How is the health of the dental profession in Connecticut? Are more dentists retiring, or will be retiring, than can be replaced?
The dental profession in Connecticut is healthy, as there is ample workforce to treat those who seek care. The concern of dentists retiring due to the baby boom bubble has probably been put on hold with the decline in the economy. In addition, dentists are staying healthier longer and want to continue to contribute to the healthcare of the citizens of Connecticut. The studies we have seen show this trend will continue and there should be no dental workforce shortage in Connecticut for the foreseeable future.
You’re a clinical instructor at the UConn School of Medicine. What happens to the dental profession in Connecticut if we lose the school or it is severely cutback?
The dental school, with its research and clinical training ranking it as one of the best schools in the country, is essential to the oral health of the state. Many students remain in Connecticut to practice, even if they leave the state temporarily for additional training. In addition, the dental clinics that operate at the school provide a significant safety net for the uninsured population, which would be lost. However, the School of Dental Medicine is going strong, and we are confident that it has a bright future.
The Connecticut Dental Society likes to position itself as a leader on solving problems in healthcare. What issue is foremost on your mind as president? What can the dental society tackle and accomplish in the near future?
The most important issue today is healthcare — which includes oral healthcare — for the underserved. This issue isn’t new but the political will of the public is driving the discussion. We believe that addressing the issue of access to care is multifaceted, and must include discussions regarding the capacity in the current system, getting the target population to the care, and appropriate funding. There has been a 5-fold increase in the number of dentists treating children enrolled in the state’s HUSKY dental program since September 2008, and the CSDA has been working on how to ensure that those children get care if they can’t get to a traditional dental office. Utilizing school based programs as well as increasing the ability of safety net facilities, such as community health centers, to treat those in need are being investigated by the CSDA. Ultimately, dollars and cents will need to be spent by the legislature, and we all know that this will be a tough call.
The mouth is such a great indicator of problems throughout the body, yet so many people go without dental insurance. Why aren’t more companies willing to invest in dental insurance, which is a great preventative health care tool?
The cost of dental benefit plans in these economic times is not a priority for most companies. This means that the cost of dental treatment gets pushed to the individual where it becomes part of their discretionary spending, which may result in putting off necessary treatment. Ultimately, delayed treatment will cost significantly more than prevention, but it is the “right now” cost that impacts employer priorities and spending decisions.
On a different note, what are some of the latest innovations in dental care that are going to want to make people go to the dentist?
The next big step will be oral fluid diagnostics where we will be able to take a sample of saliva and diagnose oral cancer and early signs of systemic disease in concert with the physicians. The need for blood tests may eventually go away. Since people go to their dentist more frequently than their physician, this is a great opportunity to work with the medical community and provide early diagnosis and prevention for everyone.
