Social dentistry

[anotherpredent]

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Hey practicing dentists,

'Social' dentistry seems to be a criterion dental schools use in evaluating students, volunteerism, all that kind of stuff. Yet in talking with dentists, there are a few who go on dental missions trips or do something else on those lines, but a lot don't seem to.

I've often thought about different ways of helping underserved / disadvantaged populations but I'm not sure what's realistic -- and I wonder about what's more commonly done.

For example

1) 1-2 week dental missions
2) Participate in a screening service (or screen yourself) where you give discounted services to people below a certain income or however they decide
3) Work regularly in a clinic or something for underserved
4) Set up shop somewhere, take medicaid and all insurce, have low prices even though that turns you into a slave to high production and I hear it's tough to work so much when the reimbursements from insurance are so low

etc... Is this something I"ll even have time to think about when I'm first praciticing? My guess is that I'll spend the first year or two how to do dentistry and not much on this kind of thing. But once a dentist has been practicing a while, how common is it to set up something 'social' like this? What's more commonly done?

Any thoughts?

 

[redchesus]

From my experience getting to know some of the dentists in my area, I've noticed that the ones that are most active with philanthropy are the older ones. I figured it's because they're established and have already paid off all their debt.

Most of the younger dentists don't do much philanthropy, except the ones who are part of that federal loan repayment programs which places you in underserved areas.

 

[DrJeff]

There is a great deal more "social" dentistry/dental charity that takes place very quietly and behind the scenes, just simply because its the right thing to do, and frankly many of us in the profession don't need some news story about our charity efforts to feel good about ourselves.

That being said, there are times, especially in the case of larger charity events, such as a Mission of Mercy, or DDS (Donated Dental Services) where some publicity is a good thing, not so we as dentists feel good about ourselves, but so our politicians both realize that we're attempting to do something about the wisely perceived access to care problems that exist nationwide, and that they, the politcians will take some steps to keep funding for medicaid dental patients at a level that doesn't doesn't put us as dentists in the position of having to weigh seeing "underpriviledge" patients and at the same time incurring a financial loss for seeing that patient. Since afterall, we are running a business, and if we're seeing too many people at either no charge or at a loss, then we won't be in business for too llong

 

[mike3kgt]

4) Set up shop somewhere, take medicaid and all insurce, have low prices even though that turns you into a slave to high production and I hear it's tough to work so much when the reimbursements from insurance are so low

Medicaid provider = giving back to the community, helping the underserved? Bull.

Did anybody see that piece of trash article in this month's ADA News?

DrJeff... even you must think this article was basically "let's feel great about being government (medicaid) slaves"

 

[drhobie7]

I participated in some volunteer dentistry a few months ago for this gigantic free clinic in LA. There were tons of other dentists, physicians, optometrists, pharmacists, you name it. It was very rewarding at the end of the day. I would definitely do it in the future.