DISTRICT PRESIDENTS SPOTLIGHT
FOURTH DISTRICT
Dr . Angela Walter
As a 2020 graduate from Temple Dental school , there were unique challenges we faced as a class that I believe we are still all recovering from . As I just recently met with a classmate that I hadn ’ t seen since before that abrupt March 2020 shut down , we reminisced on the lack of closure we had as a class . Then we shared our experiences of the very tumultuous work landscape we entered . This created a difficult beginning to our career with extended hours , over packed schedules and extra PPE . A lot of us were burnt out early on , but have since gained back our strong footing that reminds us of why we chose dentistry as our loved profession . But the repercussions of this shift in our profession are still echoing as DSOs and corporate dentistry grow and take up more smaller offices , and associates lack their power and control . There can be very mutual beneficial relationships between Doc and company . But doctors can also now more easily come and go , often without much say in what they can and cannot do , and unfortunately there are compiling stories of dentists being treated poorly in these bigger company offices as the field gets more saturated .
Then there are challenges we face as a profession as a whole that unites us in mind , heart and force . There has been a climate shift overall from pre and post pandemic that has impacted the way we do dentistry . One of these is the constant turnover of employees from front desk , hygienists and assistants , to even the dentist . It seems the era of a dentist and hygienist being the team you see for a lifetime is coming to an end . However , I think there is still so much value in that nuclear family feeling that protects consistently with care overtime ensuring longevity and retention . Turnover of staff creates turnover of patients .
Patients already hit barriers when coming to accept treatment , but since 2020 , our profession as a whole has faced an overall bigger roadblock when it comes to questioning our knowledge and genuineness . There has been a loss of stability in our country that has shifted the way people spend their money and view healthcare professionals . The urgency and importance placed on experiences , family vacations and time has increased , I believe , due to the lack of future stability . World views have been rocked and we haven ’ t quite recovered . On top of that , patients question us now more than ever . We are another voice that is recommending to them a treatment that they now are more skeptical of ; there is a lack of overall trust and respect for our authority which makes treatment acceptance even more difficult .
The most challenging issue facing organized dentistry is the constant growing power of the insurance companies that are able to dictate more and more of our treatment and our collections . A crown can range from $ 700-1700 , and yet our work is the same . Predeterminations that come back after a month declining all necessary treatment . Insurance declines a treatment they deem is not necessary when we are the one diagnosing and treating the patient in our chair . This is a constant cyclical machine we have to push back . And although new technology with AI can add tools to make us more efficient , it can also add threats to providing more ways the insurance company can control us .
I have always believed organized dentistry holds so much power as we come together in one voice to protect our profession and autonomy . I discovered its strength first through ASDA in dental school , and now I get to see its true power as it protects and fights for our everyday career . Unfortunately , many health care professions have lost their own control and voice , and I believe that we as a profession are unique in maintaining that power , and we can keep that power through our organized dentistry .
14 MAY / JUNE 2024 | PENNSYLVANIA DENTAL JOURNAL