The Dental Scam – Unveiled
March 11, 2011
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.
The Dental Scam
March 4, 2011
I remember the date well. I had been out of dental school two years, had been in Rowley one year, and the February 1997 issue of Reader’s Digest hit the stands. The front cover read “EXCLUSIVE INVESTIGATION: How Dentists Rip Us Off “. Not only that, it was delivered to my office and was sitting in my reception area.
I immediately read the article to make sure I was aware of the contents. Inside, was the all too-familiar graphic depiction of a dentist menacingly hovering over a patient with the dreaded drill in hand. Add to that picture an accumulation of non-complimentary adjectives about dentists. By the author’s skillful manipulation of words, variations in dental practice patterns were presented as evidence of dishonesty.
The author’s “investigation” was him bringing x-rays of his teeth to different dentists around the country and getting treatment plans for his own mouth. The treatment plans ranged from nothing to an amazing $30,000! Had the presentation suggested anything about the fact that dental treatment plans can be quite variable between practitioners and encouraged the public to seek additional opinions, it wouldn’t have been so bad.
Judging by the public response logged on the Reader’s Digest website, the dental expose more than fulfilled the magazine’s desire to generate controversy and boost sales. One reader commented, “Dentists cannot be trusted! I do not let anyone mess with my teeth. I remove my own tartar…anyone who sees a dentist should have their head examined….not their teeth! They are all crooks!!” Another wrote, “I was hoping that I would be living in one of the cities that had one of the good dentists listed.”
Responses from dentists, while strongly admonishing the magazine for inflammatory reporting, often degenerated into windy rhetoric as they tried to refute the article’s charges. To be honest, it was apparent from the dentist’s responses that it rattled the nerves of the individuals who actually cared enough to write in to Reader’s Digest.
Could there really be a swing of $30,000 between dentists? Sounds like a lot to me. However, I can tell you that there can be significant differences between dentist’s treatment plans. That is not to say that there are a bunch of quacks out there though. Although there are always some, most dentists give you their honest opinion based on their educational background and philosophy of care.
And, this article had nothing to do with the range of fees between dentists. In other words, let’s assume the “treatment plan” was the same for all dentists and there was a comparison of fees between dentists. There can be a wide range there as well. Why is that?
Next week I’ll give you my response to “How Dentists Rip Us Off.” I will explain why I feel this “investigation” was unfair as well as a wake-up call from a dentist’s perspective. I will also look at it from your (the patient’s) side and give you some thoughts on how you can protect yourself from being “ripped-off”.
