positive thing for our field. Now, not only will a patient go to the dentist b/c a tooth hurts, they will also go because they want to boost their morale.

Now, not only will a patient go to the dentist b/c a tooth hurts, they will also go because they want to boost their morale.

I hope most dentists will refer these patients to a psychologist, because that's what they need. "Morale" is absolutely an unacceptable reason for undergoing a medical procedure. It merely treats a symptom of some underlying psychopathology.

I hope most dentists will refer these patients to a psychologist, because that's what they need. "Morale" is absolutely an unacceptable reason for undergoing a medical procedure. It merely treats a symptom of some underlying psychopathology.


Are you being serious? Do you think thats how it should be for all orthodontic patients? full denture patients? cosmetic plastic surgery cases? etc?

You need more exposure to what patients are really like before making a statement like that.

But all that aside, one thing about being a health care provider is trying to improve the quality of your patients lives'. If that means taking their pain away then take their pain away. If that means giving them a better looking smile to make themselves feel better about themselves then you should do it. Wait until you see someone go through a cosmetic case, they'll come in not smiling at all and talking without their lips moving so you can't see their teeth and once treatment is done they'll be looking in the mirror smiling. How is that crazy?

Are you being serious? Do you think thats how it should be for all orthodontic patients? full denture patients? cosmetic plastic surgery cases? etc?

Ortho? Depends on the functional impairment. It's a sliding scale, but I do feel that the majority of ortho cases are unjustified. Dentures? Of course not. People need to eat something other than oatmeal. Cosmetic plastic surgery? No way. If it's cosmetic, then I am 100% against it. Reconstructive surgery is something different,

But all that aside, one thing about being a health care provider is trying to improve the quality of your patients lives'. If that means taking their pain away then take their pain away. If that means giving them a better looking smile to make themselves feel better about themselves then you should do it.

Taking pain away is not a prima facie good. If it were, then morphine would be sold over the counter. Sorry, my friend, but I am not a utilitarian. Also, becoming a health care provider does not forfeit one's liberty of conscience and make one an indentured servant to the whims of the masses. I, for one, will have no part in the furthering of others' attempts to live in bad faith (cf. Sartre).

Ortho? Depends on the functional impairment. It's a sliding scale, but I do feel that the majority of ortho cases are unjustified. Dentures? Of course not. People need to eat something other than oatmeal. Cosmetic plastic surgery? No way. If it's cosmetic, then I am 100% against it. Reconstructive surgery is something different,



Taking pain away is not a prima facie good. If it were, then morphine would be sold over the counter. Sorry, my friend, but I am not a utilitarian. Also, becoming a health care provider does not forfeit one's liberty of conscience and make one an indentured servant to the whims of the masses. I, for one, will have no part in the furthering of others' attempts to live in bad faith (cf. Sartre).


Damn, you are crazy. So are you against women wearing make-up too? Are you against combing your hair? Because what functional purpose does that serve? Psychological health is part of someone's overall health (not trying to sound like an osteopathic guy or anything) and so if you alleviate some depression in a patient by fixing their teeth you are in no way "an indentured servant to whims" of that patient, you are in fact improving their health. But if you are right, I guess just refusing to do veneers, and referring them to a psychiatrist because the patient is conforming to social pressure to have pretty teeth would be considered perfectly normal among the health care population?

Cosmetic dentistry was one of the reasons I got into dentistry and I feel that it can be extremely rewarding (and i'm not just talking about $, but the gratification recieved from patients) and I'm sorry that your point of view will restrict you from experiencing it.

Anyone who thinks that cosmetic dentistry cannot be beneficial to a person's health and well-being needs to see a psychiatrist.

Anyone who thinks that cosmetic dentistry cannot be beneficial to a person's health and well-being needs to see a psychiatrist.

I FEEL LIKE I"M TAKING CRAZY PILLS

Taking pain away is not a prima facie good.
Yes, it is.
If it were, then morphine would be sold over the counter.
Morphine isn't sold over the counter because it's virtually useless taken orally, and because people would kill themselves trying to self-titrate an IV. Your logic is garbage (cf. Aristotle).

Sorry, my friend, but I am not a utilitarian. Also, becoming a health care provider does not forfeit one's liberty of conscience and make one an indentured servant to the whims of the masses. I, for one, will have no part in the furthering of others' attempts to live in bad faith (cf. Sartre).
Speaking of self-titrating morphine...

Yes, it is.

Morphine isn't sold over the counter because it's virtually useless taken orally, and because people would kill themselves trying to self-titrate an IV. Your logic is garbage (cf. Aristotle).


Speaking of self-titrating morphine...


Hilarious!!!!!!!!

So are you against women wearing make-up too?
Yes.
Are you against combing your hair? Because what functional purpose does that serve?
I shave my head, and I prefer women that do the same.

Yes.

I shave my head, and I prefer women that do the same.

Good for you. You are now saving $15.00 per month and some time as well. I hope you do not shave your face becasue it serves no functional purpose and you are wasting money and time by shaving your beard. We need more people like you but unfortunately there aren't many.

Yes, it is.

Morphine isn't sold over the counter because it's virtually useless taken orally, and because people would kill themselves trying to self-titrate an IV. Your logic is garbage (cf. Aristotle).


Speaking of self-titrating morphine...

Sorry but po morphine and MS-Contin work very well. The reason why it is not sold over the counter is due to it's side effects and addiction. I don't know of many medications that are able to supress resperations so severly and sold over the counter. Good for this guy though shaving his head so he doesn't have to conform to society. I'll bet he even wears a burlap sac instead of clothes because clothes can be so pretencious. Then he probably goes and climbs in his Volvo that mommy and daddy bought him.

Ortho? Depends on the functional impairment. It's a sliding scale, but I do feel that the majority of ortho cases are unjustified. Dentures? Of course not. People need to eat something other than oatmeal. Cosmetic plastic surgery? No way. If it's cosmetic, then I am 100% against it. Reconstructive surgery is something different,

I had braces as a teen and it wasn't to correct any functional impairment. Had a relatively mild case, was a good & compliant patient Realized they weren't necessary to survive, although I'm glad I had them.

As a practicing GP now, I will start telling patients about the huge caries in their lower molar as the source of the pain and the need for root canal. At the end of my diagnosis, the patient usually say two things: 1) "Is the root canal gonna hurt doc?" 2) "I want my teeth to look good, like your teeth. What can I do? How much is bleaching?"

I'm surprised at how many patients actually notice my teeth and make comments about them in regards to improving their own.

I see many many patients in the 22 - 35 yr. old age range who had braces as a kid. I ask all of them if they are glad they went through it, and the majority give me a resounding "Yes!"

Smiles do matter to many people. You can make a lot of money just getting people out of pain, but I wouldn't be so quick as to dismiss ortho even if it is mostly cosmetic. Many people value it (whether they can afford it or not) and many parents expect it. I don't think they'll look too kindly on you if you tell mom "Well, your kid doesn't need braces. He just has some gaps, no big deal. No one ever died because they had crooked teeth." Bad business for sure.

I'll bet he even wears a burlap sac instead of clothes because clothes can be so pretencious. Then he probably goes and climbs in his Volvo that mommy and daddy bought him.

:laugh: I guess you have me all figured out! :laugh:

Patients are free to pay for whatever makes them "happy", and dentists are free to take their money for it. I won't do it. One of the nice things about dentistry is that you can spend your whole career and never do braces, veneers, etc., and still make a good living. Just like physicians can get by without ever performing a breast augmentation, gender reassignment, or an abortion, as their particular principles might require. Vive le difference.

One of the nice things about dentistry is that you can spend your whole career and never do braces, veneers, etc., and still make a good living. Just like physicians can get by without ever performing a breast augmentation, gender reassignment, or an abortion, as their particular principles might require. Vive le difference.

braces/veneers = boob jobs/sex changes/abortions....wtf?????

:laugh: I guess you have me all figured out! :laugh:

Patients are free to pay for whatever makes them "happy", and dentists are free to take their money for it. I won't do it. One of the nice things about dentistry is that you can spend your whole career and never do braces, veneers, etc., and still make a good living. Just like physicians can get by without ever performing a breast augmentation, gender reassignment, or an abortion, as their particular principles might require. Vive le difference.


crowns have aesthetic aspects to them as well. so if you do a pfm on #8 are u just going to make a chicklet tooth? And i don't think that abortions should be thrown in with augmentation or gender reassignment. Some women need abortions because there can a high risk of death if they take the baby to term. Your ignorant statements show that you know very little about health care

And i don't think that abortions should be thrown in with augmentation or gender reassignment. Some women need abortions because there can a high risk of death if they take the baby to term. Your ignorant statements show that you know very little about health care

I was simply listing a few medical procedures about which people are likely to hold some stronger-than-average ethical stance. I did not say they are equivalent in any way, except that some doctors might not want to perform them. Personally, I'd do abortions all day long before I would do a boob job or an addadicktome, but your opinions may vary. If you can show me how I am being ignorant, feel free. I always welcome the opportunity to improve myself. But please don't regurgitate some feel-good neo-liberal psychobabble.

You have a lot of maturing and thinking to do. You take an ethical stance and hold everyone else to the same. However, you have no logic to your ethics. You want everyone to be bald and ugly from what I read in your responses, but you would do abortions all day long. Then you go on to bash liberals. I don't know where you are going with this but it is one of the most illogical posts I've seen in a while.

If you stick true to your "ethics" now then I hope you have fun doing all gold crowns and having a practice that isn't successful.

Superchris147.......I agree with you all the way...but sometimes its not worth arguing with certain people.