I’ve long been a critic of so-called “organized dentistry” (American Dental Association) at the national, state, and local levels. And, hoo-boy, do they lob up easy targets for me!
This is an ad recently created by my state’s dental association. Surely, we all agree with the main message that an absence of pain or symptoms does not indicate an absence of pathology or potential dental issues. Scroll down for the video!
But, good golly! They could not have created a worse ad, in my opinion.
- The spokesperson (a dentist?) looks like she either just got out bed or the shower.
- Her tone and body language is condescending and paternalistic (just like dentists of yore). She clenches her fist and squeezes her eyes shut to emphasize her point.
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Then she puts her hands on the “patient,” grabbing his head and covering his ears! I’m not sure what the message is there (besides condoning what might be considered assault). Is she hiding something from the patient? Why would she not want him to hear what she says next? Very, very strange.
Watch the full (21-sec) ad below!
- The “assistant” makes the patient feel dumb with her, “Uh, yeah! DUH!” interjection.
This is the marketing brainchild of the dental association! What do you think? Comment below!
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My friends deal with the vagaries of deeply discounted fees, rejected claims, lost claims, delayed payments, denied payments, down-coding, and demanding patients who expect them to know the intricacies of dozens or hundreds of plans, and so on.
But, times have been tough. I have a lot of empty chair time. While my goal has never been to simply “be busy,” it’s natural to get worried when things are slow. And, as time has gone on, it seems people (patients) care less and less about quality of service and more about low cost and “does my insurance cover this?” There have been times where I doubt myself and think, “maybe I’m an idiot and should join some plans?”
When it comes to the actual dentistry, many of us can be perfectionists and our own worst critics. I think that stems from the “beatings” we took in dental school. I remember being told to change the pulpal floor of my first Class 1 prep by a QUARTER-MILLIMETER. I thought the instructor was full of shit (well… most of them WERE!). But, now a quarter-millimeter is a “mile” in my eyes.
