As a new dentist, I am becoming increasingly concerned that what it means to be a dental professional is being lost in the eyes of the public and our vendors and consultants. I recently asked one of my patients whether he felt there was a significant difference between a dentist and a tradesperson, such as the professional carpet cleaners whose commercial was playing on the office radio. He responded, “I suppose you go to school longer and are higher on the professional scale, but don’t tell that to the carpet cleaner.” In addition, I receive a barrage of materials about how to run a business to make more money and how to perform more procedures that result in greater profits, but nothing about how to help me better meet my patients’ needs. Are we being viewed as glorified trades- people, financially oriented and expensively trained? If so, what can we do to change this perception?
CITATION STYLE
Esterburg, J. C. (2011). ARE DENTISTS LOSING THEIR STATUS AS ‘PROFESSIONALS’’?’ The Journal of the American Dental Association, 142(9), 1084–1085. https://doi.org/10.14219/jada.archive.2011.0333
Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.