There was a time when it would have been unusual to see an “advertisement” for a health care professional. In dentistry, dentists used to be able to hang out a shingle and patients would come. Today, it is the opposite. We are bombarded with advertising and it is very rare to see a “from scratch” practice open.
Times change, and that is okay. My concern is that dentistry and the dental profession are moving towards a more commodity-based service and away from a relationship-based, well-respected profession.
It used to be that dentists were among the most respected professionals. Dentists always received high marks for honesty, including high ethical standards, and trust. Today, those numbers are dwindling. In our newer consumer-driven society, the dental professional is seen by more as a provider of goods and services rather than as a health professional attempting to build long-term relationships with patients.
Technology is partly to blame for this. Technology is the step forward in dentistry. Today we have the ability to use better materials that are prettier and faster to deliver. However, these same improvements in dentistry are also being used as marketing tactics for dentists. Advertisements, in print, radio, television and the internet for specific procedures are driving the profession to a more commodity-based service.
Low-cost dentures, same-day crowns, and discounts for specific procedures such as Lumineers or veneers are among those things being advertised. When is the last time you saw an advertisement that touted building a relationship based on mutual respect and trust? It is my opinion that we are headed in the wrong direction.
Dentists are small business people. We need to have a healthy business to continue to provide quality care. However, most of the things that are marketed to us have to do with how to run a business or how to perform more procedures in less time that result in greater profits. Rarely do we receive materials that promote learning how to help us better meet our patient’s needs and build relationships. It is up to us as individual dentists to maintain a proper balance between providing ethical treatment and the “selling” of our services.
Dentists and other health care professionals require an accumulation of a large amount of knowledge, extensive institutional and clinical training, and testing of competency and skills. It is with all of this training that we are then obligated to follow a certain code which in part reads, “The Association (ADA) believes that dentists should possess not only knowledge, skill and technical competence but also those traits of character that foster adherence to ethical principles.” The term “profit” is not mentioned anywhere in the code.
As I stated earlier, dentists are small business owners and need to make a profit for us to survive. However, we need to work harder to maintain a balance between potential financial rewards and professional and ethical care. Only doing what is in the best interest of our patients will move us in the right direction.