The Dental Scam – Unveiled

Last week I told you about a Reader’s Digest headliner from 1997 called, “Exclusive Investigation: How Dentists Rip Us Off.” The author had traveled around the country with his dental x-rays to different dental offices requesting treatment plans. The recommended treatment ranged from nothing to $30,000. How could this be? Was he really getting “ripped-off”?
I bring this up from so long ago because this magazine was sitting in my reception area of my “new” practice back in 1997 and I still see the image every once in a while. I am sure that most dentists do not want people to think that they are trying to rip them off.
Every dentist has been on both sides of the fence; patients presenting to us with treatment needed, in our opinion, which is more or less than previously recommended. A substantial proportion of the variation in treatment plans stems from the differences in dentist’s beliefs about dental diseases and the fact that there is never just one right or wrong way to treat any particular patient.
A dentist’s philosophy of care is built over his/her entire career dependent on education and personal experience. With that philosophy, the dentist uses diagnostic criteria, knowledge of risk factors, rates of incidence, and prevalence and progression of disease to formulate treatment recommendations.
While dentistry is definitely science-based, no one dentist has all the answers. To my knowledge, no dentist can predict the exact longevity of any particular dental treatment. Dentists, as individuals, use their own knowledge and expertise to recommend treatment which they feel, I would hope, is in the best interest of the patient. Don’t anticipate definitive information about risk, progression of disease and outcomes of treatment in the near future. Dental research still channels most of its resources into the development of new and better dental materials. Until a significant portion of these resources is diverted to investigate outcomes of dental treatment, dentistry will remain vulnerable to public scrutiny.
As in any profession, there is a wide range of talent in dentistry. There is never any one right way to treat any particular issue. There are so many different factors that go into what is the appropriate treatment for any individual patient. What may be right for one patient may not be right for another. In fact, the treatment a patient agrees to should always be treatment the patient wants and not what the dentist says the patient needs. For the patient to make an educated decision, often times treatment plans ranging widely in cost must be discussed.
It is the responsibility of the dentist to diagnose and properly communicate to the patient, in terms they understand, so that they may make the decision that is right for them. It is the patient’s responsibility to make sure they understand their condition and to understand the consequences in doing or not doing any kind of recommended treatment.
The most important thing for a patient to have is a solid relationship with their dentist. If a patient thinks they are being “ripped-off” they do not trust their dentist and should move-on to someone else……unless they have a preconceived notion that dentistry in general is a “rip-off”. That would be a subject for another column. I Would love to hear some feedback on Facebook.