Wow, a new look AND a ghost writer

Okay,
I have finally figured out how to mess with this blog thing.
In the past I have just did the writing but I have always thought the "home page" was a little boring.
I know what you are thinking.
1) Nice picture, but I can't read the words overlayed on it.
2) Nice picture, but what does that have to do with teeth.
3) Wow that is a nice picture, I wonder where he got that?
I took this picture myself in the keys.
4)Where is the AGD logo?

These are all the things we are discussing in The Daily Grind board room.
But first and foremost, I want to know what you think about it.
Do you want a dental picture or do you want like a nature photo or something?
Do you like the new template?

Also I almost forgot. I was talking to someone about Search Engine Optimization. They said that if you find the blog from Google it will move up.
So if you have to put in agdblogs.blogspot.com every time to find the blog, do me a favor and put in the Daily Grind dental blog (or something like this) and google search it. Then go to the blog. And do it that way all the time.
And this is how we will rule the world. This is my diabolical plan.
No seriously do this.

Now that that is out of the way...
Today we have a ghost writer. By the way if you have a soap box you want to get on, you can always write a blog. Email me anytime Jgammichia@aol.com we can talk about it and you too can write a blog.
Anyway this person was asked to write an article about the present view of dentistry. The author wrote it and then thought better of sending it in. But this forum can be more anonymous.
We can read what the author wrote and then talk about it.
Well read it and I will give you my opinion.

When we talk of Dentistry, what comes to mind? For those of us who know and love the profession, we speak of helping people and changing their lives and making them healthier. We speak of being part of the community and of giving back. All of this is part of the discussion. Have you ever listened to what others say about dentistry? Many get it and understand what an important part of their lives dentistry plays. However, there are those who have over the years continued to speak of dentistry as a joke or punch line, something to be avoided and ridiculed.

I remember when Dr. James Edwards, an Oral Surgeon from South Carolina, became the Secretary of Energy in the Reagan administration. Johnny Carson said that Dr. Edwards would be checking out oil wells by looking down into them with his little mirror. Not a horrible comment but it disrespects Dr. Edwards and the profession. Have you heard that a “Root Canal” is the worse that can happen to you? Do you remember “Marathon Man” or “Little Shop of Horrors”? You all know what I am talking about. What has happened is that over the years, “Dentistry, the Health Profession” has gotten lost in translation.

When we talk of Dentistry today we need to talk about “Dentistry, the Oral Health Authority”. We were hiring a Public Relations Firm for the national Academy of General Dentistry and this well known and respected firm immediately started talking of a dancing toothbrush and flying floss. Is that the best image that our years of care and service in oral health can portray to a group who should be able to see the big picture?
Dentists treat people. We eliminate pain and infection. We improve overall health and are on the front line for diagnosing some systemic diseases early. We are THE Health System that looks at prevention as the model and has been for a long time. We want to get you healthy and show you how to and help you to stay that way.

Now in Congress, the House and Senate are looking at Health Care reform. I would think they would come to us in Dentistry and ask us how to make it work. Instead, the perceived value for dentistry is so low that instead of helping those who don’t utilize the services available to get the best comprehensive care and get healthy, the government and policy makers want to blame dentistry. The mom who gives her kids candy at the checkout line to keep them quiet does not get blamed when the child misses school with a tooth ache, you do. The ABC special on Appalachia featured a dentist who was providing free care for the kids in an area. He was blaming the high use of soft drinks the kids love as a big part of the problem. Oral Health literacy is everyone’s business, the government, the educational system, the health department, along with dentistry.

Lack of transportation is another factor. Is that a dental issue or a social services issue? Other factors like cultural differences and belief systems can cause individuals to not use the services available. There are economic issues but in a number of studies recently, this was not the big factor. Again, government and social services can address this. How many millions of dollars have been spent on notifying the public of the television switch to digital? These are government ads on behalf of an industry. How many ads have you seen on Oral Health literacy, decay prevention, and having a dental home? It is not only the Millions on advertising, but the government will give you a coupon for the converter box if you can’t afford it. Where are the dental care coupons?

President Obama signed into law a massive expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) on February 4, 2009. Containing eight specific dental provisions, the legislation makes several significant changes relative to general dentistry.

One is:

To require the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the non-partisan investigative arm of Congress, to study:
The extent to which dental providers are willing to treat Medicaid- and SCHIP-eligible children and
“[T]he feasibility and appropriateness of using qualified midlevel dental health providers, in coordination with dentists, to improve access for children to oral health services and public health overall.”


Please note the term “dental providers”. Am I no longer a dentist or are there are they looking for someone other than a dentist treat Oral Disease? Dentistry is willing to treat everyone and welcomes to chance to help. You can not expect anyone to lose money as a business model and as great as charity is, it is not a health care system. Remember a billion plus dollars so no one will miss a TV show, congress voted themselves a raise in the middle of a recession, and now we are looking at bail out funds going to the UN. The problem is that Dental care is not seen as valuable. It is to be discounted at every turn. The sad part is that the Return on Investment ends up saving money for the government if they would help us make this a priority.

Qualified Midlevel Providers is seen as a low cost quick fix. With respect to the Tom Dachle issue, President Obama said : "We can't send a message to the American people that we have two sets of rules- one for prominent people and one for ordinary people.”
I wonder if President Obama wants two sets of rules for the American people when it comes to health care. Two tiers of care is not correct care.

You to me this is not that offensive. You all know me and I usually don't hold back any punches. He touch on a bunch of different different topics. But because this is getting long, lets talk about them on Friday.

Have a great Wednesday,

john