Commoditizing Dental Care: How Misinformation Undermines the Value of Essential Treatment
In recent conversations with my experienced dental colleagues, there has been growing frustration over the widespread misinformation in the media that shapes public opinion about the cost of dental treatment in the United States. These opinions, often based on inaccurate or ignorant information, are pressuring dental professionals, like myself, to continually reduce the costs of high-risk dental procedures such as dental implants. However, dental implants are not merely cosmetic or elective; for many patients, they are medically necessary to restore overall health and the ability to eat properly. Due to the limited coverage and valuation by dental insurance companies, these procedures are predominantly out-of-pocket expenses for most individuals.
What should the general public expect to pay for such high-risk procedures? Opinions vary widely, especially across social media. This has led to the commoditization of dental care, which has become a contentious issue among both dental professionals and patients.
A recent marketing campaign by one company has capitalized on the popular belief that the high cost of certain dental procedures, particularly dental implants, is meant to enrich wealthy dentists, enabling them to send their children to private schools, live in multimillion-dollar homes, and take extended vacations. This is a grossly inaccurate portrayal of how the costs of full arch dental treatments are determined and the rationale behind the pricing structures used by most dentists. Unfortunately, many consumers are not well-informed about this and view implant dentistry as a means for affluent dentists to profit off those who are less fortunate.
As a result, a "race to the bottom" has emerged, turning what should be considered medically necessary into a competition for the "lowest price" option. This trend has fueled the rise of medical and dental tourism, with people seeking cheaper alternatives in countries like Mexico, Turkey, Costa Rica, and others. But at what cost? When did dentistry become solely about money, disregarding the expertise and skill developed through years of experience and training? When did we begin treating dental care as a commodity?
In one forum, a suggestion was made to reform dentistry by adopting an “hourly” fee schedule. Instead of insurance companies paying based on procedures, they would compensate providers based on the time it takes to perform various procedures, from preventive maintenance to full mouth reconstruction. Dentists would, in essence, have an hourly rate, and insurance companies would pay that rate regardless of the procedures performed. However, this approach has its own set of challenges, as it would penalize those who diligently care for their teeth by requiring them to pay for the time spent on necessary maintenance. I imagine many people might opt to forgo preventive care to “save money,” thinking they’ll address issues as they arise. Instead of incentivizing patients to maintain their dental health, they would be paying for the time spent on preventive care. Perhaps, with further reform, there is a way to make this system work.
Regardless of the perspective, reducing dental care to mere dollars and cents significantly diminishes the value of the dental profession. If a patient needed a liver transplant, it would be unthinkable for them to negotiate the cost with the surgeon based on which “donor liver” was cheaper. The same principle should apply to dentistry—it is, after all, a medical practice involving surgery in the mouth and surrounding head/neck areas. The years of education, residency, and experience required to develop the skills necessary for performing high-risk procedures should be valued on par with those of a surgeon performing a liver transplant. Both are systemic procedures. Both save lives.
