What is the biggest challenges facing dentistry today?

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Swifty181

Swifty181

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This question seems to be asked pretty much at every school. I was thinking answering it by saying that due to the economy, unemployment and whatnot many people cannot afford to pay for proper treatment, or something along those lines.

I feel like thats going to be a broad answer, one that probably every single applicant says. If you wanted to stand out what would you guys say?
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Access to care and how you can address this issue as a dental professional.
 
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Right, Access to care especially in rural or poor areas goes hand in hand with my first answer. Sal, What do you mean by mid-level practitioners. Can you please elaborate on that?
 
Some states are looking into having dental therapists do the same procedures as dentists, even though they will have a lot less schooling and training. They will basically be like a hygienist that is able to do dental procedures in rural areas that do not have enough access to dental care. I think this is already happening in Minnesota. There's a lot of articles about it online, so do a search.
 
Sal427 said:
Some states are looking into having dental therapists do the same procedures as dentists, even though they will have a lot less schooling and training. They will basically be like a hygienist that is able to do dental procedures in rural areas that do not have enough access to dental care. I think this is already happening in Minnesota. There's a lot of articles about it online, so do a search.
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This is not passed and the ADA didnt agree to it. Its not happpening. They published an article disussing tht in like april. so no, i wouldnt say this is a problem facing dentistry bc....it doesnt exist
 
gumdrop16 said:
This is not passed and the ADA didnt agree to it. Its not happpening. They published an article disussing tht in like april. so no, i wouldnt say this is a problem facing dentistry bc....it doesnt exist
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The ADA may not agree to it (as I don't as well) but it IS happening...so yes this is a problem facing dentistry and a good thing to be aware of.
 
All the new schools opening up. :laugh:

Obviously that's not what they're looking for (and I doubt the mid-level thing is either), so tell them stuff about the probably non-existent access to care issues. Or focus on the actual socioeconomic access issues.
 
Ok now I see what Sal was referring to as mid-level practitioners. The so called Dental therapists, something between a hygienist and a dentist. I don't think thats a good answer though. If a field such as dental therapist ends up evolving over the next few years than theres nothing wrong with that. To be a dentist you still have to go through dental school and even if therapists started working in areas other than rural areas they would still work under a dentist, something like a dental hygienist. Having a therapist in house would actually be a good thing if you have a busy practice. They would take care of cleanings, sealing and other small stuff while a dentist can focus on the more challenging and interesting aspects such as root canals or crowns etc. I'm not sure why people think this is the biggest problem facing dentistry. I think theyre looking for something less obvious and more profound, something thats eluding me right now lol. Amy other ideas?
 
Swifty181 said:
Right, Access to care especially in rural or poor areas goes hand in hand with my first answer.
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In my opinion, the "access to care" is not as much of a geographical problem vs. a financial barrier and oral hygiene education problem.

Sure there is a geographical access to care problem in the rural areas, but to be honest, not many people live there. The bigger problem lies in the inner cities, the densely urban areas (much more people there). Not only are people less educated on oral hygiene, but they simply don't have the funds to pay for dental treatment. There are plenty of dentists in urban cities, or very close to, but the uneducated/dental needs patients cannot seek them out from a financial standpoint IMO.

There is also the "access to care" issue with rising insurance costs and low reimbursement. Sometimes even those with insurance struggle financially with dental treatment, because insurance is so expensive, but doesn't cover much of the procedures. Some practices are going strictly fee for service, because of this as well, thus denying more possible patients. The costs of enrolling in dental insurance provider plans is expensive for dentists, because the procedures are reimbursed so poorly, it is not worth it.
 
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Do your research. I think you're thinking too much about the question itself. "Profound.. " really? These are legitimate concerns in the field. Dental Therapists is actually a big issue in dentistry today, especially for ethical reasons. ADA doesn't approve of these practitioners, although state legislatures has allowed them to practice in MN and AK. The issue is that these dental therapists will be performing irreversible procedures that the ADA believes should only be done by those with sufficient knowledge and proficiency (ie. Dentists). They may also perform procedures at lower costs, which could create a hierarchy in dental care.
There are several other issues in dentistry; read up about it, rather than look for answers here. Access to care is definitely, in my opinion, the biggest issue, especially since we have to take into consideration the quality of care and cost of service.
 
I'd say that I do agree with UltimateHombre and you SweetTea25 about the access of care problem. And yea maybe I'm over-thinking this. I don't like the idea of somebody who is less qualified going through less training and in the end doing a similar job to a dentist just as much as anybody else in here. However I do think that some people are taking this issue too personally. I don't think a dental therapist would function without a dentist, so if you are a good dentist and a good businessman/woman and have a busy practice then you would only gain from hiring a dental therapist if such profession is allowed in your state. I don't know how it is in your state but in mine there are many community centers and such who do work for a lot cheaper than a general dentist so if money is an issue these centers are more of a threat to general practitioners than dental therapists. With that stated I'm leaning towards access of care as the big problem unless something better comes up.
 
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I respect your opinion, but I wouldn't advise you to share that during an interview because most dentists don't think it's a good thing.

Stick to the access of care, and good luck!
 
Sal427 said:
I respect your opinion, but I wouldn't advise you to share that during an interview because most dentists don't think it's a good thing.

Stick to the access of care, and good luck!
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Lol, I'm not mentioning dental therapists at all if that question comes up.
 
Community centers aren't really a threat to general practitioners. Those location tend to take medicaid, etc., while many private practices do not (ie. low reimbursement rates). It's OK to have your own opinions about the issues within the field, as long as you are aware of the current news in dentistry today.
 
Thats true and I agree, but don't forget how fewer people are having insurance each year. Those people that don't have insurance would rather go to the community center than a general practitioner even though the work won't probably be as good. If you ask me thats gotta make a dent in most dentists' pockets.
 
The biggest challenge to our profession? The skyrocketing cost of a dental education. All these new schools opening up are going to pump a ton of new dentists into the market with super-high debt. More supply means reduced income which means less opportunities to pay off this crazy debt. Fee-for-service dentistry will fall as financial security beats out financial potential in a tight market filled with eager third-party payers. Soon, we evolve (devolve?) into the medical model where insurance companies dictate treatment.

A little melodramatic doomsday babble? Sure. But, seriously, rising tuition is not a sustainable model and our profession will change drastically during our careers because of it -- whether it be forced or by design is yet to be determined...
 
Mid level providers, corporate dentistry, and I'm not sure about the affordable care act. I've asked dentists, but no one will give me a straight answer. From what I can gather though, no one is happy with it.
 
SweetTea25 said:
Do your research. I think you're thinking too much about the question itself. "Profound.. " really? These are legitimate concerns in the field. Dental Therapists is actually a big issue in dentistry today, especially for ethical reasons. ADA doesn't approve of these practitioners, although state legislatures has allowed them to practice in MN and AK. The issue is that these dental therapists will be performing irreversible procedures that the ADA believes should only be done by those with sufficient knowledge and proficiency (ie. Dentists). They may also perform procedures at lower costs, which could create a hierarchy in dental care.
There are several other issues in dentistry; read up about it, rather than look for answers here. Access to care is definitely, in my opinion, the biggest issue, especially since we have to take into consideration the quality of care and cost of service.
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All I can say is good luck getting into dental school with that as your answer. Do research and don't just repeat something your local dentist is griping about. The dental community (specifically the academic) does not always agree with the ADA. There is a very very good chance that the person interviewing you would be in favor of expanded use of dental auxiliaries. The reason for dental therapists is mainly an attempt to address the fact that over 100 million people still go without dental care. If you start talking about if it is/is not a solution to the problem your discussion would likely be political. Focus on the issue behind it, how do we treat the millions that go without care?
 
valkairon said:
Mid level providers, corporate dentistry, and I'm not sure about the affordable care act. I've asked dentists, but no one will give me a straight answer. From what I can gather though, no one is happy with it.
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Again, stay away from political topics. All of those are, and you may get interviewers that disagree with you. Frankly, don't ask dentists what their opinion is on this topic. Try to stick with issues that are factual and that you feel anyone would agree needs adressing. Access to care is probably the best one. If they ask you how to address that problem be very careful not to be too entrenched in your own propaganda. For example; I would personally argue for the use of dental therapists to address access to care, but I would express that as a possible solution that could be considered, rather than a strong argument for it. But in the end, just say education. I personally wouldn't touch the dental therapist topic in an interview.
 
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Mackchops said:
The biggest challenge to our profession? The skyrocketing cost of a dental education. All these new schools opening up are going to pump a ton of new dentists into the market with super-high debt. More supply means reduced income which means less opportunities to pay off this crazy debt. Fee-for-service dentistry will fall as financial security beats out financial potential in a tight market filled with eager third-party payers. Soon, we evolve (devolve?) into the medical model where insurance companies dictate treatment.

A little melodramatic doomsday babble? Sure. But, seriously, rising tuition is not a sustainable model and our profession will change drastically during our careers because of it -- whether it be forced or by design is yet to be determined...
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I actually do think this is the biggest threat facing dentistry lol. It allows the dental chains, such as Kool Smiles, Western Dental to take advantage of new grads and push out private practice dentists. The fed needs to get out of the educational loan industry.

joshwake said:
Again, stay away from political topics. All of those are, and you may get interviewers that disagree with you. Frankly, don't ask dentists what their opinion is on this topic. Try to stick with issues that are factual and that you feel anyone would agree needs adressing. Access to care is probably the best one. If they ask you how to address that problem be very careful not to be too entrenched in your own propaganda. For example; I would personally argue for the use of dental therapists to address access to care, but I would express that if the dental community was to expand into it, that we would need to be careful not to dilute the dental profession as is etc.
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I firmly disapprove of corporate dentistry, and dental therapists, but joshwake is correct in that you should not bring up these topics during an interview. Many of the academics in medicine are sold out to big interests and love to promote centralization and pretty much everything that will drive out the private practice docs. So joshwake is correct in that you SHOULD NOT bring up this aspect. Just mention access to care, maldistribution of dentists in passing.

I do think it is a shame though that academics are the ones dictating how private practice docs/DDS should operate. Whatever.
 
jpark1800 said:
I actually do think this is the biggest threat facing dentistry lol. It allows the dental chains, such as Kool Smiles, Western Dental to take advantage of new grads and push out private practice dentists. The fed needs to get out of the educational loan industry.



I firmly disapprove of corporate dentistry, and dental therapists, but joshwake is correct in that you should not bring up these topics during an interview. Many of the academics in medicine are sold out to big interests and love to promote centralization and pretty much everything that will drive out the private practice docs. So joshwake is correct in that you SHOULD NOT bring up this aspect. Just mention access to care, maldistribution of dentists in passing.

I do think it is a shame though that academics are the ones dictating how private practice docs/DDS should operate. Whatever.
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I completely understand why someone would be apprehensive about dental therapists. However I think it is important to keep things in perspective of where we are at with it in the US. It is in its infancy, and could still be molded into something that could work for everyone. Personally, I think dental therapists could be implemented in a way that would address a big portion of the people that go without care, and at the same time increase the average profits for dentists. I think they should be required to do 4 years of undergrad and then about 2 years of graduate school, which would focus almost entirely on the clinical aspects. I also think they should be required to work under a dentist.

Almost every developed country has a position similar to dental therapists except for the US, and there is overwhelming evidence that the work they do is just as good as dentists for their allowed procedures. So I do not see that as an issue. Just do a search on PubMed for "dental therapists".

The fact is, over 100 million go without dental care in the US currently and I see the solution being a combination of education, prevention, and expanded use of dental auxiliaries.

(but I completely agree with you on corporate dentistry. I think it is a very different issue from dental therapists)
 
The current public perception of dentists could be one.
The sway of some people to instigate the defluoridation of public water.
Maldistribution of dentists.
New midlevel providers could go either way.
The opening of new dental schools is actually a good thing for the public, especially after the massive flux of prestigious dental schools closing during or before the 90's (i.e. Georgetown, Northwestern, and Emory).
 
Do not meddle with or mention political issues within dentistry when you are writing your secondary or personal statement! It will be distasteful to anyone reviewing your application whether they agree or disagree with you. It is extremely off-putting if you haven't even begun your career and your opinions regarding the profession have already been polarized. I found that out the hard way so I won't be hearing from UPenn anytime soon, at least any good news for that matter.

I took a chance with another school because I knew what political position they held towards dental therapists and wrote accordingly. Although I did share their same views at that time, already I have become less sure about my stance.
 
joshwake said:
All I can say is good luck getting into dental school with that as your answer. Do research and don't just repeat something your local dentist is griping about. The dental community (specifically the academic) does not always agree with the ADA. There is a very very good chance that the person interviewing you would be in favor of expanded use of dental auxiliaries. The reason for dental therapists is mainly an attempt to address the fact that over 100 million people still go without dental care. If you start talking about if it is/is not a solution to the problem your discussion would likely be political. Focus on the issue behind it, how do we treat the millions that go without care?
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What makes you assume that my information is based off of someone's gripes? I apologize if my post makes me appear ignorant or that it may affect my chances of getting into dental school... I dont think you understand the point of my previous post. I'm just addressing why the practice of dental therapists is uncommon in the US today. And it's a concern in the dental field. Ive spoken to a dental student, and he has told me that this is one of the many issues in dentistry that they're discussing. I understand that the argument for dental therapists is to address access to care; however, from the "research," I've done, many are concerned about the quality of care provided and about the potential hierarchy to care. While its good that these providers may help mitigate the access to care issue, the concern is that the service is not performed from dentists--and thats why the ADA doesn't like them. Instead, the ADA is attempting to fight the root of access to care with CDHCs, etc. I'm merely regurgitating facts and information from articles that I've read. I never said I was against the idea itself, that it wouldn't work, or that this concern is more important than access to care. And I agree--arguing for or against mid level providers would make the discussion political, but it's always possible that interviewers may ask for your opinion about dental therapists. I just think its important to be aware of this issue.
 
Speaking of rising tuition,
"And dental schools face other problems: Tuition that tops $15,000 a year at some private dental schools discourages many applicants, as does the fact that the average private dental school graduate has educational debts of $51,000. But the main cause for the declining interest in dental school is a widespread perception that advances in dental care have diminished the public's need for dentistry."
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http://www.nytimes.com/1987/10/29/u...ollment-dental-schools-close-or-cut-back.html
 
Stacker said:
Speaking of rising tuition,
"And dental schools face other problems: Tuition that tops $15,000 a year at some private dental schools discourages many applicants, as does the fact that the average private dental school graduate has educational debts of $51,000. But the main cause for the declining interest in dental school is a widespread perception that advances in dental care have diminished the public's need for dentistry."
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http://www.nytimes.com/1987/10/29/u...ollment-dental-schools-close-or-cut-back.html
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From that same article

"There is little doubt that the introduction of fluoridation more than 40 years ago has brought a dramatic decrease in children's tooth decay, once a mainstay of dental practice. And many individual practitioners say there is now an oversupply of dentists, creating increased competition for a limited number of patients."
 
SweetTea25 said:
What makes you assume that my information is based off of someone's gripes? I apologize if my post makes me appear ignorant or that it may affect my chances of getting into dental school... I dont think you understand the point of my previous post. I'm just addressing why the practice of dental therapists is uncommon in the US today. And it's a concern in the dental field. Ive spoken to a dental student, and he has told me that this is one of the many issues in dentistry that they're discussing. I understand that the argument for dental therapists is to address access to care; however, from the "research," I've done, many are concerned about the quality of care provided and about the potential hierarchy to care. While its good that these providers may help mitigate the access to care issue, the concern is that the service is not performed from dentists--and thats why the ADA doesn't like them. Instead, the ADA is attempting to fight the root of access to care with CDHCs, etc. I'm merely regurgitating facts and information from articles that I've read. I never said I was against the idea itself, that it wouldn't work, or that this concern is more important than access to care. And I agree--arguing for or against mid level providers would make the discussion political, but it's always possible that interviewers may ask for your opinion about dental therapists. I just think its important to be aware of this issue.
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I've also read up on dental therapists and from what I understand they have indeed been very successful in other countries such as Australia and some European countries. Some dental therapists are stationed within many of these countries' public schools effectively shrinking the gap between the served and underserved population. However, the care that is delivered by these dental therapists are up these countries' individual standards. We have our own American standard and many dental professionals feel that any care that could be considered lower than this standard is a detriment to not only the public but also to our profession. Just because the ADA expresses one view, does not make it right or the shared voice of all dentists.
 
The problem as I see it with the mid-level provider issue is that it doesn't truly address the issue it is intended to address -- access to care (whatever that means...). What access? There aren't enough providers? No. The stories in the news that sway public opinion and push lawmakers to pass mid-level provider legislation usually revolve around financial access -- for a lot of people dentistry just costs too darn much! Deamonte Driver died because his mom couldn't afford $80 for an extraction. And the profession is having a hard time controlling costs because dentists are entering the workforce with nearly half a million dollars in student loans! The solution to this problem needs to come from the trenches of our profession -- not from behind some legislator's desk in Washington -- and it needs to address cost of education, reduction in debt burden, and ultimately an increase in the number of dentists offering low/no-cost dentistry to those with urgent needs. Mid-level providers will only further saturate high-density areas while lowering the VALUE of our treatment without doing anything about the COST.

If you find a dentist that disagrees with this and thinks mid-levels are the answers to all our woes, I would love to chat with him or her. Because they're wrong.
 
Mackchops said:
The problem as I see it with the mid-level provider issue is that it doesn't truly address the issue it is intended to address -- access to care (whatever that means...). What access? There aren't enough providers? No. The stories in the news that sway public opinion and push lawmakers to pass mid-level provider legislation usually revolve around financial access -- for a lot of people dentistry just costs too darn much! Deamonte Driver died because his mom couldn't afford $80 for an extraction. And the profession is having a hard time controlling costs because dentists are entering the workforce with nearly half a million dollars in student loans! The solution to this problem needs to come from the trenches of our profession -- not from behind some legislator's desk in Washington -- and it needs to address cost of education, reduction in debt burden, and ultimately an increase in the number of dentists offering low/no-cost dentistry to those with urgent needs. Mid-level providers will only further saturate high-density areas while lowering the VALUE of our treatment without doing anything about the COST.

If you find a dentist that disagrees with this and thinks mid-levels are the answers to all our woes, I would love to chat with him or her. Because they're wrong.
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They're actually restricted to areas of low population such as Alaska and Minnesota. But I can totally see how they would ultimately seek further autonomy elsewhere. I really don't think lowering the tuition rates will solve the problem by itself. In fact, I bet it would increase enrollment and cause further "saturation," although there is only saturation in popular cities and not a true generalized overpopulation of dentists. Increasing medicare and medicaid reimbursements would be the quickest and most direct way to increase the access to care. More dentists would be able to accept those two programs. Not only would it increase access to care but it would also reduce the niche that dental chains prey upon. The Driver case was a result of the dearth of dentists where Driver's caretakers lived who had difficulty traveling to a dentist who would accept his medicaid. I feel that the blame should shift more towards the state and his caretakers and much less so on the bystander dentists.
 
Swifty181 said:
This question seems to be asked pretty much at every school. I was thinking answering it by saying that due to the economy, unemployment and whatnot many people cannot afford to pay for proper treatment, or something along those lines.

I feel like thats going to be a broad answer, one that probably every single applicant says. If you wanted to stand out what would you guys say?
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mid-level provider is a threat to dentistry but you MUST BE very careful how you answer this.

the elephant in the room is, they will "steal" business away from dentists but you can't say that, it makes you sound very superficial. the argument(s) that must be put is, they are not as qualified as a dentist to handle the dentist's job (there is a reason why we go to a 4-year program and they don't). And what if they allow mid-levels to practice without a dentist in the building? what then? what if an extraction fail? (I believe extractions and fillings are part of their scope) and there is no hospital or REAL dentist near by? whos going to go in and dig it out the pieces? ~ this is just an example of why mid-levels don't belong
 
Dental therapists are a threat to dentistry..I don't think that they will start their own practice though, even if the dumb liberals give them the legal power to do so. let's be honest these ppl are not the most ambitious nor are they the most astute. What will happen is that the chains will use them and phase out the number of dentists they have. Therapists are already starting to do root canals.:scared:

Thus the chains will be able to provide the therapists with a salary that is quite high for the therapist, but will be cheaper for the chain than to hire a dentist. This will allow the chains to reduce their costs and maximize profits and expand the patient pool from the traditional medicad crowd to the other ppl.Perhaps the general dentists jobs at chains will be affected the most. (lower salary)

Anyone who believes that dental therapists will work in primarily rural areas, is completely delusional and has absolutely no understanding of the healthcare system. One need only to look at the little Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNPs), Nurse practitioners, etc to see how this bait and switch turned out. They all flock to the cities and nice areas.

The allied health profession lobby (the nurses, the PAs, the DNPs, and now the dental hygienists and dental therapists) is a very powerful lobby that has much more money than dentists' lobby. The allied health profession lobby is also backed by the for-profit educational institutions (DeVry,etc) that will create the little programs for the allied health professionals and make MILLIONS in the process. The corporate medical and corporate dental chains are also backing them. All three of these enjoy a very cozy relationship with each other and our legislators. The loser in this are the MDs/DDSs and the uninformed patients.
 
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jpark1800 said:
Dental therapists are a threat to dentistry..I don't think that they will start their own practice though, even if the dumb liberals give them the legal power to do so. let's be honest these ppl are not the most ambitious nor are they the most astute. What will happen is that the chains will use them and phase out the number of dentists they have. Therapists are already starting to do root canals.:scared:

Thus the chains will be able to provide the therapists with a salary that is quite high for the therapist, but will be cheaper for the chain than to hire a dentist. This will allow the chains to reduce their costs and maximize profits and expand the patient pool from the traditional medicad crowd to the other ppl.Perhaps the general dentists jobs at chains will be affected the most. (lower salary)

Anyone who believes that dental therapists will work in primarily rural areas, is completely delusional and has absolutely no understanding of the healthcare system. One need only to look at the little Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNPs), Nurse practitioners, etc to see how this bait and switch turned out. They all flock to the cities and nice areas.

The allied health profession lobby (the nurses, the PAs, the DNPs, and now the dental hygienists and dental therapists) is a very powerful lobby that has much more money than dentists' lobby. The allied health profession lobby is also backed by the for-profit educational institutions (DeVry,etc) that will create the little programs for the allied health professionals and make MILLIONS in the process. The corporate medical and corporate dental chains are also backing them. All three of these enjoy a very cozy relationship with each other and our legislators. The loser in this are the MDs/DDSs and the uninformed patients.
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Go read the journals because you're the one who's uninformed. I bet your "opinions" came straight from the dentists you have been shadowing. You, my friend, do not know anything about the US healthcare system and DT's.
 
Access to care for underserved populations. Shortage of dentists in rural area.
 
abclinic said:
Go read the journals because you're the one who's uninformed. I bet your "opinions" came straight from the dentists you have been shadowing. You, my friend, do not know anything about the US healthcare system and DT's.
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Very nice assertive comments by you. You must be one of the unethical dentists who work at the chains. I know a lot more about the US healthcare system than you do.
 
jpark1800 said:
Very nice assertive comments by you. You must be one of the unethical dentists who work at the chains. I know a lot more about the US healthcare system than you do.
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Dude you can't just say things like this...

First off, it is super offensive to the poster whom you quoted.

Second, it is a huge, overarching generalization, that is offensive to every dentist who works at a chain. The ethics and intentions of a corporation does not define it's employees for any business.

Lastly, your post is inflammatory and against the TOS.
 
UltimateHombre said:
Dude you can't just say things like this...

First off, it is super offensive to the poster whom you quoted.

Second, it is a huge, overarching generalization, that is offensive to every dentist who works at a chain. The ethics and intentions of a corporation does not define it's employees for any business.

Lastly, your post is inflammatory and against the TOS.
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Oh, come on dude. Could you not see the sarcasm in my post? I was imitating him.
He accused these private dentists whom I shadow of being people who are stupid and selfish. He did the same to me.

Second, he has this huge overgeneralization about private dentists that they are foolish or in it for the money. The actions of a couple of private practice dentists, does not define the other private practice dentists' actions.

Lastly, his post is inflammatory.
 
jpark1800 said:
He accused these private dentists whom I shadow of being people who are stupid and selfish. He did the same to me.

Second, he has this huge overgeneralization about private dentists that they are foolish or in it for the money. The actions of a couple of private practice dentists, does not define the other private practice dentists' actions.

Lastly, his post is inflammatory.
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I don't see once where the poster used the words "stupid", "selfish", "foolish", or "money". But then again, i don't read well... maybe you can see those words in their passage...

abclinic said:
Go read the journals because you're the one who's uninformed. I bet your "opinions" came straight from the dentists you have been shadowing. You, my friend, do not know anything about the US healthcare system and DT's.
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All they did was call out your viewpoints on DT's and US healthcare... then you got all offended and decided to insult them.
 
UltimateHombre said:
I don't see once where the poster used the words "stupid", "selfish", "foolish", or "money". But then again, i don't read well... maybe you can see those words in their passage...



All they did was call out your viewpoints on DT's and US healthcare... then you got all offended and decided to insult them.
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ok fine maybe i overreacted.

By the way, are you trying to become a mod or something?
 
jpark1800 said:
By the way, are you trying to become a mod or something?
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No.... i just don't appreciate it when a newly joined member (less than a month) insults other peoples posts and is not productive.

There is a difference from logical debate and personal insults. The mature thing to have done would have been to provide articles about DT's you have read to prove your point. Or at the very least, tell us why you believe the way you do... ex: personal research, a class you took, live in MN or AK, know a DT, etc. Resulting to personal insults is bush league.

Joshwake did this in another thread by stating he wrote his MPH thesis on DT's. Thus he much more expert on the topic than most of us... so people will take his views more seriously.
 
UltimateHombre said:
No.... i just don't appreciate it when a newly joined member (less than a month) insults other peoples posts and is not productive.

There is a difference from logical debate and personal insults. The mature thing to have done would have been to provide articles about DT's you have read to prove your point. Or at the very least, tell us why you believe the way you do... ex: personal research, a class you took, live in MN or AK, know a DT, etc. Resulting to personal insults is bush league.

Joshwake did this in another thread by stating he wrote his MPH thesis on DT's. Thus he much more expert on the topic than most of us... so people will take his views more seriously.
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So now, you have something against new members. I have been plenty productive in other threads, and offered help to people. Just because you dont agree with my perspective, doesn't mean I haven't helped anyone. Just because one post you might find insulting, doesn't mean every post I have had is insulting. I felt his post was insulting, and he could have done a much better job presenting his point. Or did you overlook that too? You are getting a little excessive in your attacks on me.

Lastly, you do not need fancy research studies or little articles, or classes to prove one's point.
 
jpark1800 said:
So now, you have something against new members.
Click to expand...

I have nothing against new members. As you can see, "member" was singular and directed at you. You just proved my point... i was talking about one post that was unproductive, then you got all defensive again. Dude, i could care less about your opinions, just don't use insulting language.

jpark1800 said:
Just because you dont agree with my perspective, doesn't mean I haven't helped anyone.
Click to expand...

Also, i never said this... I just said your post to abclinic was unproductive.

jpark1800 said:
Just because one post you might find insulting, doesn't mean every post I have had is insulting
Click to expand...

Again... I never said this

jpark1800 said:
Lastly, you do not need fancy research studies or little articles, or classes to prove one's point.
Click to expand...

You're right, just keep insulting people... that will get them to believe you.
 
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UltimateHombre said:
I have nothing against new members. As you can see, "member" was singular and directed at you. You just proved my point... i was talking about one post that was unproductive, then you got all defensive again. Dude, i could care less about your opinions, just don't use insulting language.



Your right, just keep insulting people... that will get them to believe you.
Click to expand...

Why do you keep bringing up the insulting language thing? I haven't used any insulting post after that one post (which isn't even that insulting, it was a joke and meant to be sarcastic, but you decided to blow it up into a big deal), and you just keep on repeating 'stop using insulting language' over and over and over again.

I kindly recommend you disband your fake holier than thou attitude. Its getting excessive and it is showing clearly.
 
Since no one seems to mention it as of yet what about the large number of dentist doing crappy work that needs to be fixed a few years later? One of the dentists at my school said that at his private practice 80% of the restorations they do are fixing previous dental work.

Not sure how you could tactfully discuss this in an interview.
 
Wow, when I asked this question I never imagined it would get this kind of response. Answering Vinnie's question. Just like with most professions there are good and bad dentists. I honestly cannot tell you how many incompetent dentists I've met in my life. I had a few problems when I was younger and now that I've done some shadowing and understand my condition better I've realized that the Dentist I saw for 4+ years did more harm than good to my teeth. My new dentist who in my opinion is the best in my state saw my x-ray and both her and her partner were simply blown away with the poor work this guy had done. So yes there are too many dentists who in my opinion should not be allowed near a handpiece. There is also some dentists who in order to make some more money replace old amalgam fillings with composite ones, even if its not necessary but most people don't care because their teeth actually look better. I've also had a dentist who did this on my third and second molars, which frankly nobody is going to ever see. With that said what I think your dentist is talking about is mainly filling and crowns. What happens occasionally even with the work of a good dentist is that sometimes decay can accumulate underneath a filling for various reasons and that can be cause for concern. Also another common touch-up is crowns that do not fit properly or do not match all-together. The color of people's teeth changes as they age, but the crowns don't so yes, those in many cases would be replaced for aesthetic reasons.

So kids even dentists need to go to the dentist. Make sure yours is not an orangutan who has figured out how to use a handpiece.
 
Continuing to steer this back on topic.

My answer to this question is a toss up between "access to care" and "high cost of dental schools". I think they're both related.

Yes, there are shortages in certain areas and patients don't have access to the care they need. I feel there is also a large problem with patient education. Do you know how many patients don't go to the dentist because they are afraid to, or that they think it will hurt too much, and they just let their problems worsen? I think this should also fall under the "access to care" umbrella.

On the other hand, the access to care issue will only worsen if the current model of dental school tuition continues. I think there will be a point where it's too expensive for a lot of people, which could lead to school closures and high debt loads that don't allow new dentists to effectively practice, which in turn would diminish the level of care patients receive.

I don't know if I should say both of these things, one of the other, or something entirely different.
 
Swifty181 said:
I'd say that I do agree with UltimateHombre and you SweetTea25 about the access of care problem. And yea maybe I'm over-thinking this. I don't like the idea of somebody who is less qualified going through less training and in the end doing a similar job to a dentist just as much as anybody else in here. However I do think that some people are taking this issue too personally. I don't think a dental therapist would function without a dentist, so if you are a good dentist and a good businessman/woman and have a busy practice then you would only gain from hiring a dental therapist if such profession is allowed in your state. I don't know how it is in your state but in mine there are many community centers and such who do work for a lot cheaper than a general dentist so if money is an issue these centers are more of a threat to general practitioners than dental therapists. With that stated I'm leaning towards access of care as the big problem unless something better comes up.
Click to expand...

Eh, maybe, maybe not. It depends what proposed model you are looking at. I don't think this is a real problem for any dentist competitive and savvy enough to get into a cheaper school. But.... a $400,000.00+ education at Midwestern-IL, Roseman, etc? Good luck guys. For the sake of the profession and your patients, I hope you find a way out of that hole.

As far as patient care is concerned, I feel like a doctor should be doing treatment planning. Also, I feel either direct or general supervision of the DT is necessary in case of an emergency. But... I can't say that the basic operative we are learning seems too difficult to teach an auxiliary. It certainly doesn't seem it would require many of the biomedical classes we are taking, once treatment planning was complete.
 
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