For everyone out there that feels dentists are low-life, money hungry, boat-payment, corporate whores (I think I got most of them) feel free to go to dental school and change the future of dentistry. Obviously you don’t understand the real issues behind serving the lower class. There’s more to it than providing cheap services. The appointment turnover rate is unreal. Half never show up for appointments. So even if dentists accepted medicare, medicare will not reimburse for missed appointments. You can’t pay employees, insurance, and overhead when appointments don’t show. You could, I guess, but dental offices would cease to exist. When they do show up, they obviously have not been caring for their teeth even after much dental education. On some fronts, until the lower class starts caring a little more it’s a waste to try and help them...not all, but some.
That’s understandable. However, there are groups willing to fill teeth and go into geographical areas where dentists refuse to go. They are called Dental Therapists (DTs) DTs are trained for a few years and can do simple dental work as well as dentists. They have worked successfully for decades in first world contries and charge a lot less than dentists because they don’t have to go through all the schooling you mention.
However, the rich and therefore poltically powerful American Dental Association and its constituents lobby AGAINST the formation of this viabele solution to the dental health crisis that faces Amerca today.
The Louisiana Dental association forced a law in Louisiana which intended and did stop a Medicaid accpeting dentist from treating children in schools - children who will now go without care because no dentist in the area accepts Mediciaid.
I’ve been following the ADA and the laws they implement. They all have to do with making more money for dentists The ADA is just a union that represents dentists best interests.
And it’s obvious that fluoridation is not reducing tooth decay but gives the illusion that dentists really really care about poor people’s teeth. Yeah right.
And just because people have little money doesn’t make them low-class. You’ve revealed the thinking of most dentists who have probably grown up privileged and have no clue what it’s like to live with little income or financially secure parents.