Problems & Future of the Dental Field

[Eri3]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hello,

I have been collecting some information about improvements that need to be made in the field of dentistry, things like oral health education and access to oral care. I would like to compare the literature with the opinions of dental students & professionals.

What is your opinion on the two issues listed above, and are there any issues that you feel need to be addressed nationally?
I am not sure of your experience, so if you know about problems in North Carolina please comment on those also. ( For example, North Carolina ranks 47th on dentists per 10,000 people.)

Also, where do you think the future of dentistry is headed, both educationally and practically?

Thanks in advance for your opinion.

 

[theartofzahn]

Any disclosure? I'm guessing this isn't because you are doing this for fun?

 

[Eri3]

Any disclosure? I'm guessing this isn't because you are doing this for fun?

I'm a pre-dental student and I am truly interested in this stuff. I've always tried to compare literature with practice because it is always very different.

I will not be using this information on any essay's or publications.

It is simply for me to learn from people who know the more than I do.

 

[doc toothache]

I'm a pre-dental student and I am truly interested in this stuff. I've always tried to compare literature with practice because it is always very different.
I will not be using this information on any essay's or publications.
It is simply for me to learn from people who know the more than I do.

Anecdotal evidence does not qualify as "literature".

 

[Eri3]

Anecdotal evidence does not qualify as "literature".

Can you please explain what you mean?
I may have misused the word. By literature I mean articles that are posted by the ADA or other publications.

I am trying to find out what professionals think because they have much more exposure to the everyday aspects of dentistry.

 

[txaggie03]

I am trying to find out what professionals think because they have much more exposure to the everyday aspects of dentistry.

The problem with drawing conclusions from a forum, much less the general pop, is that dentists on the opposite sides of the same street from each other can have very polar opinions on the state of things.

How will you pick and choose which opinion is more correct?

 

[aznnytezx]

You are about to receive several biased answers.

 

[Eri3]

The problem with drawing conclusions from a forum, much less the general pop, is that dentists on the opposite sides of the same street from each other can have very polar opinions on the state of things.

How will you pick and choose which opinion is more correct?

You are right, I have noticed - from the dentists that i've shadowed- that they do have different opinions. So I would just like a general idea.

I won't be making up my mind just based on opinions, but for what its worth I think it is important to listen to the opinions of those who have been part of the dental field much longer than me.

 

[coolslugs]

Rising tuition costs and poor economy that's making more dentists to practice corporate dentistry and accepting patients/treating conditions outside of his/her ability.

 

[Eri3]

Rising tuition costs and poor economy that's making more dentists to practice corporate dentistry and accepting patients/treating conditions outside of his/her ability.

Thank you for your opinion.

I am a North Carolina resident and here there are a lot of dentists opening practices in cities (which is usually the case everywhere) but we also have many counties w/o a dentist at all.

So ECU was build to try to fix this problem. But most new recent graduates go in wanting to practice in these undeserved areas but once they get out, it is more beneficial to them to practice somewhere else in order to pay all of the loans.

 

[UCSFx2017]

http://www.ada.org/sections/professionalResources/pdfs/future_execsum_fullreport.pdf

 

[BaroqueLove]

http://www.ada.org/sections/professionalResources/pdfs/future_execsum_fullreport.pdf

All very fine and dandy but if I read the date right this is 2001 old! That 'future' is already 12 years in the rear view mirror!