Dentaltown November 2019 - 20

professional courtesy
column

waiting to receive my flu shot each year. The process
seems simple enough: Fill out a short form and get a
flu shot. On the other hand, I did not consider the fact
that the pharmacy already has an established connection
to my medical insurance, which reimburses it for the
service, and the vast majority of immunizations are
given to children under the age of 18.
Also, the various serums require special handling
and storage, and there can be necessary education before
receiving an immunization. All of this activity would take
us away from providing dentistry-something already
in short supply at times. This side of the argument gave
a sense of the obstacles that prevent this from becoming
a simple "yes" to dentist-administered immunizations.

Do-it-yourself orthodontics
Is DIY orthodontics good for our patients? The
second debate focused on the elephant in the room
that cannot be written in print for fear of litigation!
However, the organizers made it clear this was a debate
not about a single company but, rather, an evolving
trend. There are many other companies coming into
this space and they do not all share the same level of
DIY-ness as you might think.
The opposing side made a great case for focusing
on the companies that are doing things a bit differently
than the one that first comes to mind. Some have more
direct dentist involvement and examination, rather than
having patients completing a self-report of their current
state of dental health.
Others are collecting the initial scans or impressions,
in lieu of patients receiving a box of goo in the mail. The
bottom line is the desire for patients to receive limited
treatment at a steep discount. Is it our place to deny
them that option? Many people perform elaborate skin
regimens without the supervision of a dermatologist.
Some people get Botox injections at the hands of someone
who took a short course without the involvement of a
plastic surgeon.

Food for thought
We have the best interests of our patients at the
forefront of these debates, but the fact remains that
these discussions ultimately turn to the less moral topic
of productivity and profit. Dentists must advocate for
their patients who don't always know what's best, and
likewise, dentists must advocate for the integrity of their
profession. Having students lead these discussions was
an important step to preparing them for life beyond
the walls of dental school. They must understand that
beyond the mountain of student debt are some very
real issues that will require action and advocacy. As
practicing dentists, we need to be ready to debate these
topics-and many more-to know where we stand for
the sake of our patients.
I sincerely hope more dental schools and practicing
dentists will take the time to discuss, debate and take
action on the important issues facing our profession. ■

Raring to debate the benefits of DIY dentistry?
Sound off in the comments of this column online
Every article or column in Dentaltown is up for debate-in fact, we encourage Townies to
leave their comments in the message boards online. Each article we publish includes one at
dentaltown.com/magazine. Or send Dr. Thomas Giacobbi an email: tom@dentaltown.com.

NOVEMBER 2019 // dentaltown.com

http://www.dentaltown.com/magazine http://www.dentaltown.com

Dentaltown November 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown November 2019