Washington Post Article

“Doctor, I’m feeling pressured”

It seems that every few years, an article is written in some publication about how dental treatment is presented to patients and the financial implications of that treatment. The theme is usually related to the profitablity of the treatment for the doctor. Reader’s Digest had an article many years ago highlighting different treatment recommendations and what was really “needed”. The artilce failed to address the different patient desires and the different levels of expertice of the doctor.

The Washington Post article addresses a patient that had Invisalign treatment recommended but because other doctors had not mentioned it in the past, it was assumed that this was just a sales ploy by that doctor. The article does not address the benefits of straighter teeth beyond cosmetics and the fact that a new and innovative method of orthodontics has become very popular with both patients and dentists. As one doctor pointed out in the article, my patients expect me to be on the forefront of the latest technology and to present all their options for optimal care. This is a responsiblity I take seriously and we certainly understand that patients have free will to choose what works best for them in their lives.