Hi all,
As many times I have asked for people to be ghost writers on the blog not many have stepped up to the plate.
Finally someone did.
I have had this crazy day and I am looking forward to telling you more stories about my younger days. But I have to get out of here fast to go to my son's baseball game.
I thought this would be a great time for this ghost writers opinion.
Keep in mind these are not MY opinions or the opinions of the AGD.
I felt like people have opinions and who am I to restrict people's thoughts.
Lets hear what he/she has to say and feel free to tell us what you think.
It’s time for a change..a big change.. in how dental care is offered and received in this country. Too few people get the treatment they need and those that do, pay more out-of-pocket every year.
Let’s get real! Dental care and treatment – restorations, bonding, crowns, laminates, root canals, etc. are expensive. It’s also delivered in a highly-skewed manner – too many dentists are focused on the Business of Dentistry and too few in the Practice of Dentistry.
Are only the wealthy able to afford this attention to their oral health care? It would seem so. With dental insurance treated by many employers as an extra add-on that can be eliminated or reduced during ‘economic crunch times’, proactive and routine dental exams are tossed into the pile marked, “I’ll get to it later!”
Why not take this line of reasoning a little further. Why not place dentistry where it really belongs – under the great big umbrella logoed U.S. Medical Healthcare!
It doesn’t make sense to create a wholly separate “treatment system” for the largest body cavity when the rest of our body is treated under the label Medicine.
Research continues to reveal strong clinical evidence of disease organisms and pathogenic pathways through the oral cavity that can negatively impact all human biological systems.
Ever see a dentist office next to an orthopedic surgeon’s suite in a professional office building that is attached to a hospital? Not often, I’ll bet. Why is that? Is the rent too high? Not likely. Recent data on the net income of professionals reveal that dentistry has the highest percentage after expenses than any other professional group (MD’s were next).
If oral cancer screening was mandated by insurance and 6-month cleaning and X-rays were included as “reasonable and customary” exam protocol, insurance coverage would go a long way towards providing a solid “fee for services” floor for dental practices. Current dental insurance is viewed as just a monetary “token benefit” with low pay out features and no real incentive for patient or dentist to practice “proactive, total oral healthcare”.
What do you think? Is there anything of note here? Change knocks on our door every day. Do we let him in? Will he create something new and better or just a different version of The Business of Dentistry?
Okay that was his/her thoughts.
I will give you my thoughts Friday, but I would like to hear yours.
Have a great Wednesday,
john
7 comments:
I have had enough changes recently to last a life time. Everyone wanted change and to a certain extent it was needed. However I don't care for the way change is being brought about. The rules are being made up as we go on the fly without thinking of the long term consequences. I really don't like change when it crammed down my throat. Like this RED FLAG Rule they made up in a week and tried to put it in effect immediately. Is needed? Yes but common sense says you should be doing that any way. Why do you have to stick it to us.
A perfect exmaple of making a decision without thinking in the long term was the DDT fiasco. They wanted less bugs so they sprayed it everywhere, it will kill the bugs. But it also almost wiped out the American Eagle by softing up the egg shells.
We are a gimme gimme gimme to me NOW whinning society that think the world owes us something. You are not entitled to anything, if you want if you should go and work hard for it. Some of the old school ways are better. Change is not always for the better.
I like the idea of dentistry treated like a branch of medicine, not as an afterthought. If you can have ophthalmologists only do eyes, or dermatologists only do skin, what's the difference? You guys need better lobbying. Chiropractors got themselves put on most medical plans by lobbying government to make it required. Not to open a can of worms, but if that crock of crap is covered by medical insurance, it's crazy to think something as important as dental care isn't.
You have been drinking the Kool-Aide! It seems you have an inferiority complex and feel a need to move dentistry in some other direction. The last thing dentistry needs is to be thrown in w/ the medical industry. Then we would be subject to a much heavier hand w/ the government and insurance. I say dentistry can do the most good by avoiding more influence from outside sources. Do you really think medicine has improved over the last 30 years or has that model been ravaged by insurance and government at the expense of provider autonomy? Can the government or insurance companies better decide what treatment is best for a patient it has never seen. Be careful what you ask for!!!
AMEN!
I agree that change is needed in dentistry, but not the kind of change that you are advocating. The change should come in the form of oral health literacy of the public. The reason why too few people access the oral health care system is multifaceted - not just cost. (BTW – Jackson Brown’s most recent study that he shared at the 2008 AGD Governmental Affairs Conference shows that the cost of oral health care in America has remained steady, while the cost of medicine has gone skyward.) If too few people are not receiving care, it relates to their priorities and fear, not cost. It has been proven that even people with good insurance benefits and on government funded programs do not access care. I accept the poorly funded government program (Medicaid) and it amazes me that even when it is free, patients will not return for treatment. I believe that weakens your “too expensive” theory.
I also agree that too many dentists are too worried about the business of dentistry and not the practice of dentistry. I am old school on that one and practice that way. I have seen many old fillings that my retired colleagues did and are still in service and doing well after 50 years.
I disagree that dentistry should be lumped in with medicine. There are many problems with that theory. Dentistry is made up of 80% general dentist and most treat the patient without referrals to specialists. Medicine is made up of 20% generalist and 80% specialists. In dentistry, most of the treatment rendered is done by general dentist while in medicine, most of the treatment is done by specialists. Also, as I mentioned earlier, I participate in a government run health care program already. I do it not because I like to deal with a government run health care program, but because patients in my community that are most in need, just happened to be Medicaid recipients. If I am to do what I have been trained to do for these patients, I have to participate. I absolutely dislike dealing with the governmental entities in this program and would not consider expanding this program or dealing with Medicare like medicine does. I have been warned by my physician to stay out of any government run health care program.
Dentistry is health care that works. It has a proven track record over the years. In dentistry, health care costs remain stable and the workforce is there to take care of the need. The improvement needs to come in the oral health literacy of the public.
Mark
Hallelujah. This post above says it all.
" I didnt knwo someone could have diarheaa for that long...' hilarious...
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