Financial disparities among people make providing health care and dental care an ever increasing problem. Dental health is a strong indicator of other medical issues. Regular visits to the dentist can not only create good habits, but helping in detecting other medical issues. With so much advertisement on products that care for oral health, some people may be confused with what to use and how much money to spend, or think that a lot of money must be used in order to care for teeth. While there are those who can afford to try different products, others who are receive financial assistance do not have the luxury to spend money on different products. This inability to maintain oral health, can create more future problems and increasing costs for repairs. The dental industry must find ways to provide everyone with some level of basic care for everyone. The dental industry must create a more visible public awareness about the impact of oral health. Issues are impacts of water fluoridations, oral cancer, and other related oral health issues.
The dental industry must continue to find ways to recruit and maintain a community of qualified professionals to propel the industry forward. This will also include making dental school affordable to attend. These professionals will also take up a mantle up helping those people who cannot afford it, especially children. Programs that are dedicated to visiting schools in low-income areas should be expanded and funded to include more dental professionals in more schools and community organizations. Dental professionals should have a social responsibility to helping people without access to dental insurance. While health care for low-income residents is traditionally a government service, the demand continues to increase and must be a mantle taken up by others. Education should also include exposing students to the importance of oral health, and to the field of dentistry as a career choice.
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The American Dental Association (2) identifies a future challenge to promoting the nation’s oral health on how the industry will be able to integrate new, improved technologies, how to respond to changing consumer needs, in addition to the two aforementioned challenges. Technological advancements require additional training for currently practicing dentists in order to keep up with the times. Older dentists may not want to go learn these new technologies and may decide to retire out of practice; this requiring newly educated dentistal professional who are well versed in the latest technologies. As the companies creating these new advancements are advertising to the general public, they are demanding these new technologies and the dentists who know how to administer them.
Not only will the new technologies require additional training, the new equipment and products also have additional operating costs, subsequently increasing the cost of the procedures and maintenance. The Oral Health Group also states that urban centers have an over abundance of professionals looking for the new technologies, competitive prices, and facilities that are spa-like. According to the Oral Health Group, insurance agencies may not be able to offset costs associated with the facility needed to compete.
- American Dental Association. “Future of Dentistry Full Report.” American Dental Association: Health Policy Resources Center. Web. 2001.
- Oral Health Group. “Roundtable: The Future of Dentistry.” Oral Health Group. Web. 01 June 2002.
