Is Dentistry Already Succumbing To The "New Normal"?

At this weekend’s HOD, we heard reports from the deans of FL’s 3 dental schools, beginning with the dean of LECOM. Since there was no time set aside to ask them any questions, here are the ones I would have loved to have asked LECOM’s Dean, Dr. Anton Gotlieb.

1)      Where are the indispensable specialist instructors to teach subjects like endo, perio, OMS, pedo and implant dentistry?

2)      Why was so much invested in a “state of the art facility” that still necessitates farming out your students to numerous places, including Erie, PA?

3)      What type of real world experience do students get when they depend on a mannequin (however “bionic” it may be) for the lion’s share of clinical procedures?

4)      How is a period of “intensive training” for D-1s to make dentures for patients any better than denturism, something FL roundly rejected in the 1990s and sent packing, never to return until LECOM rebranded and repackaged it?

5)      Since when did it become the primary mission of a dental program to train students to become employees of Medicaid or corporate masters?

While it was good to know LECOM grads had an excellent pass rate on ADEX, there’s a lot more to successfully practicing dentistry than passing an exam. I’ve taken issue in the past with schools for cutting corners with clinical faculty that haven’t even passed Natl. Boards Part 1. What we heard from LECOM isn’t merely cutting corners, it’s knocking down foundations! I truly feel for the unsuspecting graduates who don’t know what they don’t know, especially the fact the marketplace will sort them out without mercy or compassion. One of my colleagues spoke to a LECOM student who told her, in no uncertain terms, she had no aspirations of ever having her own practice, was fine being an employee and readily accepted DHATs as part of the dental team. While it’s the right of any dentist to decide where they work and what kind of professional life they will pursue, the schools should aim high, not for the lowest common denominator. While I speak strictly for myself, I can assure you my opinion was shared by every single delegate and trustee I asked. Meanwhile, we have an ADA that has only 2 seats on CODA and is unable to stop this downward spiral afflicting our profession. The FTC has made it clear they will go after us if we press the issue, but Big Ins. has the protection of McCarran-Ferguson and can collude, profile, exclude, price fix, etc. to their heart’s content. Every HOD we hear how ADPAC has been trying to repeal it for many years. So far, all we’ve gotten from Washington is a combination of lip service and Lucy pulling away the football from Charlie Brown. Big Govt. is hell bent on doing to dentistry what they’ve already done to medicine, optometry and pharmacology. We also heard from the ADA’s 1^st Vice-Pres., Dr. Jonathan Shenkin, who told us the news on membership numbers is not good across the entire nation. Must we ask ourselves why? The AMA has a well deserved 20% market share, how much longer before we end up there? Our ADA has taken on insurance carriers in court, maybe we need to take on the FTC. Now, that would really skyrocket our membership numbers!

Carlos A. Sanchez, DDS

Coral Gables, FL