The plus side of this business model is that it can provide better access to care for those who carry insurance that are often turned down by private practice dentists. E.g. Western Dental accepting medicaid.
I personally don't think people should be bothered by the growth of these chains. if you don't want to work there then don't. If you don't like the sort of care they provide patients then you should render those services yourself through your practice. If you don't want to because you don't take Medicaid (understandably so because of overhead) then you really don't have a place to criticize these chains IMHO. Just my 2 cents.
Some good points but many times a topic comes up like this one and it only goes so far to comment as a pre-dental or dental student regarding how chains can affect dentistry.
Corporations are here to stay this time and they do terrible things for our profession. It's so easy to think they all accept medicaid and will leave your patient pool alone, but that's simply not true. It's disingenuous to believe that corporate chains are good for access to care since they accept medicaid. Have you watched some of these investigational reports into small smiles? It's disgusting what goes on inside of these chains, they know only one thing... production, production, production all ANY COST.
A big part of the problems of these chains is #1 advertising, #2 affect upon UCRs. #1 advertising = they have the big bucks to put out billboards or tv commercials advertising they can do a denture for $299 and take all of your dental plans. So patients begin to except this at your own personal office. #2. When these chains come in and can offer a lower fee for a procedure, it can affect the average reimbursement rate for providers who accept some sort of dental benefit plans.
Now, traditional, fee-for-service (CASH on the spot, not "will file your insurance" crap) practices won't be affected, in fact, they will do better. Just see that great Office Depot ad when the small-town barber shop has a large chain open across the street advertising cheaper haircuts. Instead of getting down-and-out, he prints a sign that says "We fix $6 haircuts" I LOVE that commercial. Hits right to my soul.
Now PPO offices or offices that accept benefits will be affected because of the aformentioned. Corporate offices are affected because they are trying to tap into the same population. Medicaid will never be affected because as soon as you hang a shingle that says "We accept Medicaid" you've got 5million people at your doorstep wanting their "rut-canals."
It's so simple to think that EVERYONE will open a FFS cash only practice, but in reality, even some great operators today have to participate with some dental benefits to survive. Do you really think that everybody who graduates from dental school can keep up with the best in the field?
I personally don't think people should be bothered by the growth of these chains. if you don't want to work there then don't.
So what are you going to say when you are here, early June of your senior year of dental school, have taken out 300k+ of student loans and the FFS office will pay you $70k a year to start until you build your patient pool, or the corporate chain gives you song and dance telling that you can make $150-200k during your first year? That $2-3,000 loan repayment may make you decide you have no choice but to work there. I can, and will continue to criticize these places based upon personal experience and work I have seen in patient's mouths. It is beyond terrible.
I have worked in FFS (CASH), CHCs, IHS, and corporate. Corporate dentistry sucks the life and soul out of you on a daily basis and it is terrible for our field.
