Fast Food Dentistry?



 It seems that our entire society is experiencing a consolidation of services. Amazon, for example,  essentially drove most of the smaller book sellers out of business.  Then Amazon added other types of goods and now it is the behemoth of vendors seemingly selling anything the heart desires. We have seen the advent of large pharmacy chains that are providing medicines (Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid) and they have more or less eliminated other smaller privately owned  pharmacies. Presently large hospital systems are swallowing other smaller hospitals as well as purchasing privately owned medical practices. 

The same trend can be observed in dentistry, where investors have funded chains of dental offices that are buying existing privately owned dental practices.  Many of my graduating seniors at NYU College of Dentistry have received generous offers with starting salaries that are over $150,000 per annum . These dental chains often have modern well appointed offices and spend considerable amounts of money on advertising. Their fees are generally are reasonable and I am sure they attract a considerable number of new patients. 

One of my colleagues sold his practice to one such chain with the understanding that he continue to work in the practices after its purchase. Privately he complains that he no longer  is able to dictate the way his former practice is run.

 They operate using a business model that  emphasize efficiency and volume of procedures. In my opinion the consortiums running these chains hope to grow their billings enough to eventually sell their growing practices to another investment group or do an IPO so that they can cash out with a hefty profit.

Personally I would be wary of going to one of these for my dental treatments since they seem equivalent to "fast food dentistry" and as we know fast food is attractive, but a steady diet of eating could be detrimental to our health.  Fortunately many people share my concerns and my own dental practice is still healthy. My staff and I get to know each patient and tailor our treatment plans to their needs. We never "over treat" and spend a great deal of time explaining the reasons for our treatment plans. One important function of a dentist is to help our patients make truly informed choices about their treatment, including which treatments are most urgent and which may be performed later (Staged treatment). 

When I see my longtime patients, many who have been coming to our office for fifteen years or more, they often comment on how well we have maintained their teeth and I always reply that it was a "team effort" since they chose to come to our office and follow our recommendations. Our success could only have been accomplished with their cooperation and many could have chosen to go to other dental offices closer to their homes.  They recognize the importance of proper dental care and we are honored to have been chosen as their preferred dental provider.





from Ask Dr. Spindel - http://lspindelnycdds.blogspot.com/2022/05/fast-food-dentistry.html - http://lspindelnycdds.blogspot.com/

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