3 minute read
Dental Practice Challenges
from UDA Action
“4 out of 5 dentists recommend chewing Trident gum after every meal” has long been a slogan of Trident sugar free gum. How many times have you been asked this in your practice? I have personally had a few patients ask this over the years.
Here is another one. 9 out of 10 dentists recommend Sensodyne and Pronamel as the brand for acid wear.
We hear these advertising slogans all the time, but do we really back these products as advertised?
Fortunately, no one on Capitol Hill asks what percentage of dentists back some of our proposed legislation. If we were looking at what percentage of dentists in our state are members of the dental association, I would be embarrassed to tell them that fewer than 60% of dentists in some areas of our state are members. I think that Trident and Sensodyne advertisers would need to come up with a different message if only 6 out of 10 dentists recommend their product.
Times have changed when it comes to the percentage of the population who are members of an association. What is it that makes our membership less important? Why don’t we as dentists in Utah feel like we need to be a part of an association? In our state we have some of the lowest membership rates in the nation while also having some of the lowest dues.
The Utah Dental Association works hard to provide one of the best state dental conventions in the nation. We offer many opportunities for continuing education at a reasonable rate. Some complain that we don’t offer enough variety. We are not trying to compete with the customized CE that you can find at locations around the country. I’m glad I don’t have to pay top dollar for a CE course on opioid prescribing or go to an American Medical Association CE provider and take 10 hours of CE on the topic.
We also have one of the strongest state level legislative efforts. We have made many positive legislative changes for both dentists and patients and we are one of the leaders nationally on state legislation that effects dentistry.
Currently Draper City Council is reviewing whether it will continue public fluoridation. Historically the Utah Dental Association has supported public fluoridation. I hope the member and nonmember dentists in Draper are willing to speak up for the importance of public fluoridation.
There have been many challenges to the practice of dentistry over the years and most have gone un-noticed. Recently there have been changes to our state dental license and a postponed requirement for E-Prescribing but we saw an attempt to add dental to an already underfunded Medicare part B. There are constant challenges we face. Mid-Level Providers and Independent hygiene practice are just a few… The list goes on and on.
Never has there been a time that it is more important to be a member of the association. We need to spread the word to our neighbors about the importance of the association.
I look forward to seeing each of you at our Annual Utah Dental Association Convention.
Dr. Gregory Gatrell UDA President
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