Meeting New Young Dentists

When young dentists work with specialists (endodontists, oral surgeons) they sometimes confront dental challenges that they are not comfortable in dealing with. In these situations, the specialists call me and ask if I would mind helping a young colleague with their challenging cases.

What I am learning from working with young dentists is how poorly Dental Schools educate their students. In fact, many of the schools are still teaching the same material that they taught me 40 years ago. Can you imaging MIT or RPI teaching young computer science students the same information that they taught the class of 1971?

Think about this: You are the world's greatest and most knowledgeable expert in carberators, which was the part of the car (up until about 1990) that mixed the gas and air together  before it went into the engine. Now I invent fuel injectors which are 10 times more efficient and have none of the issues that prevented your car from starting on a rainy day. How would you feel about my new fabulous fuel injectors?

You would hate them because YOU are not an expert in fuel injectors and you could lose your job. And wouldn't you do everything in your power to make sure that fuel injectors weren't taught to young car mechanics? And wouldn't you tell everyone who would listen how lousy and dangerous fuel injection systems are?

You now have a brief explanation why dental students and my young colleagues are so poorly trained. Dental Schools are experts in teaching 1980s dentistry.

Young dentists have student loans approaching monthly Ferrari car payments ($4,000) at 7% interest and they are not being trained to practice in the modern world.

It is time for a revolutionary change in dental education.

Lies, Lies and More Lies

I am replacing the 25 year old crowns for one of my long-time patients. No one will tell you but crowns have a life expectancy that is probably in the 20-25 year range. After that, you can be pretty sure that there will be leakage and decay under the crown. I removed two crowns, removed massive tooth decay (see photos), rebuilt the teeth and had my lab fabricate two new crowns. We submitted the fees to our patient's insurance company and they sent the patient a letter stating that I was a lying, stealing, cheating and unethical dentist because they could find nothing wrong with the crowns looking at 150 year old technology called an x-ray.

What they actually said was that they could find no medical necessity to replace the crowns. Did they ask me for supporting evidence such as photographs or a narrative explaining why the crowns needed to be replaced?

NOPE? They would rather tell my patient that I am an unethical  dentist. Now if that was actually the case, why didn't the insurance company report me to the police or the FBI as they are required to do because insurance fraud is a felony?

When we received a copy of the same letter that the insurance company sent to my patient we located the photographs that I take of almost every tooth that I treat and sent it to them. You don't have to be a dentist to see the brown mush that was under the two crowns.

Soon after the insurance company received the photographs, they merely said, "NEVERMIND" and agreed to pay for the crown replacements. Did they tell my patient that they had made a mistake and that I am, indeed, honest and ethical? NO!!!!

This is  why I don't participate with insurance companies. They lie, they cheat (you) and they steal (from you).

I will always provide you with the best dentistry that I can. I also promise you that I will NEVER perform dental treatment simply to earn money or perform dentistry that does not need to be done.

Now who do you believe?

It Is Not Just Dentists Who Think That Teeth Are Important

I saw an article online this weekend about movie stars who have had cosmetic dentistry and what they looked like before their smiles were improved. It is truly amazing how 8-10 little pieces of glass (porcelain) can change someone's appearance, career and life. If you would like to see the before and after photos, here is the website:

http://popnhop.com/10-celebs-who-owe-their-smiles-to-cosmetic-dentistry/?utm_source=clickbooth&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pc

I really didn't need to see this article to tell you how much better MY patients feel about themselves after their smile is improved. As one patient texted me: " My life the last 3-4 months has been amazing and I thank you for your beautiful work."

Something to think about.

Patient Spending on Dentistry has been in Decline since 2002

Yes it is true.
Young children and the senior dental populations have maintained dental visits for the last 12 years. 19-59 year old people do not go to the dentist on a regular basis.
These are the findings published in the current New York State Dental Society Journal.

There were three things that many member of the growing middle class did in the 1960s which, in essence, made them middle class:
1. Eating meat at least once a day
2. Sending your children to college
3. Going to the dentist on a regular basis

Oh yes...I am sure that you could consider other things as well but these are the three that I thought of.

Today, many young and and middle age adults no longer think that it is important to see a dentist on a regular basis. Why do you think this is?

Yes it is true that many 19-55 year olds never had the cavities that we older folks had therefore, they haven't had to replace old fillings, have toothaches and need root canal therapy or have broken teeth around old mercury fillings which then require crowns... I get this.

But not having your teeth cleaned and checked on a regular basis?
 Who will tell the patient that they have changes in their mouth that may lead to oral cancer? Who will tell the patient that their teeth are showing evidence of moderate to severe gastric reflux and they need to see their physician?  Who will tell them that their early bone loss (periodontal disease)  will lead to tooth loss when they are older if they don't improve their oral hygiene and could even
contribute to heart disease?

The other reasons that this age group doesn't see a dentist?
1.Their parents didn't instill the need for regular dental care.
2. The loss of dental insurance through their employer
3. High student loan payments
4. They rather spend their money on Tattoos, leased BMW's or clothes.

When people stay away from a dentist, it generally will cost more not less  and it certainly will cost them their teeth.